She wanted my job, I’d known that before we started sleeping together, but she couldn’t have it. And despite our current status and her greed-filled eyes, she wasn’t one to sleep her way to the top—we just happened to be a nice distraction for each other at work.
I looked up just in time to stop myself from running into the man standing in the hallway. He hadn’t been moving; he was just standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, one eyebrow raised as he studied me.
“Excuse me,” I said, and moved to walk around him—he moved with me. My eyebrows slanted down, and I looked up at him. Yeah. Up. I was six-two. To have to look up at someone was saying something. “Can I help you?” I asked when I noticed his mirrored movement hadn’t been a mistake; he was still staring down at me with a calculating expression.
The man didn’t move, and he didn’t say anything. With a huff, I gave him a once-over and smirked. My dad owned a boxing gym, meaning I’d grown up around some of the leanest, deadliest fighters around, as well as some of the biggest meat heads. But this fucker was massive. “If you don’t mind, I have somewhere to be. And lay off the steroids, old man.”
When I went to move around him this time, he let me pass; but when I looked over my shoulder, he was turned around and glaring at me with that same expression before he glanced behind him toward my office.
My footsteps faltered and I racked my brain trying to think of any mention of another guy Cecily might be seeing—one who would come looking for her at work—but I came up with nothing. And somehow I knew in the way he was glaring at me again that he wasn’t looking at me like he was ready to fight. He looked like he was frustrated with what he was seeing in me.
Shaking my head as if to clear it, I looked ahead of me and continued down the halls to my boss’s office. Before I got there, I stopped at his secretary’s desk. “Hey, call security. There’s a guy in here I’ve never seen before, and I don’t think he’s supposed to be here. Height is probably six-five. Weight is around two seventy or two eighty. The guy is solid muscle, tan, Caucasian, black hair.” I watched as she jotted everything down. “Got it?”
“Yeah,” she said as she grabbed the phone, but I didn’t wait to hear the conversation.
Walking toward the office beside her, I knocked on the door as I opened it, and flashed a smile at my boss, Eli Jenkins.
“Hey, Liam, come in and have a seat.”
I sat in one of the two chairs on the other side of his desk, and waited for whatever he had to say as he sat directly next to me. Despite what I’d told Cecily, I wasn’t worried about losing my job. I knew Eli liked me and my work, and I was on the same path he’d taken in this industry. But that didn’t mean he didn’t know about Cecily and me, and our interoffice relationship wasn’t exactly allowed.
Before he could say anything else, his eyes snapped up when the door to his office quickly opened.
“Two hundred and seventy to two hundred and eighty pounds? Hardly.”
I turned quickly at the deep voice, and my eyes widened at the roided-out guy from the hall.
“Two hundred eighty-five, actually. I’m proud of those extra five pounds.”
“Who the fuck are you?” I asked, standing up from the chair. Turning to look at Eli, I pointed at the guy. “I had security called on him.”
“He called me ‘old man,’ can you believe that?” The guy snorted. “At least you were right about the height. Good one, kid.” He walked around to sit in Eli’s desk chair, and I looked back and forth between him and where Eli was sitting next to me.
Eli rolled his eyes. “Liam Taylor, it’s not exactly a pleasure to introduce you, but this is Mason Gates. He’s a close friend of my sister and her husband.”
“You still don’t like me?” Mason asked Eli. “It was twenty-three years ago.”
Eli shot him a hard look. “She’s my sister. No, I still don’t like you.” Glancing over to me, Eli explained, “He also dated my other sister.”
Mason snorted a laugh at the word dated, but didn’t say anything else to piss off Eli. Nodding in my direction, he said, “He’s good. Probably dumb as shit, but he’s funny, and he was pretty spot-on about me. Minus the steroids.”
“I’m lost,” I whispered to the room, and then looked at Mason. “What was your deal in the hall?”
“I already knew I wasn’t going to like you. Any other questions?”
