Page 1 of The Bourbon Bargain

one

Hayes

“Youreallyfuckedupthis time, big brother. Your Savannah exodus and the fact Paige stayed behind is all over the Atlanta Haute List. Whatever you’re trying to do here isn’t staying under the radar.”

I turn toward the annoyingly chipper voice and see Payton standing in the doorway to my office. It’s barely nine in the morning and already he’s giving me shit. My shoulders bunch into tight knots of tension and rage, and I give him a stare I’m sure he’s familiar with by now.

“You’ve mentioned it. Do you have anything useful to say, or do you just want to fucking waste time that’s better spent working on the roll-out plans?” I stand from my desk and take the few strides to face him in the doorway. I’m ready to bodily remove him from my office.

“Why the fuck are you even here?” Payton crosses his arms and returns my hard stare. “You piss and moan about work stuff that doesn’t even matter when you have more important things to take care of.”

“Unlike you, I actually care about what happens next with phase two, so I’m working.” I grip the heavy door of my office and start to push him out when it’s stopped by a more solid and imposing force than just one brother.

“Can’t you see, he’s hiding from his lady problems, Pay.”

Fuck, now they’re both starting in on me.

“I’m not hiding. I’m busy.” I give up on closing the door and let it bang back into the open position as I stalk back to my chair. Payton and Zander crowd into the office after me and make themselves comfortable on the chairs opposite my desk when they should just turn the fuck around and get out of my sight before I throw my laptop at them.

“I’m no relationship expert, but even I know you need to get your ass on a plane to Savannah and win your girl back.”

“Really, Zander, it’s that simple?” I scoff. “You have a new woman on your arm every week and never do repeats. I think you’re the last person I would take advice from and the least qualified to be dishing out any suggestions right now, anyway.”

“Which is why you should really listen to this piece of sage advice that makes complete sense.”

I roll my eyes at him.

“Paige seems different.Youwere different with her. She may hate your guts for buying out her company, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t still love you. Let me tell you, hate fucking is even better than happy fucking, so it’s worth your time and effort just to experience that side of a fight at the very least.”

Payton holds out his hand to stop Zander. “Slow your roll, little bro. Hayes may have married her on a whim for his own gain, but there’s no way he’s in love with a girl he’s known less than a month.” He turns his attention back to me. “Or would you like to correct my assumption that you only married her for access to her daddy’s hotels? Was she actually different and responsible for changing your view on relationships? Did you fall for her, even when you were focused on buying out the very company she was set to inherit?”

I glare at them both and stay silent. Of course I love Paige. There was very little that could have stopped that from happening after just a few days with her beautiful soul and kindhearted ways, despite my penchant for being the very opposite. A now familiar wave of dread passes through me as I think of Paige. I may have fucked this up, but she is the one that fucking left. That was a dagger to the heart of any feelings I could have fallen into. Now I’m trying to stay removed from any of the desires to believe in love she may have kindled in me.

“He doesn’t even have to answer. Look at that dorky expression on his face as he thinks about her now. He’s head over heels, and he knows he’s fucked up big time.”

I turn the force of my glare on Zander and wish they would just fucking leave.

“If you care that much about her, I repeat, what the fuck are you doing here? We have everything under control and plenty of teams working on phase two. You’re not needed here, but I’m sure there’s a feisty girl who actually needs you right now.” Payton tips his head toward the open door.

I am done with their patronizing. They don’t understand the situation in the least. I slam my palm down on the desk so hard it shudders. “There’s nothing to do about it. She walked out on me.” My words come out harsh, my tone meant to stop them from their conjecture and mockery.

“Ah, it all makes sense now. His pride is bruised,” Zander says in a mock whisper to Payton. “He’s never been rejected, even when he deserved it.”

Payton leans his chin onto his fist, his elbow propped on his knee. “You could have warned her, you know. Told her about your plans for the future that included her hotels. Maybe she would have warmed to the idea, or at least not left when she found out.”

I clench my fist until my knuckles crack. “Well, I didn’t, so stop telling me what I should have done and get the fuck out.”

“Why don’t you just put her in charge of the eastern contingent of hotels? She’s young, but from what I’ve heard, she was born and bred to run the hotels anyway, so she could be a good fit.”

I snap my gaze to Zander, who leans back comfortably in the leather chair.

“Don’t you think I’ve considered that option?” I grind out. “Paige was set to inherit the hotels, not just run them. They would have been hers, rather than a small group she oversaw for someone else. The consolation prize would be a slap in the face to her lost legacy.”

“It’s better than nothing. Or you could give her an entirely new legacy. You’ve got plenty of companies under your personal enterprise to have something that would suit her. Time to pony up the big gifts, Hater.” His use of the childhood nickname ruffles the feathers he was just smoothing with the potentially plausible idea.

She could rule the Underworld Spirits brand without breaking a sweat. I don’t even have to give it a second thought. I pick up my phone and dial legal. It might be an act of desperation, and who knows if she’ll accept, but it may just be what she needs. But could it make what I have done less egregious? I fucking hope so. I will do anything to get my wife back and reverse some of the damage I have inflicted.

“Draw up contracts for the transfer of Underworld Spirits. Put it in Paige’s name and give her controlling interest, too. Yes, I know that means my share would decrease. No, I don’t want any stipulations for how she wants to run the business. It’ll be up to her.” It takes a few moments to start the process and I hang up, satisfied I can have this well in hand just as easily.

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