Page 10 of Filthy Rich Temptation

‘Why would she do that?’

‘Because… because she thinks I’m fussing.’

‘And are you?’

‘She’s my baby sister, she’s been my responsibility since I was fifteen years old and I gave her space once, look how that ended. I’m not about to make the same mistake again.’

‘She’s still a grown woman, Tay.’

Not the thing I should be saying, not to Taylor and not to myself. I’m all too aware of Sadie’s womanly status and willing myself to become unaware ASAP. It’s why I’ve been locked in my study for the best part of the weekend. Anything to avoid a repeat of the kitchen-collision yesterday morning…

‘…it’s not right I’m telling you.’

I tune back into what Taylor’s saying and whole-heartedly agree, even though I know we’re referring to very different things. At least I hope we are.

I wasn’t exactly listening to whatever she’d been saying after I went down the grown-woman tangent, but I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with my disobedient cock that keeps springing up like some malfunctioning jack-in-the-box.

‘What isn’t?’

‘Theo! Can you get your head out of your work for one minute and concentrate?’

She says ‘work’, I hear ‘pants’ and it’s enough to have me sitting straighter.

‘Sorry.’ I spin away from the screens churning out numbers and pull my head from the gutter. ‘You were saying?’

‘It’s wrong that she didn’t feel she could come to me when she needed me the most.’

‘She came to you, Tay.’ I get to my feet, taking the little narwhal with me. I’ve no idea how the stuffed animal got in my study but as with anything of Lottie’s, things just migrate. ‘She wouldn’t be in my home now if she hadn’t.’

‘Not when it all started, when I could have done something to get her out of there. Before he got his claws into her and messed with her head. She isn’t the same girl any more, and she won’t tell me what happened, not in detail, but…’

‘Hey, will you quit berating yourself for this.’ I walk up to the glass and take in the snaking Thames below, focus on the familiar sight rather than the unknown. Because the unknown will only send my head down the same road as Taylor, imagining the worst and wondering if I could have saved her from it. ‘You did what you could, when you could. It wasn’t your fault she fell in love with that piece of shit.’

‘Yeah, well, until that piece of shit is behind bars, I won’t rest.’

‘And the cops are on the case, so is Axel…’

Axel’s our business partner, our best friend since he stepped between us and the neighbourhood gang when we were thirteen. From postcode wars to boardroom floors, council estates to theSunday TimesRich List, we’ve made it. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you: I’m the brains, Taylor’s the beauty, and Axel’s the brawn.

But the truth’s far more nuanced than that.

These days, I head up investments. Taylor runs the clubs. Axel handles security. It’s a mix that works. Billionaires before forty. Winning at life.

Though I know that only adds to Taylor’s guilt now. To have all that money, all that power, and still not have saved Sadie from the hell that was her ex…

I glance down, suddenly aware of the bobbing narwhal in my hand. I’m using a stuffed mammal as a stress ball – go figure. But Sadie’s ex has me damn near ready to punch something. Preferably him.

‘How is she?’ Taylor asks. ‘Truthfully.’

‘How do you think?’ I deflect, because what the hell do I know? I can’t spend more than a few minutes around her without bolting. Chaos or temptation – both are killing off my sanity. ‘Why don’t you ask her?’

‘I would if she’d pick up the phone.’

‘I’m sure she’s just busy.’

‘Doing what?’

‘Chasing down a kid, for a start. Those things run on never-ending batteries. Energizer should have trademarked toddlers, not bunnies.’