Page 82 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

She narrows her eyes, tilting her head. ‘And they’re here to make you save them?’

I shrug.

‘Ugh,’ she groans. ‘Are you kidding me? Those assholes had the balls to come down here and askyoufor help?’

‘Money doesn’t buy class, Berx.’

‘No kidding,’ she says. ‘They’re broke? Likeactuallybroke, not have a million dollars in savings they don’t want to disturb or a vacation home in Italy they can disappear to?’

‘I’m guessing they’re penniless if they’re coming to me. IRS seized everything, the house, their cars, their bank accounts.’

She gasps, but with a huge grin. ‘What are you going to do?’ she asks, getting up off the couch.

‘Tell them to fuck off?’

‘No.’ She shakes her head, now approaching me. ‘They’ve spent how many years trying to tear us apart? Now’s our chance to get even.’

‘Get.Even?With my parents? I don’t know if that’s smart.’ But, I admit, I’m curious. ‘What did you have in mind?’

A sly grin grows on her face as she walks towards her closet. ‘I have a pull-out couch in the stockroom and a fold-down chair in my office. Both are beyond uncomfortable. Whaddya say we set up Hotel Adler and make them miserable for a bit? We’ll feed them food they’ll hate and force them to work for once in their lives.’

‘You want to get revenge on them?’

She lifts a shoulder as she pulls bedding from a closet, sitting it on her kitchen island.

‘I mean, not to death. Probably. Do the words “twenty-five thousand dollars” mean nothing to you? They tried to ruin my life, Will. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t dreamed of this. Just let me make them uncomfortable for a day. Please?’

‘Um…’

‘Will.’ She walks over to me, stopping inches from me, staring up at me with her big brown eyes, her hand on my chest turning my decision-making skills to complete mush. She could ask me for absolutely anything right now and I’m sure my answer would be yes.

‘They tried to pay me to leave you. Not one of them ever cared what you wanted or how that made you feel. They only cared about what benefited their lives. Don’t offer them a dime. Let’s make ’em sweat.’

‘I’m not paying even a nickel to save them.’

‘You won’t have to.’ She drops her hand from my chest, lacing her fingers through mine slowly. ‘I’m volunteering.’

Against my better judgment, I nod. ‘Alright. You’re the boss. I’ll back anything you say. Just don’t make me bury any bodies.’

She smiles wide. ‘I promise if it came to that, Olivia and Gunner would help there,’ she teases. ‘As of right now, you’re broke too, so play along.’ With that she grabs the stack of bedding from the island and piles it into my arms, leading the way to my family, who are probably not so patiently waiting on us.

29

BERKLEY

They’re here to ask – or maybe force – Will for help. These people hate him, yet when they’re down they turn to him? Un-fucking-believable. It’s been twenty-four hours from hell so I’ve got some shit to say to these people. I just told off one rich asshole; might as well go for the gold and get all the others I know, right?

‘How’s your night going, Adlers? Heard the IRS is up your ass. That’s unfortunate,’ I say with a chuckle as Will and I walk back into the bookstore.

The three of them have made themselves somewhat comfortable in my reading area, Mike lying across one couch and his parents sitting at the edge of their seats on the sofa across from him like they might catch a disease from pre-owned furniture. Offensive, really.

Mike rolls his eyes. ‘Did Willy get you all calmed down after humiliating yourself?’

‘Please.’ I laugh. ‘I don’t doubt you took notes because if I had to guess, I’d bet you need the same speech.’

He glares.

‘Can we act like adults for once and talk this out?’ Jacob snaps.

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