Kane clenched his fists tighter as the room spun. John, his mentor, his boss, had set him up. The man he trusted with his life had stolen those funds and had sent his shark to make sure the truth never came out.
He’d been so stupid. Hadn’t he learned not to trust anyone in this fucked-up world? And now he’d pay.
Kane let the numbness wash over his body, even as his mind fired up.
“I see. You’re here to cut a deal.”
Gary continued without answering. “John thinks highly of you. Doesn’t want something like this to ruin the rest of your life, or take away your freedom. He’ll talk to the partners and make this whole thing go away. The charges will be dropped. You’ll leave Global. And everything will stay quiet. You’ll just need to agree not to talk about the situation with anyone, or work at another competitor here in New York.”
Yes. It made sense now. John could cover his crime by framing him, but it would only work if Kane disappeared.
“Is there a payout?” he asked coldly.
“No. You walk away with nothing. Everything gets wiped away.”
Holy fuck. All of his money was tied up in the company, and he’d just used all of his cash to invest in a high-risk deal John had encouraged him to do.
Still, in that moment, he didn’t care. He’d fight. He’d expose the truth. He was innocent and damned if he’d let another monster ruin him.
“Fuck you,” he said calmly. “You tell John I’ll be his worst nightmare.”
Gary didn’t even flinch. A small smile played upon those thin lips. “Too bad. I’m sure your brother will be disappointed to be thrown out of rehab.”
Shock hit him. Derek. He’d forgotten about Derek. He was finally at a top-notch place that cost thousands after almost losing him brother to drugs and suicide. How could he pull him out of the first rehab that was actually working?
It was over then. Kane knew it. So did Gary.
John had played his trump card. There was only one vow Kane would never break; a vow that had kept him surviving through it all.
Protect his brother at all costs.
His life wasn’t a movie of the week. It was reality, and the ones with the most money and power always won.
Slowly, Kane nodded. “If I agree, Derek’s rehab needs to be paid in full. I’ll want it in writing.”
“Understood. So, you agree?”
A part of him died in that moment; the last ounce of innocence and hope he’d been holding onto, but there was only one answer.
“I agree.”
Chapter One
“I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.” – Oprah Winfrey
“I swear, the man is such a snack, all I could do was drool,” Plumeria said, shaking her head as she folded the pile of t-shirts and arranged them neatly. “If I hadn’t been on a date, I would’ve totally tried to approach him last night at Sunfish. How have you not met him yet, Sierra?”
Sierra Lourde grinned at her new part-timer, a college student who adored fashion and wanted to study retail. Her youthful energy brought a welcome spark to Flirt, even though she had no experience and needed training. “My sister has been trying to set us up, but we keep missing each other. He may be a little old for you though, right?”
Plumeria sighed, her dark eyes dreamy. “Who cares? I don’t want to marry him.”
One of the customers overheard their conversation and cut in. “I agree with Plumeria. I told my cousin to take one of those wild horse tours so she could meet him. Besides being attractive, he’s the sweetest man. Do you know he’s been the most active volunteer for Judy with the sea turtles?”
Brooklyn, her manager and close friend, called out from behind the register. “I heard that, too. Plus, he’s been helping Marco install a whole new financial software program since the store is doing so well. I can’t believe he’s from New York. He fit in so quickly here.”
“Maybe he’ll stay,” Sierra said, amused at the enthusiastic gossip. The Outer Banks may be a stretch of gorgeous beach that beckoned endless tourists, but Corolla was a small town. The locals loved an interesting newcomer, especially a mysterious, gorgeous man like Kane Masterson.
In a short amount of time, Kane had captured the town’s attention. Seems he’d appeared one day at Brick’s door and began working for Ziggy’s Tours, showing tourists the wild horses. Her sister, Aspen, had come for a summer visit from New York and began dating Brick, so she’d been quickly charmed by his best friend. Women were crazed to date Kane, but every time Aspen pushed her to meet him, Sierra backed off.
