Page 51 of How to Undo the Proud Billionaire

Permanently.

“Brin…”

Brin lifted her head to look at her friend as she stepped onto the pavement at the top of the steps. She knew that Abby meant well, but she just wanted a little peace, some time to nurse her broken heart, her bruised spirit. She needed time to recover, to mourn what could’ve been.

“Can you just leave me be, Abs? I’m tired and sad—” Abby’s hand shot out and her fingernails dug into the bare skin on her arm. Abby was looking to her right, and Brin followed her gaze.

Radd.

Brin drank him in, all six-foot-something of him, dressed in a lightweight grey suit, his tie pulled down from his collar, leaning against the hood of his fancy car. He’d been to Naledi’s wedding, Brin dimly remembered, but he must’ve left shortly after the ceremony was done. Why wasn’t he at the reception and, more importantly, why was he here?

Radd straightened, sliding his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. Aviator sunglasses covered his eyes and he looked as he always did, implacable and remote.

Nothing has changed, Brin thought. So, instead of walking over to him, she turned and walked in the direction of Abby’s car. She heard Abby behind her, hurrying to keep up with her long-legged stride.

“Talk to him, Brin!” Abby pleaded.

“There’s nothing to say,” Brin replied, tugging on the handle to the passenger door. “I’m begging you, Abby, take me home.”

“I’ll just follow you there,” Radd said from behind her. “We need to talk, Brin.”

Brin spun around, anger temporarily drowning her sadness. “I think we covered all the bases yesterday, Mr. Tempest-Vane.”

Radd winced. “Yesterday I was being a bloody idiot. Today, hopefully, I’m less of one.”

“Doubtful,” Brin snapped.

“Come home with me, Brin. Let’s try and sort this out!”

“There’s nothing to sort out,” Brin told him, her voice rising.

“Now, that’s a lie,” Radd replied. “We have a lot to discuss and you know it.” Radd turned his attention to Abby and gave her a small smile. “Go on home, Abby, I’ll drive Brin to wherever she wants to go later.”

Brin narrowed her eyes at Abby. “Don’t you dare leave me, Abigail.”

Abby shrugged. “He’s my boss, Brin. And he’ll fire me if I don’t do as he says.” She raised her eyebrows at Radd. “Won’t you?”

“Damn straight.” Radd soberly answered.

Did they think she was stupid? Radd wouldn’t fire Abby for such a trivial reason, and they both knew it. No, she was being maneuvered into having a conversation with Radd and she didn’t like it. Frustrated with both of them, she threw up her hands and pulled out her phone.

“Fine, I’ll call for a taxi or an Uber.”

Radd moved quickly, and she caught a hint of his cologne as her phone was yanked from her hand. Radd tucked it into the inside pocket of his jacket and folded his arms.

“You and I are going to talk,” Radd told her before shoving his sunglasses into the inside pocket of his jacket. “Go, Abby.”

Brin heard Abby’s car door opening, followed by her engine starting, but she couldn’t pull her eyes off Radd’s. With dark stripes under his red eyes, he looked like he’d had even less sleep than her. His olive complexion was pale in the late afternoon light.

But his eyes, God, his eyes…

She could see a hundred emotions in those inky eyes: fear, regret, pain. It was as if he’d stripped every layer of protection away and allowed her to step into his mind and it was, like hers, in turmoil.

Radd gestured to an empty bench that faced the sea. “I have some things I need to say and, afterwards, if nothing resonates with you, I’ll take you home, no questions asked.”

Brin looked around and saw Abby’s car exiting the parking lot. What choice did she have? Abby was gone and, since Radd had her phone, she was out of options.

“How did you know I was here?” Brin demanded as they walked over to the bench.

---