Page 11 of Heartless (Scathing Hearts #1)

Jake

On Sunday night, after my so-called return from Sweden, I was lounging in the living room in front of the game with Sile.

I’d texted Morrison’s daughter the day before to tell her I was back, and she’d texted back she’d missed me, blubbering about how much she’d enjoyed the pathetic blowjob she’d given me.

When my cell pinged, I tagged it from the coffee table piled under junk food while Sile caught the remote to pause the game.

Mort was calling.

“Mort.”

“Jake, there’s a Gabrielle Ashford demanding to see you.”

“Demanding to see me?”

At my words, Sile mouthed, “What the fuck?”

Mort chuckled. “Mitch is working tonight, so he’s doing his thing.” Which was repeating over and over in a droning tone that I didn’t expect guests.

This was good. “Make her wait until I call you.”

“Understood,” he replied.

I turned to Sile. “The Ashford girl is downstairs,” I said while typing on my cell.

“And what are you doing?”

“Texting Sienna to tell her that her friend just showed up.”

At that, he sat up. “Walk me through that one.”

“Her friend is here to make a play. Sienna needs to see that girl for what she is, so we can get rid of her.

He reached for a hot dog. “What if she’s here for Sienna?”

“They haven’t been talking since the Shell, and she’s here at nine on a Sunday night.”

Sile scoffed. “There’s that.” He grabbed the bowl of chicken wings he plopped in his lap. “Sienna hasn’t questioned why you haven’t fucked her yet?”

After sending the text, I crossed my ankles on the coffee table. “The girl is a romantic. A gesture here and there. Mix in some ‘you’re so beautiful, you take my breath away,’ and she’s a goner.”

“In two days, that bottle is mine,” he said with a smirk.

“You haven’t seen the way she looks at me. Two days is more than enough time.”

He scoffed. “We’ll see. Heard from The Family?”

“Not yet, but Zook said they didn’t burn her house. Their contact confirmed it wasn’t an accident. Someone made it happen. Our guess is Morrison’s trying to isolate her, too.”

Sile’s feet hit the floor. “The plan is working. All you have to do is fuck her and seal the deal.”

I swiped my hand over my face and shook my head. “Those fucking eyes, man. I just can’t. She sucked me off the other night, and she’s even worse than Cecily Morrison. Thank fuck the girl comes quick.”

My friend chuckled. “Cry me a fucking river.”

“Can’t even look at her. I only take her out to restaurants where the lights are dimmed, and I ask her to sit beside me.

Easier to look over her head. At least when I kiss her, her eyes are closed.

” I took another drag at my beer. “Fucking hoping she’s into blindfolds. Only way I’d be able to fuck that.”

“Fuck, Jake. That’s cold. Even for you.” His tone sobered. “Twenty years to get your due is a long time. But now is not the time to lose control, brother.”

A text came through. Fucking perfect. “The Morrison girl is ten minutes away.”

I called Mort. “Mort, send her up. Sienna Winslow will be there shortly. Don’t make her wait.”

After I’d disconnected, I planted my feet on the rug. “The brat’s on her way up.”

Sile winced. “That girl gives my dick frostbite.” He moved to the other corner of the sectional and slouched back. “I’m staying for the girls’ smackdown though.”

I was standing in front of the elevator when its doors slid open on Gabby Ashford dressed in a tight strapless black dress. which couldn’t have been longer than my arm, and black high heeled sandals.

She fluffed her hair and wiggled her ass out of the cabin.

Touching my chest, she bit the corner of her bottom lip. “Hi, Jake.”

I kept my hands in the pockets of my sweats. “Sienna’s not here.”

Her smile was lopsided. “Oh, I know.”

Subtlety sure wasn’t her thing.

“What can I do for you, Gabby?”

The batting of her lashes was so fucking cliché, I almost laughed. “We didn’t get to know each other. I was in a neighborhood, and I thought maybe we could change that.” She got closer. “How about a drink?”

Shifting sideways, I extended my arm toward the room. “Ladies first.”

Without hesitation, she rolled her ass farther into the penthouse while I headed for the bar. She flicked her fingers at Sile. “Hi. You were at the club the other night. Simon, right?”

