Page 6 of Fusion (Gravity #2)

Dash

Chicago, Illinois

It was one thing to be consumed by a desire for retribution against my father, but quite another to act so blatantly on that impulse. After spending most of the night studying the history of the Richmond/Carter public feud, it became apparent that there was a deep-seated loathing between the two men. Like Dr. Harris suggested, my ideology aligned more closely with that of Carter. If I accepted Wesley Carter’s offer, I’d be jumping the line of no return. But was there a point to return to anyway?

I had vowed to cease all communication with my parents until Beau received an apology and a plan in place to earn our trust. Of course, that was never going to happen. Joy had made my family’s position clear. What they hadn’t counted on, I was just as stubborn as my father. I had youth and education on my side to combat his aging experience. Wow, that was a damned bold statement, but true, nonetheless.

So why did I persist in wrestling with this decision?

I paced the living room. The sunrise edged through the glass walls, making the time and expense I’d invested in my backyard worth every dime. What an extraordinary view. The brief reprieve from my thoughts allowed the truth to emerge. I’d always been a positive, assertive, somewhat obsessive person. What happened if the goodness inside me turned into a consuming vengeance? At that point, what happened to the man I wanted to be?

I knew that answer. Fuck a meaningful life. I’d spend my time searching for a way to destroy my father. Where others failed to bring him to his knees, I’d find the way and act swiftly.

However, I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by. No other law school wanted me. I abruptly stopped walking as a light bulb moment struck. There was no other choice. Over the last six years, I’d painstakingly planned every part of Beau and my life together. It hurt me to think I had to give up on those dreams.

I was confident in my ability to outperform my father’s lawyers in court. It wasn’t just my intelligence, but more the lack of effort from the men on his team. They relied on my father’s reputation and ability to bribe the officials. I’d bury them, no question. Especially with Dr. Harris at my back.

The one crucial person I hadn’t given enough thought to was my guy. Could being with me compensate for his relocation across the country, and the sacrifice of losing his dream job? The effect on Beau couldn’t be ignored. Finishing my degree meant we’d be far closer to achieving the charter boat service Beau had always dreamed of establishing.

My cell phone rang, interrupting my ruminations. I strode into my office, glancing at the wall clock, not yet seven in the morning. Hmm. I swiped the small screen, putting the call on the speaker option. “Dash Richmond.”

“Dash,” Carter said, and dove right in. “I needed to initiate this call before starting my workday. A plane’s being readied for you at the Dallas Executive Airport. Joanie, one of our employees, will rendezvous with you in Chicago to get you where you need to be. She’s scheduled meetings with the school, then you’ll check out the living conditions, and take a tour around the immediate area. You’re scheduled to return to Dallas tomorrow morning,” he said, his no-nonsense voice grew softer to a whisper as he spoke to someone else near him. “Did I get that right?”

“Yes. Only add that Joanie will take him to the airport in the morning too. He’ll stay in your place tonight,” a female voice said.

“Did you catch that?” Carter asked.

“I did.” I thought this was a discussion on my commitment to the idea, but instead the wheels were in motion.

“You still there?” Carter asked.

“I am.”

“What’s got you silent?”

“The offer’s exciting,” I started, my mind racing to process everything while considering all angles. “Your help aligns with my goals to thrive in spite of my father and family. It’ll make him crazy.”

“Whenever it happens, I want to be there when you confront him, so it’s settled. I’m traveling today. Don’t take the first offer given from the school and carefully consider everything. Chicago is a very different place than Dallas. We’ll continue this conversation this evening,” Carter said.

I nodded a few seconds before speaking. “Thank you. Let me talk to Beau and then I’ll head to the airport. We’re a package deal.”

“That’s right, I remember. Dr. Harris explained the fucked up things your old man did to you two. I don’t abide by the class structure. Tell me again what his needs are.” I heard the call switch from speakerphone to a direct conversation. Good. I didn’t want anyone to think badly of Beau. “My personal assistant is with me. I’ll transfer the phone to her. Let her know what he needs?”

“Hi, Dash, I’m Lisa. Tell me what he needs.”

“Beau likes his job.” My smile grew as I ensured he’d be as happy as possible with the move. “It’d be nice if he could transfer with FedEx or get a job with UPS.”

“What does he do?” she asked.

“He’s a delivery driver. He’s currently employed with FedEx, and he may be able to transfer. Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself,” I explained, lifting my gaze as the front door opened and Amelia came through.

“It’s no problem to secure employment. I’ll have answers for you two this evening,” Lisa said.

“Thank you,” I said.

“No, thank you. Carter’s been grinning ear to ear this morning in the office. It’s a real treat,” she said in a tone that showed happiness or maybe that was just her natural way.

“I even brought donuts today,” Carter said, taking the phone back. “I need to leave. I’ll call you tonight. Enjoy yourself.” The call ended. All my excessive contemplations were futile. I was heading to Chicago. I had to call Beau, schedule a cab, and pack a bag.

“What’s going on?” Amelia asked as I came out of my office with the phone in hand. At the same time, it dinged with a notification. The message had to be from Beau. I opened it as I nodded toward my bedroom.

“Come with me and I’ll explain. I feel like things are finally going our way again.” As I went, I opened the message.

“ Stop fretting and make the call ,” Beau texted.

My wonderful guy knew me well. As I set my thumbs to typing on the small keyboard, I felt like moving to Chicago was the best idea. Fingers crossed it turned out that way.

