Page 142 of The Elusive Billionaire

I shoo him away because he’ll hate being dismissed.

“I have no doubt you believe your lies, Riley.” My insides quiver as the bravado I’m wielding attempts to give out. “It’s what makes your manipulation so hard to decipher. But your web of narcissism has been lifted, and never again will I bow to your demands. Get the hell out of here before I let Blissy take a swing.”

He glances over my shoulder, and whatever Blissy does has him blanching before he scurries out of the shop like the rodent he is.

His tantrum can be heard for half a block, and the second his voice fades, I crumple into a nearby chair as the adrenaline wears off, and I begin to convulse with withdrawal-like strength.

What the hell have I done?

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

GREYSON

“Have you ever made chili before?”Sage asks. He and his friend Ethan are painting the back wall of our Discreet Daily Deeds booth in a calming green color while I scour recipes, pulling out what I like to create my own.

“I have two days to perfect it,” I say.

“Not to…cast doubt,” Ethan says. He’s the only one of us who actually grew up in Happiness, so his intel is key. “But in the South, we start making chili with our dads as soon as we’re old enough to stir a pot. Same with grilling and making secret rubs.”

“What the hell is a secret rub?” Braxton asks.

“It’s usually a blend of spices, maybe some brown sugar, that you mix together and then rub all over whatever meat you’re cooking.” Ethan is older than Sage, but the two of them instantly bonded over football.

“Hmm.” A secret rub. I could work with that. “Interesting.”

“What about the bake-off? Do you honestly think you can win every event?” Sage asks.

“You doubt me? I’m crushed.”

“Well, Uncle, this isn’t a boardroom. If we were acquiring a new company, I know you could do it. But here you are, at the fairgrounds, wearing a $10,000 suit in 100-degree heat whilequizzing everyone around you about their likes and dislikes and grilling them for every Savvy-related detail they’re willing to share.”

“Your point is?”

“My point is, this is out of character. Have you even slept?”

“I think what Sage is trying to say…” Braxton finishes screwing in the latch on the treasure chest he built to store everyone’s wishes. “Is that we’re concerned.”

“About you and Savvy,” Sage says.

Her name has a direct line to my heart, and it races as my mind conjures all the ways she could be in trouble. “Savvy? Why are you worried about Savvy?”

Sage and Braxton share an uneasy expression while Ethan ducks out behind the booth.

“You’re fixated, Grey,” Brax says. “We just… We know you’re seeing similarities between Violet and Savvy. We just want to make sure that…”

“That what?” Sweat trickles down my spine, and my jaw tightens with tension.

“We just want to make sure you’re in this for the right reasons.” Sage is choosing his words carefully, and it makes me uneasy. The three of us don’t censor ourselves around each other. Ever. “I know you’ve always carried guilt over my mom’s death.” His words butterfly my chest open, and the knife lodges painfully in a rib. “We just want to be sure that you aren’t projecting those feelings of guilt onto Savvy because if that’s the basis for your relationship with her, she’ll end up hurt again.”

“Grey.” Braxton gentles his tone, but I can’t look at him.

I’m angry and confused. If I face him, he’ll feel the wrath of my confusion.

“We’re not saying that’s the case, but if roles were reversed, you’d point it out. That’s all we’re doing. It’s just a conversation.”

I know it’s the truth. I was a dick when Braxton got engaged, but I was being selfish. They’re coming at this from a place of love, I know they are.

“Maybe at first,” I admit. “Fixing things has been my coping mechanism since I was twelve years old, and Savvy, well, she needs me even if she won’t admit it.”