“Close enough,” he drawled.

Pointing at her chest, she grinned. “Do you remember me? I’m Gabby, the fun one.”

“Sure are,” my brother replied before shoving some food in his mouth.

The Ashford girl glanced at me. “You’re both cute. I’ve never tried the Eiffel Tower.”

Jesus. Fuck.

“I’ll pass,” Sile muttered.

“What are you drinking, Gabby?”

“Gin and tonic. Do you have BEG?”

Again, I almost laughed. “Sure. That’s what Sienna drinks.”

The mention of her friend’s name made her lips pinch, and Sile hid his chuckle behind a cough. Still doing the slow hip-rolling shit, she sat in the spot I’d just been in.

After handing her the drink, I sat beside her with a fresh beer in hand. She set her glass on the coffee table, scooted right to me, and slid her hand up my thigh. “I’m not thirsty.”

“Gabby, I’m with Sienna.”

She peered up at me from under her lashes. “You can have me too. It’ll be our little secret.”

To prove her point, her hand moved to my cock, and she started stroking up and down over my sweats, which was doing fuck all for me.

“You feel me getting hard?”

She smiled. “Not yet.”

I took her wrist and placed her hand on her knee. “I’m with Sienna.”

Not understanding the meaning of the word no, she stood up right between my legs.

She pulled her dress down to her waist, exposing her big tits on a too-slim frame, and set her hands on her hips. “Jake, look at me. Are you really going to say no to this?”

“Gabby?”

We all turned toward the entryway where Sienna, pale as a ghost, walked slowly in. She stopped a few feet away from the couch, taking in the seedy scene while her friend yanked her dress back up.

Then her widened gaze slid to me. “Jake, what’s going on?”

“Your friend made a pass at me.”

Sienna approached her friend with a pained expression. “Gabby, what are you doing?”

That did it for Gabrielle Ashford. The girl’s crimson face whipped at me while pointing at her friend.

“You chose her? Her? She’s fat, she’s boring, and her best friend was her dead mother.”

Sienna flinched as if she’d been slapped. “Gabby, stop.”

When the Ashford girl lunged, Sile and I got to our feet. But the blonde twat just pushed her face inches to hers.

“Gabby, stop,” she mimicked. Then, she went for it. “You’ve always thought you were so special because your mother was sick. You’re not. You’re a loser!”

I gritted my back teeth to refrain from laughing while the spoiled bitch didn’t let up. “Poor Sienna, the saint who’s nice to everyone. People didn’t like you. They pitied you—”

The Morrison girl cupped her girl’s face. “Gabby, please. This is not you. We’re friends, and I—”

The blonde whipped her head back. “I’m not your fucking friend. I felt sorry for you.”

Stepping back, the Morrison’s girl’s tone was calm, but her eyes were glittering with anger.

“What have I ever done to you, Gabby? There’s a hole inside you, and you fill it with poison you spew on the people who care. But I’m done. You’ve ruined us, and I’m done.”

“I fucking hate you!”

“You hate yourself more, Gabrielle.”

I neared the two women and wrapped my arm around Sienna’s tensed shoulders.

“Get out, Gabby.”

While the Ashford girl gaped, Sile approached us. “Time to show your tits elsewhere.”

Sienna’s friend stomped to the elevator, closely followed by Sile.

****

Sienna

I pressed into Jake’s side and curled my arms around his waist. The back of my throat constricted with tears. Deep down, I’d always suspected that Gabby hadn’t cared for me as much as I did for her. I just hadn’t expected... this.

Jake cupped the back of my head. “You’re okay, sweetheart?”

“My friend never loved me, so no,” I murmured to his chest.

“Sienna, she wasn’t your friend.”

I peered up at his angry scowl. “Has she... done this before?” When he shook his head, I let out a shaky breath. “Do you...?” I cleared my throat. “Do you like her? I mean she’s gorgeous and interesting. Men—”

“You’re important to me, Sienna. You, sweetheart.”

The intensity of his gaze made my heart gallop, and I felt his words all the way to my heart, so my voice came as a whisper. “You... you’re important to me, too.” I swallowed while my heartbeat raced. “I’m falling in love with you, Jake.”

