Page 7 of Power

“Why don’t you leave town for the weekend? Fly to a sandy white beach and sip a cold beer, or go snorkeling, or—I don’t know—build a snowman in Antarctica for all I care, just get off the grid before you do something unwise, like crash a wedding.”

“You’re making me sound like a loose cannon.” A siren wailed in the distance, and I had to raise my voice. “Need I remind you whose name is on this company? I didn’t build it by being reckless.”

“Recklessisn’t the word. You’re wound tighter than a virgin at prom, and you need to stay away from temptation. Why don’t you take a mini vacation?”

“I’m not leaving the city.”

“If you stay here, you might do something impulsive. Like fire up the jet in the middle of the night and crash his daughter’s wedding weekend.”

“That’s not reckless; it’s business.”

“You do that, then wedohave a big problem. Ziegler’s been acting in good faith, but if you interfere with his only daughter’s dream wedding, his mood will sour, and he might invite one ofthe other private equity firms who he kicked out of the bidding process back in.”

“I wouldn’t crash the goddamned wedding. Showing up to his hotel or rented house with one sheet of paper that he failed to sign isn’t?—”

“Do you want this purchase to go through or not?” Finn interrupted, his tone curt. He was one of the few people who could get away with talking to me like this.

“How the hell will I get through the entire weekend without working?” I demanded.

“Just … find a way to blow off steam until Monday.”

“I don’t blow off steam.”

“I know. Go find some steam. Blow. See you Monday.”

Two days. Bloody hell, how would I endure two entire days of a ticking clock?

I ended the call, glaring at the city skyline like it had personally offended me. Two days. Over forty-eight hours of watching the clock and hoping Ziegler didn’t get cold feet or another offer.

I swiped open the group text with the men I considered my brothers: Blake, Axel, and Ryker. Knox was one, too, but he was in prison, not available by phone. Maybe the rest of us could meet at the mansion we’d dubbed the Sinners and Saints Club for an impromptu game of poker.

SINNERS AND SAINTS GROUP CHAT

Me: Anyone up for a game of poker? My brain’s about to crawl out of my skull.

Axel: Did I just have a stroke? Did Jace Lockwood, corporate overlord who schedules bathroom breaks, just suggest spontaneous human interaction?

Blake: Check his location. Someone’s stolen his phone.

Ryker: Or his identity. Quick, Jace, what did you say when Axel lost five grand to Blake last poker night?

Me: *middle finger emoji*

Axel: It’s him. Unfortunately.

Me: The board meeting today nearly ended with me committing multiple homicides. Need a distraction before I make national news.

Blake: Sorry, man. Elbow deep in engagement ring shopping.

Me: You’re what now?

Blake: Repeat that to Tessa, and I’ll personally replace your car’s custom leather interior with a bed of surgical needles while you sleep.

Ryker: Wait, you’re seriously proposing? To my sister?

Blake: No, I just spend my rare free time jewelry shopping for fun. Yes, to your sister.

Ryker: And this is how you’re telling me?????