Page 12 of Break

I don’t take my eyes off Nicole. My entire body locks because I’m torn between instinct and common sense.

Her chin trembles, eyes red-rimmed and bright. She swipes the tears off her cheeks and her ring spins on her finger because it’s too fucking loose. She’s a shell of the woman we know.

“Come here, baby.” I close the space between us and wrap my arms around her. The instant I do, she crumbles. Her body sags against me and it’s like she finally gives up whateverfight she’s been in.

The entire bathroom seems to hold its breath. I let her cry against me until her sobs fade and she’s taking in deep, shaky breaths.

Landon and I look at each other while she remains buried in my arms and I’m at a complete loss. I see the longing on his face and feel the desperation in her hands as she clings to my shirt and suddenly, I only have one purpose in this life.

“Landon.” I keep my tone calm. “We have a change in plans.”

“Yeah, we definitely fucking do.”

I scoop her into my arms and carry her out of the bathroom.

Then I march right out the goddamn door.

Chapter 5

Nicole

I came to Mason and Leah’s for a break from the madness in my life.

I’m leaving it in the arms of the man responsible for my madness.

Okay, that’s not fair. Kerrington isn’t solely to blame, because Landon had a hand in it too.

And yes, I’m fully aware that I’m also at fault because I consented to going home with them and submitting completely that night, six months ago, andnothing’sbeen the same since.

Fuck, my chest feels too tight.

“I’ll drive,” Landon announces with an edge to his tone. He sounds mad, and that makes me feel worse.

We get into my car and the engine roars to life. I’m too tired to even care how they got my car key or that I’m letting them take me away like this. Instead of sitting up front with Landon, Kerrington is in the back seat with me, keeping me in his lap. I feel like a big baby and shame hits me in the throat.

I’ve avoided both of them for months andnow I’m right back where I shouldn’t be.

My problems started that night of the gala when I fucked all my prospects of marriage by going to the club, getting caught up in a fantasy, and having the greatest night of my life with the very two men who’ve haunted my dreams. And now they’re driving me away from Mason and Leah’s, taking me. “Where are we going?”

I wish I actually cared.

“To our hotel.” Landon glanced at me from the rearview mirror.

“Unless there’s some other place you’d prefer?” Kerrington adds.

I stay silent because I can’t think straight anymore.

The past month has been the hardest of my career. I finally had to tap out, which is why I came to Mason and Leah’s. They said I could stay with them if I ever reach my breaking point, or if I needed an escape, and Mason gave me a key to their condo just before I blocked him from everything.

He’s been cut out of our society and all the toxic bullshit that comes with it, so his place is an oasis that I will never have for myself. I feel bad for blocking him, but it was the only thing I could think of to keep him out of my bullshit.

Anger stirs in me whenever I think of how unfair all this is.

Mason walked away from our toxic society with a clean break, and I’m still swirling in avortex of proving myself capable to everyone. I’ll never hate him for getting out of this life. He earned it. And he’s been trying to take me with him ever since. I just wish I knew how to do what he did. No business venture I come up with is good enough for what I want in my life, and the failure stings. Meanwhile, I’m the shark circling companies that are bleeding out, and I devour them on behalf of my family’s business. It’s not easy to look in the eyes of men who are begging for financial help and you have to not only deny them, but have them sign over their companies that we will break down and tear apart. It’s like running a corporate chop shop in my mind. And to say it’s not personal, it’s business? What a crock of shit.

It’s personal to them. And the anger I face, the resentment I endure is too much some days.

We pull into a drive thru and I don’t answer either of them when they ask what I want to eat. I’m too nauseous to think about food. Landon orders a bunch of random combo meals and I just stare out the window. Then I finally slide off Kerrington’s lap and hug myself.

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