Page 38 of Whiskey Lies

Tessa chews on her lower lip. “Well, shit. That’s depressing.”

A single laugh hits my throat. “Yeah.” I try to roll my eyes to show it doesn’t matter, but I feel the disappointment plaguing my face. “I don’t want to talk about this. I’ve already emailed Rachel. I’m going to have her handle communication with Cash going forward. He doesn’t want to deal with me, so I’ll work behind the scenes, give him his space and time to find what he is looking for, and then I’ll get my promotion and move on with my life. I mean, come on, that type of passion doesn’t last.” I point to the phone again shaking my head.

Tessa huffs in disappointment. “Fine. So, I’m thinking it’s a tequila day, huh?”

I offer her a real laugh this time and squeeze her against me. “God, I love you.”

She squeezes me back. “I love you too, G. And you are going to make someone very happy. Or ya know, I’m still offering to marry you and be your lesbian lover.” She raises her eyebrows in suggestion. “I mean, I would totally do you if I could live in this apartment.”

I smack her away from me. “You like dick too much.”

She laughs. “True. But I could at least be your live-in partner who sleeps with men.”

“You’re ridiculous; you know that?”

“But you love me,” she says in a sing-song voice.

“You’re damn right I do. Now let’s go get food, I’m starving.”

Chapter 14

Cash

“Holy shit, what has you all worked up?” Chase asks after I slam my fist into his face for the fourth hit today. He holds up his hands to stop me from continuing, and Carter jumps in with waters for us both.

I open my mouth and he squirts the liquid in, providing me with momentary relief. I wish it was vodka. Nothing is touching the anger I feel. Not the boxing, not the five miles I ran this morning, and certainly not this fucking water. I slip my boxing gloves off, handing them to Carter, and take out my mouthguard. “I need a drink.”

Carter points to the water. “That’s what this is.”

I glare at him. “A real drink. Alcohol. I need to go out tonight. Where are we going?”

Chase smiles. He’s been trying to get us to go to some new club for the last few weeks and I’ve shot him down each time. Carter prefers to only go out when we are out of the city. He doesn’t want to run into the women he screws. Or more like screws over. I, on the other hand, decided to hang up that lifestyle when Pa made me CEO. Lot of good that did me. I’m still being photographed in magazines and dragged into drama. Might as well enjoy myself at least.

“This is about the married chick, isn’t it?”Carter asks, pointing to the edge of the ring.

We hop over the ropes and give the next duo their shot.I focus on slipping off my boxing gloves and ignore my brothers.

Chase raises his eyebrows. “What married chick?” Carter pulls out his phone and tosses it to Chase while I continue to fume next to them. “Wow, you’re fighting over a married chick with Hanson? Never thought I’d see the day.”

I toss my gloves on the ground. “Stop calling her the married chick.”

Chase holds up his hands. “That’s what he said. If you give me her name, I’d be happy to call her whatever she wants.”

He really should know better than to shoot me a wink right now, but apparently he’s ready for another round.

Carter puts up his hand, blocking me from attacking my brother. “Tell us what’s going on. Why does this woman have you all worked up? We’re clearly missing something.”

The tension in my back builds and I try massaging my neck for release, but I’m afraid nothing other than Grace will fix this. Which is crazy because she’s also the cause of it.“I met her in Florida.”

Carter laughs. “Wait. This was the woman you spent the weekend with?”

Chase looks at us both. When I got back, all strung out over Grace disappearing without a trace, Carter had been there. By the time I saw Chase, I’d already discovered who Grace really was so I never shared with him what happened in Florida. I grind my teeth. “Yes. I met her in Florida. She told me repeatedly we couldn’t be anything more than a few nights but I fell fucking hard. I’ve never met someone like her.”

Chase nods. “So, she was married, and you didn’t know it?”

I run my teeth along my lips. “That’s just the thing. She told me she was married when I met her again. At the office. Grandmother hired her to find me a wife.”

Chase laughs loudly now. “Wait, you’re working with a matchmaker? You want to get married? What the—?”

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