“Mason,” Eli barked, then looked at me. “Act like he’s not here. For whatever reason, he felt the need to be here when I talked with you.”
“Okay . . .” I said, drawing out the word. “Talk to me about what?”
“Mason just brought my nieces to California from Florida so they could get away from a situation going on back home, and they’re not exactly happy about being here. They know they need to be here, and that’s all that’s keeping them from going back to Florida, but they need something to do to keep them busy. A job, friends . . . anything. And I was hoping that you would be able to help with that.”
I waited to see if he would add anything, and when he didn’t, I shrugged. “I—sure. I mean, I don’t know how much I can do to help them find friends, but if they’re old enough for the gym, I know my dad is looking for a few people.”
Mason cleared his throat, and Eli gave him an annoyed look before saying, “We also need to make sure that one of them, Kira, doesn’t try to run back home. She has a boyfriend and is taking the separation harder than her sister. My sister and brother-in-law trust my judgment to find someone who can do that. I trust you as much as I trust my own son, and I think you and your connections will be exactly what they need to settle in here.”
I laughed hesitantly and looked at both of them for a few seconds. “Are you serious? I’m not a babysitter, Eli; we work in advertising. Besides that, I’m twenty-four, what do you expect me to do with these girls that will make it seem okay for me to even act like their friend?”
“I knew I didn’t like him,” Mason blurted out, and stood. “Meeting over.”
“Sit down,” Eli ordered, but didn’t look to make sure he did. “Liam, my nieces just turned twenty-two, they’re close to your age. And no one is asking you to babysit them.”
“You want me to make sure one of them doesn’t run back to her boyfriend! That sounds like babysitting,” I argued.
“Still don’t like him,” Mason chimed in, but Eli and I didn’t bother responding to him.
“I don’t need you to watch her every move, I was just hoping that you could maybe include them in whatever you and your friends are doing one or two times over the weekends. See if the girls get along with you or your friends, try to get them to have a good time so they won’t focus on how much they don’t want to be here. You don’t have to give up your life for them, Liam. And if you aren’t willing to do that, and if your dad does have space at the gym for them, that would be more than enough. I won’t ask you for anything else.” When I just sat there staring at him, Eli leaned closer. “Please. I’d have my son do this, but you know he’s backpacking through Europe this summer with his friends.”
If it had been something as simple as inviting his nieces to a party, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat. But with Mason there—whatever his real reasons—and with the part that still sounded like I’d be babysitting them, I knew there was something else behind this than the girls just needing to be introduced to a few people. The fact that there was a “situation” back in Florida, and that they didn’t want to be here, only confirmed that thought. But Eli was my mentor. I’d interned for him in college, and he’d hired me on after the internship had ended. He’d continued helping me throughout the last couple years of college, always pushing me to work harder and be better, and then did the same so I would work my way up in his company after I’d graduated. He’d done more than I could’ve ever asked for, and this was the first thing he’d asked of me. No matter how odd it seemed, I knew I couldn’t tell him no.
“Okay,” I finally agreed. “I’ll call my d
ad. I know for a fact that he needs new people for the drink station in the gym. I’ll see if he can interview them and let you know when.”
“Perfect,” Eli said on a relieved sigh. “They’ve already been here a week, I know they need to get out of their condo.”
I nodded and reluctantly said, “And I’ll make sure whichever one you mentioned won’t go running back to her boyfriend. I’m sure a bunch of us will end up at the beach this weekend, at least. I’ll let you know when I do.”
“Still don’t like him,” Mason said again. “I vote we find someone else.”
I rolled my eyes and looked over at him. “Why did you even need to be here?”
“A question I’ve already asked a few times,” Eli mumbled.
Mason’s teasing tone and expression quickly disappeared, leaving him looking at me the exact way he had been in the hallway. “I’m here because someone needs to tell you that you aren’t to touch either of them. Rachel and Kash may trust Eli’s choice in you being the one to help them out, that doesn’t mean I do. No one chose you so you would have another girl to fuck.”
