Page 15 of Lucas

I flash him a grin.

“So how are you going to get her to agree to this batshit plan?”

“She won’t know I intend to ruin her. That’s the beauty of it. I’ll play the dashing billionaire hero, swooping in with an infusion of cash to keep her little company afloat. The blushing bride will be a nice bonus for my image. It’s a win-win...for me.”

Kaleb still looks skeptical. I sigh.

“Look, Gant Construction is broke. Bleeding out, circling the drain. But no one knows that yet. Ava needs capital to keep the wolves from the door. And I need a ring on my finger to lock down the CEO gig when Dad retires. The stars have aligned, my friend. This opportunity is too perfect to pass up.”

Kaleb considers this, then nods. “I gotta say, it’s a crazy-ass scheme...but it might just work.”

“Oh, it’ll work. I’ll make damn sure of it.”

He opens his mouth to reply, but movement by the doors catches my eye. I glance over to see a tall, slim man hovering at the threshold.

I signal him to come forward.

“Uh, Kaleb Rollins, meet Arlo Stein. My sister Cora’s boyfriend,” I say. Cora insisted I invite him today. Family bonding or some shit.

Arlo shifts from foot to foot, looking like he’d rather be getting a root canal.

That makes two of us, pal.

Kaleb squints at him. “Cora has a boyfriend? Since when?”

I shrug. My sister’s love life ranks just below watching grass grow on my list of interesting topics.

“For some time now,” Arlo offers, uninvited. “This is my first time here, though.” His eyes roam the sprawling stone terraces, the landscaped grounds that melt into the untamed forest, assessing. Calculating. “You’ve got a beautiful spread here, Lucas. Reminds me of your family’s place.”

I give a noncommittal grunt, not bothering to correct him. My estate may be impressive, but it’s a far cry from the ostentatious compound where I grew up. This is my retreat, my haven away from the fast-paced world of the city. I chose this location for the privacy and the serenity, not to flaunt my wealth.

Noah climbs out of the pool and begins toweling off, his curious gaze darting between Arlo and me.

“Thanks for having me,” Arlo says, breaking the awkward silence. He snags a bottle of my favorite microbrew from thecooler and drops into the chair beside me like he fuckin’ belongs there. “I know it wasn’t your idea.”

This is supposed to be bro time, damn it. The last thing I need is Cora’s latest fling killing our vibe.

“No worries,” I lie. “Mi casa, and all that.”

I narrow my eyes, a muscle ticking in my jaw. If this clown thinks he can cozy up to me as a way to sink his hooks deeper into Cora—into the Valeur empire—he’s got another thing coming. I’ll chew him up and spit him out, sister’s boy toy or not.

He clears his throat, oblivious to my growing ire. “I thought your brothers would join us today.”

“Nope. Just me and my boys. Logan is out of the country with his girl, and Liam had other plans.” I keep my tone clipped, disinterested.

His bushy brows lift. “Ah. I heard Logan left Valeur-Tech. And that he’s adopted? So, he’s not really?—”

“Choose your next words carefully,” I cut him off with a fake smile. “That’s my brother you’re talking about. He’s as much a Valeur as I am, DNA be damned.”

I don’t give a shit about blood. Logan is my brother in every way that matters. The four of us—Logan, Cora, Liam and I—we're a unit. Unbreakable. Anyone who tries to come between us, who even hints at treating Logan as lesser than... Well. They’ll find out exactly what it means to cross a Valeur.

Arlo blanches and holds up his hands. “Sorry, man. Didn’t mean any offense. Cora mentioned there was some tension there, with your dad retiring and all...”

Oh, she did, did she? Fucking perfect. Is nothing sacred anymore?

I squeeze the neck of my bottle hard enough that my knuckles blanch. “No tension. When he steps down, I step up. End of story.”

Chapter Six