Page 7 of The Billionaire's Buy-In

Now, I have a guaranteed window of time with her all to myself. During which, I will seduce and charm the young, innocent college co-ed and tie her to me forever. For once in my life, I can envision the future. A lifetime with Abbie, full of dueling wits and hot, angry make-up sex. My balls ache just imagining unlimited access to her sweet, tight pussy. The idea of breeding her and making a child with Abbie gets my dick so hard, it’s painfully straining to bust out of my briefs. I have to adjust myself to relieve some of the pressure. At this rate, I know I'm going to have blue balls because the weekend is an eternity from now. It’s only Wednesday for fuck’s sake. Friday can’t come soon enough.

Glancing at my lucky coin, I acknowledge it gave me the winning edge. The gold coin was a gift from my father when I was fourteen and figuring out the family business. He wanted it to be a reminder that there isn’t such a thing as luck. One has to create their own fate, and it’s okay to make sure the odds are stacked in your favor to guarantee success. In the gambling world, some might think of it as cheating. The Gallos aren’t cheats. To even insinuate such a thing could earn you a bullet to the head. We just protect our bets. There’s no “losing” in our family. Today was no different.

Holding the coin up to the light, I admire its gold, shiny surface and raised image of Lady Liberty. Printed by the U.S. Mint in the early 1930s before gold coins were pulled from circulation, there’s not another coin like it in the world, making it priceless. I turn the coin over to look at the duplicate image of Lady Liberty on the opposite side, another reason it’s priceless. Because of a rare printing error, this coin has the distinct privilege of being double-sided.

There was never any chance involved in our bet.

Suddenly a thought hits me like a ton of bricks. Shit. I panic as I realize she can never know the truth. If Abbie found out the bet was rigged, she’d be livid. I know enough about her to know she values honesty. My chances at wooing her would be gone forever. Knowing her, she’d never allow me another opportunity to win her heart. With Abbie, there’s only black and white in issues of right and wrong.

Unfortunately for me, the morally gray area is my life and all I know.

I pocket the coin as my cell phone rings. When I see the caller, I feel a moment of guilt. It’s Ty, one of my business partners and best friends. His wife is best friends with my firecracker. I know neither Ty, nor Grace would approve of my heavy-handed tactics with Abbie.

“What?” I bark abruptly into the phone, now with something new to worry about, and I hate phone conversations. Hell, I barely even text. I’m not a fan of communicating with other people, period.

“God, you’re a dick,” Ty responds with a sigh. “A simple ‘hello’ would work. You don’t always have to be so grouchy.”

Stepping into my office, I come to an abrupt halt. Two loafer-shod feet are propped on my desk. I can see a tuft of dark blond hair sticking above one of the high-backed chairs in front of my desk. There’s only one person who would dare make himself so comfortable in my office. No, make that two people, and I’m talking to the other.

“Get your fucking feet off my desk, you rude little asshole,” I snap, shoving them off my furniture as I walk to my chair behind the desk.

Ash slumps in the chair, hanging one leg over the arm. “Nothing little about me and you know it, your highness.” He grabs his junk as if to prove his point, and I roll my eyes. Why are we always reduced to acting like middle school boys when we’re together?

“Is that Ash?” Ty asks, knowing Ash is the only person, other than him, who would dare be such a smart ass to me. “Sweet,” he says excitedly, like a little kid who hasn’t seen his playmate in ages. “Put him on FaceTime,”.

I pinch the space between my eyes, sighing. These two give me a headache. It’s late, and I have lots of planning to do to prepare for my weekend with Abbie, not to mention putting out fires at the resort.

Grudgingly, I hit the button on my phone and prop it up so Ty can see us both. “What do you both want?” I ask, knowing we just met this week, so it’s not business-related.

“Can’t we just want to hang out with our little mobster brother once in a while?” Ash asks, as if he doesn’t usually have some ulterior motive. He forgets how long we have known each other. I know these guys better than my own siblings, having roomed together in college at Louisiana State University.

Sure, we are business partners, each having successfully achieved billionaire status thanks to our combined efforts, but these guys are family, actually closer than my actual family. Like family, however, they drive me up the fucking wall.

Ash continues to lounge comfortably, smacking his gum to annoy the shit out of me. That habit will earn him a bullet one day, despite how much I like him.

“Come to the Crossing, Ty,” Ash asks with a slight whine to his voice. “Your bride can do without you one night. We need some boys' time.”

Ty groans as he walks over to close his home office door for privacy. “Can’t do it, man. Grace isn’t feeling well.” He wasted no time knocking up his woman when he finally made her his. “It’s like a twenty-four sevenExorcistmovie at my house. She just keeps spewing vomit for no apparent reason.” We can see him visibly shudder. “I’ve never been so happy to be male.”

“Did you just compare your wife’s pregnancy to being possessed by the devil?” I ask, actually laughing at his dumbass comment. “Don’t let her hear you say that.”

“No kidding, she might be small, but she is mighty. Her name, Grace, is misleading,” he whispers as if he’s actually afraid he’ll get caught. “With these hormones, she is, without question, acting possessed. It’s a sex, food, and vomit repeat cycle. Over and over. All day, all night.”

“Uh, sex sounds cool, but I could see where the puking thing might spoil the mood. I think I’ll just stick with being the cool uncle and let you handle all the pregnancy weirdness and the devil spawn when it comes.” Ash pales as though the mention of fatherhood is the stuff of nightmares. He’s a confirmed bachelor and proud of it.

“I was going to see if y’all wanted to play a little poker, then head to the coast for fishing.” Ash’s happy place is on his boat. It’s where he can be found most of the time, usually docked off the coast of Mississippi, close to New Orleans. All of us like to sneak away as often as we can to cruise up and down the coast, pretending to fish. Basically, we’re just drinking and escaping our adult responsibilities, but it’s always a good time. I’m usually up for it, but not this weekend.

“Damn, that sounds fun,” Ty says with a mournful look on his face. “But I can’t leave Grace alone.”

“I’m out, too,” I tell them abruptly, not offering any other excuse. I turn to my computer, looking at my numerous emails, hoping they get the hint.

“Work shit?” Ty’s guessing. “That sucks, man. You need to stop working so much.”

“Not work.” That’s all I offer, still not making eye contact.

“Okaaaay,” Ash drawls out dramatically, sitting up straight in the chair. He’s suspicious of my sharp, vague responses. “Now, I’m curious. What, orwho, are you hiding from us?” He leans forward, propping his elbows on my desk, popping his gum, narrowing his eyes, and studying me like a bug under a microscope. He’s a nosy bastard, and I’m not saying a word. He also gossips like a chick.

Ty laughs from the phone. “Chord has a girlfriend,” he says in a sing-song voice.

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