Page 45 of Give Me Forever Love

“Will do,” she says.

I walk by the curly headed boy and grin, giving him a wink before exiting.

___________

I’m parked in front of Red, leaning against the Chevy. The morning has come and gone, and the sun has skipped across the sky casting shadows on Red’s outer shell. Gray clouds float in the atmosphere, promising another round of storms. I look at the building before me, remorse filling my chest. The things I could have done differently?

I’m not sure there are any.

I worked hard.

I had a secluded life even surrounded by hundreds of people every night.

Women at my feet, ready if I was. My brother by my side. I was on top in my castle above the club. Watching through the two-way mirror at all the people as they danced and drank, knowing below them was an adrenaline rush. The heart of this place.

I exhale. I’m at a crossroad. I have no idea where to go from here. I have Mugs & Books, but that’s K’s. I have Grant Ranch, but that’s never been my main focus. That’s more of Jace’s thing.

I’ve always loved the rush of betting. The risk of losing it all or winning everything.

Maybe I’ll give up this whole city life. Maybe I’ll travel, like Danny suggested.

Who knows?

Who fucking knows anything?

Hell, only a short time ago, I was the king of all of this, thinking I’d never fall.

Not for a woman.

Not from the top.

But I did.

I fell and I fell hard.

Now here I am.

At the bottom, but I’ve been here before.

“This is it,” I say to Jace as we stand outside of a building that has a bigfor salesign on the door.

What was once an old disco club is nothing but an empty shell begging someone to come and bring it back to life.

“It has a loft connected to it, so we can live there. Get away from horse shit and back-breaking work.”

He hits my shoulder. “Man, you know Pops isn’t going to let me come live with you.”

I smirk over at him. “Well, when you turn eighteen you will, and I’m sure you can come stay with me on the weekends.”

“Yeah, you’re fucking leaving me.” Eyes like mine look down. Jace is six years younger than my twenty-two. I’m fresh out of college, ready to grab life by the fucking balls.

“Hey,” I say, turning to him. “I’ll never leave you. I know we’ve had some rough years. I know I’ve messed up, but I promise… This right here,” I look back at the building, “this will be mine, and what’s mine is yours, little brother.”

“You think Pops will loan you the money?”

“I hope. I’ve never wanted anything more, Jace. I’ll build this place up, and it’ll be the best fucking thing that’s ever happened to Atlanta.”

“I know you will,” he says.

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