Page 62 of Love or Tequila in Unexpected Places

Sixteen

ANGELO

Christmas arrived a few days later, sooner than Angelo would have liked.

The weight of a million concerns kept him pacing in his office—becauseCEOs don’t do holidays. His thoughts churned, one after the other.

His father’s cryptic instructions from weeks ago, still too uncomfortable to voice aloud.

The board of directors, who seemed to thrive on naysaying—except, as it turned out, when it came to that fucking merger with Lockwood.

Talon’s call a few days prior, proclaiming he’d finally,finallyfound something, only for it to turn into yet another dead end. The interruption had cost Angelo a fleeting, precious moment with Allison for nothing.

Allison.

She was the one thought that dominated his mind, eclipsing everything else. Her defiance, the way she held her ground in front of her brother. The way she melted under his touch, her soft whimpers and shaky breaths still haunting him.

How he had trapped the most beautiful woman he knew against her cartwiceand still failed to kiss her was beyond him.

He exhaled sharply, halting his restless pacing to glance at his phone, which buzzed in his hand. His brows creased at the unknown number flashing on his screen, but he picked up anyway.

“Taylor speaking.”

The voice on the other end made him tense, though his fists, which had involuntarily tightened, relaxed. “This is Johnathan.”

Angelo straightened, wariness threading through his thoughts.

“Johnathan, hey,” he replied, keeping his tone casual, though his mind was already racing. Why was Johnathan calling? And how did he get this number?

From what Angelo knew, Johnathan was preparing to take the reins of Lockwood Inc., but they had only met at the lunch Allison had arranged. Fear prickled at the edge of his consciousness. Had something happened to Allison?

The silence on the other end stretched just long enough to make Angelo’s grip on his phone tighten.

“We need to talk,” Johnathan finally said, his voice firm, controlled. “About Allison.”

Angelo’s stomach twisted. He had braced himself for the worst, but the tension coiled tighter. “What? Is everything okay?” he exclaimed, rushing to where his suit jacket hung on his chair.

“I want to make sure we’re clear,” Johnathan said bluntly, cutting through the rising panic in Angelo’s chest. “She’s my sister, and I’m not going to let anyone mess with her.”

Angelo swallowed, drawing in a slow breath to steady himself and stop the impending heart attack. “I get that. Believe me, I don’t want to hurt her either.”

Johnathan was silent for a beat, and when he spoke again, there was a slight softening in his tone, though it still held an edge. “This isn’t where any of us thought we’d be, but here we are. I’m trying to wrap my head around it, and I’m sure you are too. We need to figure out how to make this work, for her sake.”

Angelo nodded, even though he knew Johnathan couldn’t see him. He appreciated the directness, uncomfortable as it was. “I agree. Whatever it takes.”

Johnathan seemed to weigh this, his tone cooling just a fraction. “How about we meet up for coffee? To talk things out. Maybe if we clear the air, it’ll make things easier for all of us.”

Angelo hesitated, but only for a moment. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. When and where?”

“Next Wednesday, 10 a.m. at the café near your office,” Johnathan said, the decision already made.

“Okay, I’ll be there,” Angelo agreed. “And, Johnathan… thanks for reaching out.”

There was a pause, and when Johnathan spoke again, his voice was more neutral, acknowledging a temporary truce. “Just doing what’s best for her. See you tomorrow.”

The line went dead, leaving Angelo standing in the middle of his office, hand still outstretched towards his jacket, tension buzzing through his veins. The meeting wouldn’t be easy, but if it was for Allison, he’d face it head-on.

It wasn’t until the night of New Year’s Eve that Angelo realized his meeting with Johnathan was scheduled for New Year’s Day.

---