“Mason,” Eli snapped, but Mason’s gaze never left me.
One eyebrow rose, and a short laugh burst from my chest. “Excuse me?”
“You didn’t try to hide the girl who was in your office earlier, and that already makes me not like you as much as I could. You see an opportunity in a girl, and you take it. Trust me, I get it. I was the same way when I was your age, which is why Eli still hates me. But those girls mean the world to Eli, to me, and to their parents. This is me warning you now: if you touch one of those girls, you will have all three of us on you. And their dad is the last person you want to piss off. Your job is to be their friend. Nothing more.”
“Noted,” I huffed as I stood to leave the office. “Anything else, Eli?”
He shook his head at Mason, and sighed when he looked back at me. “Just remind Cecily that I don’t want her in your office.”
The corner of my mouth tilted up and I nodded as I turned to leave. “I’ll call my dad and let you know what he says.”
“I appreciate it, Liam. Really,” he called out as I reached the door.
Mason snorted. “Still don’t like him.”
The feeling was mutual.
2
May 29
Kennedy
I STOOD THERE staring at the closed door for an unknown amount of minutes after Uncle Mason left. The moment he’d walked out of the door and gotten into his rental car, I knew that was it. That this was all real. We were in the Golden State instead of the Sunshine State. A place where the beaches and air were different, and where girls said the word like too often.
It was easy to agree to move here when my parents told me everything. It almost seemed fun. Kira and I had left home for college, but hadn’t left Florida; and now that we’d graduated, a big change seemed like something we could both use.
But then we got here and I remembered that I’d never actually liked California. That mixed with the facts that our only cousin in California was not even in the country for the next couple months, and that Kira hadn’t stopped crying about Zane since Mom and Dad broke the news to her eight days ago, had me slowly but surely regretting all of this.
I felt trapped—or maybe that was just Kira’s depression and anxiety rubbing off on me—my skin was drier than all get-out, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe because there wasn’t one ounce of humidity here unless it was early in the morning. And we were in motherfucking California. My shoulders fell, and I wondered for the fiftieth time today why I’d ever thought this was going to be a good thing.
Turning around, I looked at our condo and blew out a long breath. It was nice, but only held the basics. Even being in here for over a week now, I still wasn’t used to it—and I didn’t know if it would ever feel like home, no matter how long we were here.
I walked over to Kira’s room, but instead of knocking, I stood at the door and listened to her pained sobs before deciding against trying to talk to her again. After wandering around for another minute or two, I sank down on the couch and stared at the dark TV screen. I didn’t make a move for the remote, and I didn’t care that I was staring at nothing. I was afraid that if I turned on the TV, I would see commercials for things in California, and it would depress me even more.
I couldn’t hold back a relieved sigh when my phone began ringing—but my happiness at the distraction was short-lived after I dug it out of my pocket and stared at the unknown California number.
“Motherfucking California,” I muttered just before I hit the button to accept the call. “Hello?”
“Hey! Just wanted to make sure you knew how to get to the gym.”
My brow scrunched in confusion. “Uncle Eli? What number are you calling from, and what gym? Do you know who you called?”
He laughed softly. “Yes, sweet niece of mine, I know who I called. This is my office phone. And what do you mean, what gym? The gym you and Kira have an interview at in less than an hour.”
“What interview?”
“The one—son of a bitch,” he murmured, and let out a heavy exhale. “Did Mason not tell you that you both had interviews today?”
“No, he didn’t! What gym?”
Uncle Eli said something unintelligible and groaned loudly. “A friend of mine has openings at his gym for the drink station, and was kind enough to agree to interview you. But I should’ve known that Mason wouldn’t say anything. He doesn’t exactly like the guy who set this up. Can you be ready soon? The interviews are supposed to be at twelve thirty P.M.”
