Page 18 of Embrace
Chapter Six
Jake Sparrow/Asher Christmas
Three and a Half Hours Ago
Iloathed lying to Penina, especially since dishonesty had been a barrier in our relationship. The call I had received was not from Si. It was from my brother Spencer. I suspected Gina had given him my number. As usual, she would do anything to get on his good side. And as usual, Spencer had no problem using her to get what he wanted, and that was me.
He was the last person I wanted to see, but he wanted to discuss Pete Sykes purchasing the hospital. I also suspected that was his way of making his visit legit. What he really wanted to do was check on me. Plus, after my encounter with the clerk in the bookstore and having to wait longer before receiving the results that would confirm a biological link between Penina and me, it almost felt like great timing to finally come face-to-face with my brother.
I had sent my last text message to Penina when I was not too far away from Si’s office. I could see the door. Spencer was already in there. He had flown in from New York for our meeting and planned on flying back shortly thereafter. The closer I got to my destination, the more uncomfortable I felt. If I saw Spencer, then it would mean my lengthy hiatus from the Christmases was officially over. But when the rubber met the road, who the hell was I kidding? There was never going to be a permanent separation from my family. But what surprised me the most was how a sudden calm had fallen over me. The sound of my black sneakers hitting the floor was all I could hear. The door to Si’s office was only a few steps away. I stopped and turned to look back up the hallway, marking the distance of how far I had come. I had the freedom to forget about meeting with Spencer. I could start all over again with a new name and new hospital, have my cash back in cryptocurrency by morning, and be across the Atlantic in another country by night. If I hadn’t met Penina, that was exactly what I would’ve done—just for the hell of it, I guessed. Running had become habit. I faced the office again, then I squeezed the doorknob and turned it.
* * *
Spencer,who was sitting on the edge of the sofa, stood when he saw me. I couldn’t move for a few beats. Seeing him had instantly transported me to another place and time. It wasn’t good or bad, just different.
“Ash,” he said.
I slowly closed the door behind me but didn’t come closer. I had no idea why I stayed there unmoving, like a boulder. It wasn’t as if Spencer was going to bite.
Nodding sharply, I said, “Spencer. What are you doing here?”
He sniffed as if his reason should’ve been obvious. “You bought a hospital under the name of Pete Sykes.”
“Then you’re here to check out my investment.”
I waited for him to hurl a nice big insult. I wanted him to make it good, so fucking hurtful and demeaning that it reminded me why I’d gone running for the hills in the first place. So far, though, he watched me—more like examined me.
“You look good,” he said finally.
I pressed my lips together, refusing to say it back, even though it was true. He looked different. Spencer’s face used to have a gaunt hardness about it but not anymore. It was as if something evil that used to burden him had released him, setting his soul free.
“You mentioned Pete Sykes,” I said, attempting to sound like less of a dick. “Is he retired or something?”
Spencer snorted a chuckle. “No, he isn’t. But with Father gone, he’s not operating in the background anymore.” Spencer touched himself on the chest. “My company, TFC Global, is now under the umbrella of Christmas Industries.” He grinned as if he was proud of it and wanted me to be too.
I jerked my head back. “No shit?”
His grin got bigger. “Yeah, shit.”
Even though we maintained a safe distance, we shared chortles.
“Congratulations,” I said.
“Thank you. My wife gave me a surprise party and everything,” Spencer said, simpering. “It was nice.”
I could feel my eyes constrict as I tried to figure out if that was really my obnoxious brother standing in front of me.
“I’m glad you’re doing well, though, Ash. Let’s sit and talk about some things.”
Spencer had always been big on power games. One of them was never to sit before the person he was in a meeting with had. In his mind, the first person to take a seat relinquished the power. So I waited for him to pause, but he didn’t. He sat first, and I was shocked as hell.
“Your wife, huh?” I asked as I took the seat in the armchair across from him.
Spence was still smiling. “Yeah. She’s too good for me, but I do my best.”
I was confused about what sort of woman would marry Spencer, especially given the relationship he had with Gina.
“I can tell by that look on your face that you have doubts about that,” he said.
