Page 74 of Contract of a Billionaire

There was no hesitance in Autumn’s voice, but her flushed cheeks didn’t escape me.

Branka chuckled. “Somehow I knew you’d say that.”

They both poured themselves another drink, clinked glasses, and continued drinking.

“Yeah, he’s not really your type,” Branka remarked, though I detected sarcasm in her tone.

Wrong, sister. I was totally her type and she was mine.

“I guess.”

Branka already refilled her glass. And her own. That bottle would be gone tonight, unless I locked it up.

“What do you mean, you guess?” Branka inquired as she put the bottle down, then took another sip.

Autumn chuckled. “C’mon, Branka. He is hot. Scary as shit, but hot nonetheless.”

“Would you do him?”

“Branka!”

“What? It’s a good question.” Branka defended herself while Autumn’s cheeks turned crimson.

“Something is definitely wrong with this conversation. If I had a brother, I would not want to know if you’d do him.”

Branka shrugged her shoulders. “The fact that you are avoiding the question, tells me you would do him.”

Autumn exhaled. “No, I wouldn’t. And I wasn’t avoiding the question. Merely pointing out how inappropriate it was.”

“You should do him.”

“See, that’s why I don’t tell you when men are hot,” Autumn pointed out. “You go into full matchmaking mode. Honestly, that should be a business you start. You thrive in matching couples together.”

Branka grinned and leaned her head back. “I know. So far I did pretty well. Thanks to me, two of our crew members got hitched.”

“Yep.”

“So Alessandro is your type?” Branka tried again.

“Jesus, you are killing me.” Autumn spat out annoyed. “No, he’s not my type. Currently, nobody is my type.”

“Okay, okay. He’s not your type.” Branka refilled their drinks. “Bottom’s up, sis.”

They both laughed and drank it down, then poured themselves another one.

Leaving the two friends to their own devices, I went in search of my half-brother. Byron and I had come to a reluctant truce after he helped me get rid of the old man.

The office door shut behind me with a quiet click. I found Byron seated comfortably in the sitting area of my office, sipping the scotch.

I crossed the room, my steps slow and deliberate, until I reached my desk. I sat behind it, a muscle in my jaw pulsing. Decades of resentment were hard to overcome and truthfully, Byron did me a solid. I owed him for this favor, and I hated being indebted to anyone.

“She’s pretty,” Bryon commented nonchalantly. I didn’t comment, but my teeth clenched. “Perfect wife material for an up and coming politician. And closer to my age than yours.”

Anger burned in my chest. Byron was just two years younger than me, but he and Autumn were more compatible. On paper only. Both were clean cut. Both had ideals. But there was something about seeing Byron and Autumn together that made me want to smash my half-brother’s head against the nearest wall. Byron, just like Autumn, wanted to save the world. It was the reason he worked behind his father’s back - cleaning up the mess of corrupted dealings he had left in his wake.

“You realize you’re growling, right?” Byron took a lazy sip of his drink. My fucking drink.

“And you’re annoying me.” Restlessness buzzed beneath my skin. I was eager to kick my plan into gear and now that I learned Kol was mine, I was obsessed with putting it in play. Jesus, he was mine. I had a kid. A smarter person would be furious she kept that hidden from me, but the obsessive and slightly psychotic side of me was thrilled there was something tying us together. A bond that couldn’t be broken.