Page 86 of The Passion

“Before you ask, I don’t discuss private conversations with others. So, the answer is no.” A definite tone in her voice tells me not to bother trying to continue the conversation.

“It was worth a try, but I admire your ethics.” And I do. If I was in the same situation, I wouldn’t disclose the other person’s identity either.

“All I will tell you is that I wouldn’t have sold to him.” Her voice is firm, and I get the vibe that whoever it is, she doesn’t think much of them. “I will await your email. Goodbye, Flynn.”

“Thank you, Luchia, and I’ll send it now.” Ending the call, I can’t help but feeling apprehensive about the other man out there trying to complicate Felisha’s world. But I can’t waste energy on that. There is too much happening around me with work, chasing up the other shareholders, and the last meeting to secure the final ownership we need.

The door to my office is pushed open in a rush, and looking up, I see Forrest storming into the room.

“I can’t believe you are letting her do this. You should be stopping her,” he says with a raised voice and the face of a man who is about to explode.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I glare at his over-the-top carry-on.

“Felisha,” he yells at me, and straight away, the hairs on my arms are raising because I have no idea what he is going on about.

“She said yes to Cherie. It’s too dangerous and will achieve nothing. You need to stop your girlfriend from being so fucking stupid. Cherie isn’t listening to me, and it’s not like I have much pull over what she wants to do in life anyway.” Forrest is now standing in front of my desk, hands by his side with his fists clenched and the look of a raging bull on his face.

But his words that I need to control my girlfriend are enough to have me slowly pushing my chair back from my desk and standing, looking him straight in the eye.

“You want to think very carefully before you continue this conversation. You might be my brother, but you say one more word about my girlfriend and I will deck you.” The strangest thing about this whole conversation is that this is the first timeI have called Felisha my girlfriend out loud, and fuck, it feels good.

“Oh my God, use your brain and stop thinking with your dick for once,” Forrest replies as Nic and Rem both walk into my office with stern looks at the shouting.

But it’s too late, I’m already moving around the side of my desk and have Forrest by the shirt, pushing him toward the wall.

Luckily for Forrest there is backup, and we are ripped apart from each other, Nic’s hands on my biceps pulling me back so hard I stumble and fall into his chest.

“I warned him, and he went there anyway. What the fuck have you got against Felisha?” I’m almost growling at Forrest as Rem is holding him on the other side of the room.

“Nothing!” he yells at me.

“Then what the hell are you so worked up about this for? It has nothing to do with you.” I turn and give a death stare to Nic. “Let me go.” I have so much pent-up anger that I can’t stand still.

“Are you going to hit him?” Nic is looking at me like my father when Forrest and I used to fight as teenagers.

“No,” I grumble.

“Good, because I don’t want to have to fire anyone today. So, sit the fuck down and let’s sort this out.” Nic releases me, and I look at Forrest again.

“Not until he tells me why he is so invested in my girlfriend’s life.”

“God, you are so stupid sometimes. This has nothing to do with Felisha,” Forrest grunts back at me.

“Oh, look, he is worried about his baby brother.” Rem is trying to defuse the hostility in the room with humor which is usually my role. But just like when I try to do it, it doesn’t work this time either.

“I couldn’t give a damn about this dickhead, he makes his own messes and can clean them up himself.” Forrest is nowlooking me straight in the eye, and I know he doesn’t mean one word of that because he has been right beside me, since the moment I got the initial email about the sex video.

“I call bullshit. What is it?” And that’s the moment I see his shoulders sag slightly, and the aggression that was directed at me leaves him.

“I don’t want Cherie to get hurt. And I can’t be there to keep her safe.” He looks down, away from my gaze.

And there it is.

My brother has feelings for her, and he doesn’t know what to do with them.

Rem shakes his head. “I’m just going to say one thing. If you think you need to protect Cherie, then you don’t know her well enough. And if I were you, I would never say that to her face.” Rem, who is her best friend, makes it clear that she is not the kind of woman you play the alpha male to.

“I know, I found that out the hard way,” Forrest replies, and all we can do is start laughing at the lost puppy in my office.

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