She looked up at me then and stared into my eyes with so much pain and heartbreak that I could almost feel her sadness in the pit of my stomach. “What does it matter? I was disposable to both of them.”
“I’m sorry.” I bite down on my lip, feeling my heart go out to her. I knew what it was like to be heartbroken.
“I went to his room one night.” She looked at me bleakly. “He was asleep. The lights were out. I kissed him. He rolled over and kissed me back. He was full of passion. Eager even in his sleep. I felt his hands touching me. I touched his naked body. It felt different, but the same. I pulled off my clothes quickly, eagerly. He rolled me onto my back and then he entered me. I knew right away that it wasn’t him. But I didn’t stop. It just felt too good to stop.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say. All I wanted to know was if it was Greyson or Brandon she was talking about.
“So we continued to make love and then he came and rolled over,” she continued. “I reached over and turned on the lamp. And I’d been right. It wasn’t him.”
“Who was it?” I gasped, wondering who she was talking about. Who was the one she’d hoped she’d been with?
“He looked at me in surprise, as if he hadn’t known it was me. I don’t know if he really cared who it was. I stared at him, pretending to be shocked, though I wasn’t. Not really. He told me to leave then. We never spoke about it again, but that night ruined my life. It ruined everything.”
“I don’t really follow.” I tried to keep my voice light, but I was frustrated.
“I just want you to know why I hate them as well.” She ran her hands through her hair. “I want you to know why you must bring them down.”
“I don’t know if I can do this.” My voice cracked and I rubbed my forehead.
“You can do it. They lied to you. They played you. There’s no way you can let them ride off into the sunset without a care in the world.”
“I don’t know how.”
“I know.” She smiled then, a wide, evil smile. “I know the weak link in the chain. All you have to do is start pulling. Trust me. Once you start, it’s all going to fall apart. They will be done. They will know what it feels like to be as empty and alone as we are.”
I stared at her then and thought about what she had said. I knew who the weak link in the chain was as well. The only problem was that I had a feeling I’d be just as bad as they were if I went after them. That was my dilemma, and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.
Part II
Chapter 4
Greyson
I should have felt like the happiest man in the world. The woman I was falling in love with—or was already in love with—felt the same way about me. My heart was still buzzing from remembering the previous evening. The way she’d kissed me and stared at me. It was something I’d never experienced before. It had felt strange, but wonderful. Holding her in my arms had felt like I’d won something, but I knew that the games hadn’t even begun.
Coming to my office this morning and seeing Brandon waiting inside for me had stopped my heart. I’d thought it was all over then, but it was more guilt that had him in my office. He was worried that Katie was going to start questioning him over what had happened in the office the day before. He was worried that he was still being dishonest. He was worried that everything was going to blow up in his face, and I didn’t blame him. I was worried about the same thing.
I was sorting through my mail when the envelope first caught my attention. It was pink and the ink was red, but the part that puzzled me the most was that it was addressed to Brandon Hastings and Greyson Twining, the founders, CEOs, and devils of the private club.
I know all your secrets and I’m going to make you both pay. You can’t just love them and leave them. I’ve got help now. I know who you both are. Who you really are. You may have broken my heart, but I’m going to make sure that you both know what rejection feels like. You’re both going to feel every last inch of pain as I stab the dagger through your hearts.
I stared at the letter with my heart in my mouth. I’d known that my happy ending wasn’t going to be that easy. I handed the letter to Brandon in silence. I knew he wouldn’t be happy to read it, but I had to let him know. The end was imminent, and there was nothing that we could do.
I looked at Brandon and he looked back at me with the same look of worry and despair in his eyes. We were silent as we sat there, each one hoping that the other would have the answer to solve everything.
“Katie will leave me if she knows.” Brandon’s voice cracked, but I didn’t tease him as I would have in our college days.