Page 63 of The Renegade Billionaire

“When? Is Sage okay?” Braxton’s gaze darts to mine, and my pulse rages in my ears.

Sage? He’s said that name before, but I can’t place it.

“Of course,” Braxton puts his elbows on his knees, and his shoulders tighten, but his stare never leaves me, and it secures me to the floor. His fear carries to me as though he’s the flame and I’m the gasoline. “I’ll figure it out before you get here.” He nods, but I see the pain in his expression. “Whatever it takes. Keep me posted, and I’ll have everything situated before you guys arrive. Love you too.”

He drops the phone into his lap, his hands flex, and his breath escapes in short bursts of air through his nose like a trapped animal.

“Braxton?” My voice is unsteady, and he swallows hard, but his gaze darts back and forth as if he’s trying to come up with a solution to an unsolvable equation.

“Son?” Pops asks. This time, Braxton blinks, and determination covers his features.

“That was Greyson.” His voice is vibrating as if he’s trying to control himself. “He’ll be here in a couple of days.”

Pops and I share a look and nod.

“Any chance you’re willing to take on an extended stay for one more?” he asks. “If not, I understand. The hotel probably has openings, I never bothered to check, but they’ll no longer be commuting between coasts. They’ll need to be here, with me, for…a while.”

“Is everything okay?” I ask. Pops is already lifting himself from the recliner and waving me over toward Braxton.

We both take a seat on either side of our guest who has quickly become a friend.

“What do you need, Braxton?” My head snaps up to my grandfather. It might be the first time I’ve heard him say Braxton’s name. “Besides another room.”

Braxton lifts his gaze to mine, and I understand his pain without knowing the details. It’s the same way I’d feel if Clover, Savvy, or Elle were in trouble.

“Are they okay?” My throat is tight, expecting the worst.

He lifts his hand to his chest and scratches a one-inch space above his heart, then nods. “My parents—and maybe my siblings—aren’t happy they’ve been cut off financially. They went after Sage—my nephew—to prove a point.”

Cut off? Just how much money does this guy have?

“Did they hurt him?” Are we safe? I spare a glance at Pops, but he’s not at all fazed.

“Not physically. Sage is, he’s—he hasn’t had the easiest life.” He drops his gaze to the floor. “His mother died in…childbirth, but he’s such a good kid. My father had him arrested for stealing my car.” His face hardens, the angle of his jaw more pronounced.“A car that I left for him. It’s hitting the papers this morning and painting Ace, Greyson, and me as shitty role models.”

“But why? Why?” It’s all I can think to say. My body is growing itchy, and my lungs clam up as though they’ve been caught in a bear trap.

The media and I have a dark history.

“Because when my grandfather passed away, he placed six-month contingencies on everyone’s inheritance, but my father refuses to play by the rules. He’s never thought they apply to him. I’m sure in his mind, doing shit like this will scare Greyson into forfeiting his inheritance. He’ll probably come after all of us instead of doing what he’s supposed to.”

“You’re safe here, son. This town will take care of ya,” Pops says with certainty in his tone.

“He’ll do all of this over a—a marketing company? What kind of things do you market?” I ask cautiously. The itchiness crawls across my skin at the thought of an innocent child being hounded by reporters. It triggers the worst time in my life.

Braxton takes my hand in his. Pink creeps across his cheeks, and his fingertips turn white where he’s digging them into his chest.

Is he embarrassed to tell me?

“It’s, ah, a worldwide, um, corporation. My great-grandfather started it so he could publish my great grandmother’s articles. It was just a small-town monthly periodical that became a beloved magazine in northern California. Then my grandmother was more interested in movies and television, so when my grandfather took over the company, he expanded it so she could follow her dreams.”

“Why do you sound embarrassed by that?”

He shrugs and drops his gaze to the floor. “I’m not. It’s not my great-grandparents or my grandparents I’m embarrassed by either. They led our company with love and compassion. It’smy parents who attempted to ruin it. I never thought of it as my passion, but I took over by default because my parents had no moral compass. My grandfather supported me and Grey learning the ins and outs of the company in college so we’d be ready. I didn’t earn my place there, but I spend every day trying to maintain the legacy it was meant to be.”

“I knew there was good in ya, boy. We’ve got plenty of room. Don’t you worry about that.” Pops pats Braxton’s knee with the fondness of a grandfather.

I swear dollar signs are lighting up behind his eyes though. “Pops, we are not taking any more money from him, do you hear me? We have the room at the end of the hall, and he’s already overpaid. I won’t?—”