“The place is stunning,” I said to Beau. “Look at these appliances and the way the whole kitchen’s seamlessly put together. It’s beautiful and functional,” I explained, happy with the way my day had gone. Hope filled my being, something I desperately needed. “I’ll go to the bedroom.”

I walked the length of the contemporary dining room then up the sweeping stairs, curved along a wall, directly facing Lake Michigan. At the top, one way went in the direction of a large guest bedroom, the other way was the main bedroom. The entire house flowed well together in both the architecture and interior design. The colors and decor were much like my home in Texas. Beige, cowboy brown, black, and whites. The pop of color came from different layers of blue all across the spectrum.

“Close your eyes.” I paused at the doorway to make sure Beau’s eyes were closed, then pushed the door open with my foot. “Open.” I slowly scanned the room with the laptop camera.

“Are those windows?” Yes, they were large windows with an unobstructed view of Lake Michigan.

“Nothing gets past my guy. The bed’s soft yet firm. The closet’s huge…”

“Is that a bar?” It took me a second to find what he saw. Maybe an armoire in the corner of the room. I hadn’t paid attention. I went there and opened the handle, and yes, it was a complete bar with a sink and ice machine. Shelves moved in and out, filled with everything from Grey Goose to a professional grade espresso machine. We only had to leave the room to eat. That explained the armchair facing toward the windows.

“Why do rich people have bars in their bedroom?” Well, the answer seemed easy enough, so I gave him time to think it through.

“Stop distracting me. The closet’s something else.” I walked through the door and soft light lit the small room. There wasn’t much in the way of personal things inside. A suit, athletic pants, a dress shirt, and a nice long coat. I stood still and let him take it all in. “It has many tie drawers and a shoe cabinet. Look at this.” I went to another built-in cabinet and pulled out a thin row of drawers with one T-shirt folded there. “It keeps your T-shirts organized.”

“That’s cool.”

Beside the closet was the bathroom. Again, decorated in the same colors throughout the home. It was gorgeous with a large sunken bathtub, and a sauna on the back wall. On the other side, there was a nice-size shower with jets pointing in different directions from the ceiling. The shower walls were glass from top to bottom. I imagined we’d spend a lot of time there.

“That almost looks like a muscle recovery bathroom. There’s gotta be an ice machine in there. Is he fit?”

“In the pictures I found, he was always in a suit. But I agree, it’s the perfect place for relaxing.” I went back through the closet to the windows. “You can’t see it, but we’re close to the top floor, the view of the lake is spectacular, and from the other side of the living room, we can see the front of the building and the parking garage. The pool’s on the seventh floor, so we shouldn’t have too much noise. We’re one of two residents on this floor. Each suite is accessed separately. It’s gorgeous here. Everything we need is within walking distance. My school’s pretty close. A UPS facility is nearby, and the FedEx facility’s a decent drive, but not too far.”

“Cool.” The doorbell rang on Beau’s end.

Seconds later, Carter’s name appeared on my cell phone screen. I didn’t immediately answer. “Who’s at the door? Check before you open it.”

“To Amelia’s frustration, I ordered a pizza. It’s them.” Beau’s sudden grin spoke of how angry Amelia truly was. “She wanted to spend the night, so I didn’t get lonely.”

“Babe, Carter’s calling,” I said and lifted a hand to wave goodbye. “I’ll call you back.”

“Give me a few minutes,” Beau said. My desktop computer in Dallas instantly clicked off without even a goodbye.

“I love you too. I miss you,” I teased the blank screen and answered Carter’s call. I plopped my ass in the first available chair I found.

“I hear you’ve accepted the UC Law offer,” Carter said. “You got a full scholarship out of them.” He sounded proud, and I definitely was.

“What kind of law student would I be if I couldn’t handle a simple negotiation of who was paying for my education?” I quipped. “They’ve accepted my fast track needs, making an exception that allows for summer school classes to help me finish by December. I enrolled in the program and spent about an hour in the bursar’s office. Beau’s good with it, so I locked myself in.”

Carter barked out a loud, boisterous laugh. The chatter on his end silenced for a couple of long seconds. He didn’t seem to notice. “Good job.”

“I’ve been to Chicago many times over my life, but I haven’t ever seen it like this before,” I said. “What an eclectic part of town. I’m truly in debt to you.”

“No, you aren’t. But I wouldn’t mind getting under your father’s skin now. Post pictures on whatever social sites you’re on. My team will pick ’em up and run with it in a positive light.”

I nodded, my grin turning as devious as his. Since I’d gotten a guarantee from the school, my father couldn’t ruin this for me. I too was ready to show dear ole Dad that I was still standing, maybe even better than before.

“Deal. I have a friend who can also drop the news,” I said, thinking about Chandler’s parents. If I spoke to Chandler, it wouldn’t take more than a couple of hours before my mom found out, she’d handle spreading it throughout the family.

“All right, you’ve got your marching orders. I’ve got to go, but I wanted to add, I have a vehicle there in the garage. Use it,” Carter offered.

This deal just got sweeter and sweeter. “Thank you,” I said.

“Stop saying that.” Carter disconnected without waiting for a reply. I ended the call. The quiet allowed me a moment to consider everything. What I didn’t know was how long this good fortune might last. It didn’t matter. My target was set, and I could achieve it. I only needed the opportunity.