Page 66 of Turning Up the Heat

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

SEVERALDAYSLATER, Tom looked out the window of the plane as the speaker crackled to life. “Welcome to Miami International Airport,” the pilot said over the loudspeaker. He looked out the window and saw the palm trees lining the runway. When the plane came to a stop at the gate, Tom was the first person off the plane. Quitting Cain Rum meant losing his corporate jet privileges. But he would have ridden a bus to Miami if it was his only option.

A short time later, he was getting into a rental car and he was on the road. But instead of taking a route that would lead him to Gemma’s home, he took a different one. Lila had given him the directions during their conversation the night before.

He drove up to a large white house and knocked on the door, hoping he wouldn’t be thrown out on his ass. The door opened, and Reid Rexford stood before him. Lila had told him Reid would be there. But she clearly hadn’t spilled the beans to her fiancé that he was going to show up. The other man’s eyes narrowed.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he asked.

Lila had told him to expect such a reaction. “I was hoping we could talk.”

Reid crossed his arms. They were about the same size, but Reid had the home turf advantage. And Tom knew to respect that. “I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”

Tom shook his head. “That isn’t true. We have quite a bit.”

“Anything you have to say, it should be to Gemma.”

“Before I see her again, I need to clear the air with you. Is Quin here? I wanted to see both of you.”

Reid rolled his eyes. “Lila set this up, didn’t she?” When Tom neither confirmed nor denied, Reid sighed and wiped his palm over his face, and moved out of the way of the door. “Goddammit. Come in.”

Tom followed him into the house, and in the kitchen, he saw Quin sitting at the table, drinking a beer. When he looked up and saw Tom, he muttered, “What the hell?” He looked at Reid. “Did Lila set this up?”

“Yup.”

Quin still ignored Tom. “Why?”

Reid went to the fridge and pulled out another beer. “He wants to talk to us, apparently.” He opened the bottle and held it out to Tom. “Want one?”

Between Gemma pouring him a glass of wine before dumping him and Reid giving him a beer after begrudgingly inviting him into his house, the Rexfords were raised to be polite hosts.

He joined Gemma’s brothers at the table.

“So, what are you doing here?” Reid asked. “Why did you come to us?”

“I told you before that I’m in love with Gemma.”

Quin scoffed. “You’ve got a funny way of showing it. What do you think you were doing with that campaign?”

“Like I told her, I didn’t know about it until it was too late. But what happens at Cain Rum is no longer my concern. I left.”

“Is that right?”

“I quit.”

“Why?”

Tom gave an abridged version of the steps that had led to where he sat at that moment. He noticed Reid stiffen when he mentioned that Carolina was now in charge. “They attacked the woman I love. I couldn’t work there any longer.” He drank from his beer. “I need to get Gemma back.”

“Then why are you talking to us? We have no control over what she does.”

“Oh, I know that. Nobody does.”

“She’s miserable without you,” Quin revealed.

“I’m miserable without her.”

“So again, why are you here and not at her place?”

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