Duncan, the dumb fuck, puffs his chest out like he performed the goddamn surgery himself rather than giving her the black AMEX card.
“Is your doctor taking on new patients?” Mother asks, her polite tone masking her true intentions.
“I think she’d make room for a Constantine,” Meredith gushes. “Dr. Mannford is a friend of mine. I’ll put in a good word.”
“Dr. Mannford?” Mother gasps. “Well, what a lovely coincidence. She’s a guest here tonight. Perhaps we should let the boys discuss whatever it is boys do and go have a chat with the talented doctor.”
Meredith pokes out her bottom lip in a move that once had me vowing to do just about anything for her. “Promise we can catch up soon, Winston.” She flashes me a wide grin before leaning in to press a kiss to my cheek, her new, talk-of-the-party tits pushing into my chest. “Happy birthday.”
I refrain from rolling my eyes and keep my expression cool. As they walk away, my eyes lock onto Ash from across the room. Her hands are on her hips, and she’s scowling after Meredith.
Jealous.
Cute.
I can work with that.
“Duncan,” I say, turning to the ruddy-faced, prematurely balding guy who rubs me the wrong way every goddamn time I look at him. “I’ve been meaning to meet up with you.”
“Oh?”
“I’m sad to say, but I made an error and let the Baldridge building go.”
He blinks in confusion. “My building?”
It’s mine, motherfucker.
“When you own as many as we do, sometimes things get lost in the shuffle.” I frown at him. “I hope you’re not angry.”
He’s more than angry.
He’s volcanic.
His cheeks are redder than usual, and his thick neck is splotchy. I can practically see the steam pouring from his ears.
“How do we get it back?” he growls.
We.
Dumb fuck.
“This is where it gets terribly embarrassing,” I say, pretending to wince. “I mistakenly sold it to a Morelli.”
His face pales. “Y-You sold my family building to that trash?”
“Like I said, my mistake.” I hold my palms up in a placating gesture. “But, as you know, nothing is final in this world. If you want something badly enough, you fight for it.”
My eyes catch Ash’s again. She’s still glaring daggers at Duncan’s bitchy wife.
“How do we get my building back?” Duncan asks, tugging at his bowtie. “Who knows what the Morellis will do with the tenants there. We have to take action.”
Duncan forgets he’s a tenant too, and no matter who’s on the deed, the building will always be mine.
“How well do you know the other businesses in that square?”
He straightens his spine. “Well.”
“Good.” I give him a conspiratorial smile. “How about we sneak off and talk business?”
His eyes widen as though I’ve offered him a golden goose egg.
No, fuckface, I’m using you.
“Lead the way, Constantine.”
6
Ash
The woman works the room as though she belongs here. As though she’s a Constantine. Sure, she even looks the part with her silky blonde hair and gorgeous body, but I can see right through her façade. At first, I was peeved off at the way she was looking at Winston. Like he belonged to her. But then, I sensed the disgust from him.
“Meredith Baldridge.”
Perry’s deep words only solidify what I saw in Winston’s gaze. Not just disgust but regret and betrayal. She’s the one who broke Winston’s heart when he had one. Seeing her close to him, touching him, was enough to have me wanting to flaunt the fact that I have him now, and I’m not going to carelessly discard him like she once did.
“Come on,” Perry says, “let’s dance.”
He tugs me onto the dance floor, and I quickly push away my irritation, giving in to reciprocating Perry’s silly grin. Truth is, I like Perry. Keaton and Tinsley too. Winston is a prickly cactus most of the time, and I really like him. My stomach muscles tighten with anxiety. Not only are my stepbrothers harassing me, but I also have to figure out a way to deal with Leo Morelli, because he’s not just harassing me. Leo is after Constantine blood, which means Winston and his siblings would be affected.
I can’t let that happen.
I won’t let that happen.
Even if it scares the shit out of me. I’ll think of something. I have to.
Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!
“Shit,” Perry curses. “It’s Mother. Toast time.”
One look at the large clock on the wall and I realize we’ve danced the evening away. I pull from Perry’s hold, grabbing a handful of my dress, and hurry past the people crowding toward wherever it is their mother is about to give her toast. Along the way to the corridor, I spy Winston talking to some guy. His eyes latch onto mine a second before he starts my way. Not stopping to wait on him, I rush down the hallway, nearly running into someone as they exit the bathroom. Barely, I manage to sidestep them, but the wobble has me losing my balance. As soon as the strap on the shoe I’m wearing snaps, I realize I’ve broken it. A few more steps and I learn I can’t even keep it on my foot. Quickly, I kick it off, never losing stride. Since the other heel is tall, I run lopsided down the rest of the hall and up the stairs. When I push into Tinsley’s room, she’s waiting, her face and hair party perfect.