“Seriously? I don’t know! How far away is it?” I asked as I ran to Kira’s room. Throwing open the door, I didn’t wait for her to tell me to leave—as she had so many times this week—I just shouted, “Stop crying and get ready! We have interviews!”
“I’m not going,” she said automatically, without looking at me.
“Yes, you are,” I hissed. “Uncle Eli set these up for us. You’ll go and thank him for it later. Get ready!”
“It’s not far from you; ten, fifteen minutes tops,” Uncle Eli said distractedly. “I’ll text you the address, try not to be late. But I’ll explain it if you are.”
“Thank you! I love you!” I said quickly before hanging up and running to my bathroom to fix my makeup and hair. I didn’t check on Kira again; if she ended up not getting ready and deciding not to go, then that was on her. I needed this. I needed to get out of this condo so I wouldn’t continue feeling the way I had been. I needed something to look forward to that wasn’t a new day of moping because I was in the wrong state.
May 29
Liam
“GIVE IT UP, old man,” I said on a laugh as Dad got ready to throw the wadded-up paper from his sandwich into the trash. “You never make it anyway.”
Wadding up my own wrapper, I eyed him as he stared down the trash can for a few more seconds before carefully tossing his wrapper—and missing. I immediately tossed mine in and grinned mockingly.
“Bastard,” he scoffed.
“Don’t take the loss too hard, it’s not the first time.”
He smiled and rolled his eyes before checking his watch. “Tell me about these girls coming in. You didn’t say much on the phone.”
I held my arms out to the side, then dropped them. “I don’t know anything about them other than they’re Eli’s nieces, and twenty-two. He just said he wanted them to try to find something to do here, or get some friends. Apparently they’re not happy they’re here.”
My dad gave me a look. “Not happy they’re here?” he asked, and when I nodded in confirmation, he shook his head. “If they’re twenty-two and not happy here, why don’t they go where they are happy.”
“Question of the week, Dad. I have no clue. But I owe Eli, so I told him I’d arrange the interviews. You don’t have to hire them, I really don’t care either way . . . I know you’ve already had a handful of people apply; so does Eli. I think he’s just hoping that if
they get out once, they’ll continue to do so.”
“Jesus, you’re making them sound even worse. I’m expecting awkward, shy girls who never leave their house.”
The phone in his office beeped a second before one of the receptionists told him the girls were here for the interviews, and Dad exhaled heavily as he stood up.
“I’m sure this will go over well,” he mumbled sarcastically, and slapped at my shoulder as he passed by me. “Thanks for the lunch, bud. Go see your mom soon, she’s been complaining about how long you’ve been gone.”
“Yeah, all right. At least be nice to them for Eli’s sake,” I called out just as he walked out the door.
He looked around the doorframe with an amused expression. “What is that supposed to mean? I am the nice one around here. I could always let Konrad do the interview . . .” He trailed off, and I shook my head as I laughed.
“I know you are, but you also look scary as shit. We don’t want to scare them so bad that I get fired.”
With a loud laugh, he turned and walked away. My dad had owned McGowan’s Gym since sometime around when I was born, and he and his business partner, my uncle Konrad, had changed this place a lot over the years. It was a fighting gym, and always would be, but instead of a place for people to only work out or train for the ring, they now offered classes depending on what kind of training you wanted, and had a large bar up front for before-, during-, and after-workout drinks.
Dad had been an underground fighter in college until the doctors told him if he didn’t stop, he’d risk paralysis, so McGowan’s was the only way for him to stay doing what he loved without giving my mom a heart attack. That didn’t mean he wasn’t still built like a fighter and able to take on anyone who wanted to challenge him in the ring; it just meant he was a lot more careful. And it was because of his confident presence mixed with his large appearance that I was betting the girls wouldn’t last more than a few minutes with him before leaving.
But then I remembered Mason and realized they might be more used to guys like my dad than we had given them credit for.