Page 29

KELLAN

I let Alex handle most of the conversation with Melanie.

She’s trying to bait us into something that might burn everything to the ground. And our ecosystem is fragile enough as it is. I watch my brother carve down the slope while my thoughts stall for a heartbeat.

When I finally push off, this run isn’t nearly as satisfying as the first. Instead of enjoying the burn in my legs, I worry about whatever scheme Melanie’s cooking up.

At the bottom, I catch Alex tugging a water bottle from the strap at his hip.

“We good?” I ask, sidling up and reaching for the bottle myself. He passes it over, and we take long pulls before deciding if we want another run.

“Yes.”

“Where’s Melanie?” I ask, scanning the crowd.

She’s nowhere to be seen, but that doesn’t mean she’s not lurking near the ski shop or waiting at the base of the chair lift for us. I almost throw in the towel and suggest we hit a different slope.

“I haven’t seen her,” Alex grumbles. That brief but unsettling conversation got the better of him. Chances are, he’ll be in a foul mood for the rest of the day.

“Good. Let’s hope it stays that way…” My voice trails off.

As if conjured, Melanie swoops in from our left. “There you are!”

“Stay the fuck away. This is harassment.” I roll my eyes and briefly consider a strategic retreat.

But the closest exit is the chairlift, so I set my sights on reaching it as fast as I can. If Alex and I can hop on, we’ll leave Melanie in the dust and tune out the rest of her toxic bullshit.

Her insufferable smirk slams me to a halt. “I thought you might be interested to know what I saw last night,” she says.

“Not interested.” I keep my tone flat. I’m not giving her the stage.

“Not interested in anything you saw or think you saw,” Alex adds, matching my pace. If we lengthen our stride, we can leave her—and this conversation—in the dust.

“You know, I must be on the same floor as you guys,” Melanie says, quickening her pace to stay on our heels. “While I was sipping wine on my heated balcony, I could’ve sworn I heard something across the courtyard—familiar sounds, familiar voices…”

My stomach turns. I’m not going to play into her hands. “You didn’t hear anything because there was nothing to hear,” I tell her.

“Oh, it was adorable,” Melanie laughs. “She bobbed on your cock while Muscles here pounded her from behind. One pinch-zoom and every stupid grin lit up my screen.”

That makes me pull up short. “You did what, now?”

“Doesn’t that turn you on?” Melanie purrs. “Why else would you be on the deck, naked in the hot tub for the whole world to see? Aren’t you proud—all three of you turning that poor woman into your whore?”

“Watch what you say about Makayla.” My fingers curl into a fist. I want to silence her poisonous tirade with one punch. My honor prohibits me from hitting a woman, but dammit, she’s testing my limits.

“Why?” Melanie sneers. “Do you actually like her? Do you think she actually likes you? She’s just an airhead eager to experiment. If you think there’s anything more to that, you’re sadly mistaken.”

“As opposed to a money-grubbing sociopath such as yourself?” Alex says.

Melanie bristles and tosses her hair over her shoulder with a sharp huff.

“I wouldn’t know,” she snaps. “I didn’t enjoy myself.”

“We were all there,” I remind her. “There are no lawyers here. You don’t have anyone to lie to.”

“You’ll never get me to admit I liked it,” she spits.

“That would defeat the whole purpose of this little exercise. Looking at you now, I’m starting to think that Makayla might not be the airhead, after all.

It might be the three of you. Three dicks between you, and you barely reach the threshold of what is considered a real man, fawning over that bitch.

It’s hilarious to watch. And a little sad. ”

I surge toward her, no longer able to hold back. Alex is quick to get between us. He shoves me away, doing more to protect my freedom and reputation than to protect Melanie’s wellbeing at this point. Truthfully, I’m not proud of myself.

So, I pull back. It would only feed into her scenario, anyway.

“It’s not worth it,” Alex cautions.

“I agree,” Melanie taunts. “The sex definitely wasn’t worth it.”

She’s trying to provoke me, and I’m going to gain zero advantage if I let her. Despite all the nasty words she’s throwing around, her pain is obvious.

“I think I finally get it,” I say, catching the flicker in her eyes. “You’re pissed we never wanted more than a quick, dirty roll in the hay. You’re still itching for revenge.”

“Maybe I’ll tell your flavor of the week exactly what’s in store for her,” Melanie considers. “She might like to know you three paid a small fortune to keep me quiet. That settlement screams ‘guilty,’ doesn’t it?”

“You know damn well what that settlement meant,” I fire back. “Our word against yours looks bad, and you had zero proof. Hell, I remember you begging for more, legs spread wide.”

I see the words hit home; Melanie’s face scrunches as she tries to recover from the naked truth I just shoved at her. “How dare you?” she hisses.

“Honestly, Melanie, the sex wasn’t even worth the price tag,” I add.

I can almost see her crumble inside. That’s what happens when you bring a knife to a gunfight. The problem? I’ve fed her frenzy, and the fallout is coming.

“Come on,” Alex says, nudging me toward the lift. “It’s pointless, anyway. She’s not going to tell Makayla. There’s an NDA in place.”

“I just might,” Melanie retorts. “If anyone can dance around an NDA, it’s me. I didn’t make junior partner on looks alone.”

“I’m guessing you sucked a few senior partner dicks along the way,” Alex scoffs.

“Better men than you,” she hits back.

“Stay the fuck away from Makayla.”

“What are you going to do?” Melanie smirks. “Just like you said, it’s my word against yours. And no one is going to believe a set of rich, powerful men were taken advantage of by a respectable attorney like me.”

“Anyone who actually knows you will see through that act,” I counter.

“Let me get this straight,” Alex cuts in. “Did you plan to smear us before you crawled into our bed, or did the idea hit you afterward—knowing your sister was dating our friend and partner?”

“Why does it matter?” she purrs, dodging the question. “The point is, I have you exactly where I want you.”

“Right where you want us—for what?” I ask, already regretting the question.

“Money and power, boys,” Melanie says, as though imparting cosmic wisdom. “They’re the best drug on earth, and you three are my ultimate fix. I just can’t get enough.”

I turn my gaze to Alex because I can’t stand looking at Melanie anymore.

We’re screwed and we both know it. No amount of threats will shake her off this path.

But I’ll be damned if I’m just going to roll over and play dead.

Short of confessing the entire sordid affair to Makayla in the next twenty minutes, I don’t see that we have any viable moves.

“I may not know how to hurt you right now, but if you go anywhere near Makayla again, I swear I will figure it out,” I promise.

“Revenge doesn’t suit you, Kellan. Stick to what you’re good at—lifting weights and getting head.”

If only we’d seen through her from the start and stayed out of her bed.

Alex tugs me toward the lodge. “She’s going to do what she wants and there’s nothing we can do to stop her.”

“But if you think you’re getting another penny from any one of us, you’re mistaken,” I add, making it clear that I’m not playing her game any longer.

“You might want to reconsider,” Melanie warns, lowering her voice to a theatrical whisper.

“I can blow up this little lovefest. I can tank your company—imagine Bryan’s face when he learns you used his fiancée’s sister.

And if that doesn’t scare you, your board will lose their minds once they know who they’re really in bed with. ”

“Come on,” Alex insists, being the voice of reason for both of us.

He practically drags me away as I seethe with rage. And Melanie just stands there, smiling sweetly, holding one too many cards.