His grin was so bright, I couldn’t help but smile back.

He leaned close, and I hooked my arms around his shoulders. Jake’s kiss was soft, and I wanted more. I needed the hard ridges of his body against mine.

I rolled on my toes. “Jake—"

Someone coughed behind me. Heat crowded my face as I twisted toward his friend from the club. He was maybe a couple of inches shorter than Jake but taller than Nigel, which put him in the very tall category.

“Hey, Sienna.”

“Hi...” I cleared my throat. “Hi, Silas. How are you?”

He sauntered toward us while his smiling gaze glided over me. “Were you out somewhere?”

My cheeks warmed. “I was having dinner with my birth father for my birthday.”

Jake’s arm twitched around me. “Today’s your birthday?”

“No, it’s next week. But Nigel will be out of state for business, so we celebrated tonight.”

His breath caressed my ear. “We’ll do something special. Just you and me.”

Heated awareness flooded under my skin at the promise in his words. Then, I remembered that freaking Gabby and I had interrupted his evening with his friend.

“I’m going to go and leave you to your evening.” When Jake readied to speak, I touched his chest. “I still have Nigel’s car. I’ll text you when I get home.”

Silas settled on the large sofa. “Stay for the game.”

“Oh, no thank you.”

That made him laugh. “Not into sports?”

I giggled and shook my head. “Not even a little bit.”

Jake kissed my temple. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

No. I’d just lost my friend. “I’ll be okay,” I whispered.

I waved at Silas. “Bye, Silas. Nice to see you again. I hope your team wins.”

Silas chortled. “Me too, sweetie.”

His ‘sweetie’ was gently teasing, so I smiled. At the elevator, Jake kissed me, short but sweet.

****

At the back of the car driving me home, my cell rang. Nigel was calling.

Earlier tonight, I’d been pleasantly surprised when he’d apologized for what he’d said about my relationship with Jake, and I’d thanked him for respecting my boundaries.

He was an interesting man, extremely smart with a gift for telling stories.

By the time a delicious chocolate soufflé had been served, I’d relaxed into the idea that I could have done much worse in terms of father.

After dessert, he’d given me first-class tickets for a European cities tour including five-star hotels.

When I’d gaped at him, speechless, he’d gently tapped my hand and said, “You said you’d always dreamed of seeing Europe. Tell me when you plan on going, and I’ll meet you there for a leg of the trip if I can.”

Like all of Nigel’s gifts, it had triggered that twinge of discomfort, which had then led to feeling of guilt for being unthankful.

I took a deep breath and brought my cell to my ear. “Hello, Nigel, how are you?”

He’d been tired during dinner, but he’d just put it down to too much work and traveling.

“Sienna, your friend Gabrielle just called, and she was very upset. She said that despite my reservations, you’re still seeing Jake Rhodes.”

God. Gabby. “I didn’t know you knew Gabby.” And I certainly didn’t know they’d been talking to each other about my relationship with Jake.

“Jerry and I have been business acquaintances for years, and Gabrielle is a lovely young woman with a good head on her shoulders. She’s worried about you, and you should listen to her.”

I pressed my lips against my teeth to keep the scream raging in my chest from bursting. Then, I took a deep breath. “She was upset because Jake rejected her advances.”

“He’s lying.”

“I was there. I saw her.”

His tone sharpened. “Sienna, there are things you don’t know about Jake Rhodes. This man has secrets.”

Another deep breath. “What secrets, Nigel?”

He didn’t reply.

“Tell me. What are Jake’s terrible secrets ?”

When silence filled the airwaves, I leaned into my cell. “You have secrets too, Nigel. Like Rowena Wheelan, your other daughter who you paid off to keep quiet about who her father is.”

His tone was sinister. “She signed an NDA, and—”

“That’s your answer? She signed some paperwork? What about the fact that you lied to me about her? Were you going to make me sign an NDA as well?”

“You’re different, Sienna—”

“Yes, apparently I have your eyes.”

“Sienna—”

“I love him, Nigel. That’s all I’m going to say about the subject. Take care of yourself, and I’ll see you soon. Goodnight.”