Page 11 of Forbidden Cravings

“Old man,” he snickered.

“No older than you, Ty.”

“True, but you show it while I still look like I’m twenty-five.”

Sam turned and gave him a side glance, the same one I shot him because as much as he acted like he was that age, neither of us still looked it.

“You might get away with thirty, but twenty-five is a stretch, buddy.”

He shrugged, and I wondered if he would ever settle down. He’d always been the player, the wilder of the two of us. I’d taken the lead in the business, managing the money, the investments, calling the shots. Tyson didn’t want to be part of meetings or conference calls. He wanted what he considered the fun aspects of the business—doling out the punishments, traveling only to territories where he knew he could enjoy himself when not conducting business, like Armina. He wanted the glory, the power, the women, and the danger that came with what we did. I preferred the structure, the business side of it, the controlled aspects. We were two very different men, and it worked in our favor, providing the perfect balance that ensured our empire remained a feared one. And it was our empire, even if I’d built the wealth and everyone called it mine. Without him, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.

“Let’s talk about the Bad Omen thing,” he said, leaning in. “I think Casey’s right and it would be good to assure our allies we’re on top of this. The Randall thing makes us look weak. If we don’t nip any worries in the bud now, someone might decide to take advantage of what they see as that weakness. It will force us to retaliate and there will be war.”

“What do you propose?”

“I visit the most worrisome ones?—”

“No. The last thing we need is for you to go in and threaten to rough people up to prove a point. This is more my thing, Ty. With so many unstable pieces—the unknown of when they’ll strike next, of this Tides debacle with Riley—I need to look in control. I’ll talk to them.”

He sat back, crossing his arms and eyeing me. “You take all the fun out of it, Mace.”

“I take the risk out of it.”

“Damn, what am I supposed to do to keep myself occupied now? You’ve cut my dick off from these beauties and shut down any ability to relieve that frustration with my fists.”

“Go to the gym,” I joked, rising and straightening my shirt. “Run a few miles or beat the shit out of a punching bag.”

“Not the same as bloodying up a face.”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone to bloody up. Just make sure it doesn’t go beyond our territory until necessary.”

“Where are you going?” he asked as I walked away.

“I have a conference call to schedule and calls to make. Someone has to do the grown-up things.”

His cackle followed me as I left the building. At least I’d have something to take my mind off Casey.

The day passed quickly.I buried myself in work, making a few more stops, then avoiding Casey and locking myself in my office for the rest of the day. When I finally trudged downstairs, I stopped in my tracks. Riley was in the kitchen making dinner with Casey, the two chatting away.

“Ri?”

She turned her green eyes to me, ones that held a glimmer of life again. Her hair was clean and combed, her clothes, although loose from the weight she’d lost, were more than the leggings and raggedy sweater she’d worn for weeks.

“Hi, Mace.” Her smile lit my heart, and I walked over to her, brushing her hair back before pulling her into a hug. The way her arms wrapped around me reminded me of the way she would cling to me when we were younger. It had been so long since she’d spoken to me, since she’d let me hold her, distancingherself from me after the Randall mishap. My anger had been brief as I’d sat by her side in the hospital that night, broken from the sight of her injuries. But each day she’d ignored me had been like experiencing the pain of seeing Randall hurt her over and over.

Kissing her head, I gently pushed her back, taking her in. She was pale, her soft features hollow from not eating, the circles under her eyes prominent from weeks of crying and not sleeping. I’d wanted to help, to have her talk to me, but she’d refused.

“She needs to be fattened up,” Casey said, her voice drawing my attention.

I let Riley go, but she snuggled against my chest, and I pulled her in.

“I don’t need to be fattened up,” she mumbled.

“Yes, you do,” I agreed, meeting Casey’s eyes, the hazel in them a mix of amber and dusty brown. A small speckle of blue sat within them. She licked the spoon she’d been stirring with, and I followed its path, wondering what those lips would feel like against mine.

Keeping Riley in my arms would be a mistake if I didn’t stop looking at Casey. I dragged my eyes from her. “So, does this mean you’re back?” I asked Riley.

She peered up at me. “I think so. But I still have a lot of things to work out.” The sadness filled her eyes again. She let go of me and returned to helping Casey. I left them alone, not wanting to push Riley and needing to distance myself from Casey. As they chatted, I tried not to hear the answers Riley provided about Greyson. I still didn’t know how I felt about the situation.

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