What’s more embarrassing than a groveling, billionaire alpha?

I called him approximately fifteen times, but I could have dialed that number all night if I knew it would help get him back. There was no denying that I fucked everything up, but when I found out, I was backed into a corner.

I checked the time and glanced up at Jordan’s antagonizing face. In just a few minutes, Jack would be here to convince me to stay in the deal.

“You should have pulled out of that fucking project,” Jordan said, writhing his head back against the headrest of my couch.

“Well, I’m doing it now,” I said.

Jack could be heard pounding his knuckles against the door in the main room. Jordan anxiously eyed the knob. “He doesn’t sound too happy. You better get off your ass and answer him,” he said.

But before I could move an inch, the door crashed open. In Jack’s hand was a sizable fire hook with bits of my door hanging off of the jagged edges.

“Jack, what the fuck?” My door was hanging on its last hinge.

Jack stepped forward into my room and lunged forward. “Why the fuck are you avoiding me?”

“Been busy,” I muttered.

“He wants out,” Jordan corrected me.

I flinched. Now was not the time to get cheeky.

“Back the fuck up, compadre,” Jack said, grinning madly. “Over there, by the wall.”

He pointed his large and rigid tool at the other end of the room. Then, he turned back to face me, cheeks turning a shade of dark red. “And you, Mr. fucking Greenpeace. Get over there, next to your coward cousin.”

Chest pumping, I closed my mouth and stood by the wall. Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, followed by a pistol. He laughed to himself and ran the cloth around the chamber. I felt my heart jerk back, sending cold chills throughout my limbs.

“Jack, this is highly unnecessary,” Jordan said. “Look, if you need an attorney, I can help find someone better.” I kicked his ankle to get him to shut the hell up.

Jack looked directly at me, nostrils flailing. “Do you want to say something too?”

For a brief moment, I thought about Matthew. Maybe he was right about who I was. Maybe I’d always be a piece of shit. But I wouldn’t strive to be someone I hated any longer.

“Jordan’s a smart man. I want out, Jack. Take my money. I don’t give a shit.”

Jack staggered forward and placed his hand on the soft spot between my neck and shoulder. He squeezed. “My people need you, Hunter. And since you’re a man of the people, I think you’re going to go through with the demolition,” he said.

“I will not,” I said.

Jack stopped swaying, but after staring through me, he started chuckling. “Jack, you’re going to have to leave,” Jordan said. “I’m sorry but—”

“But what are you going to do?” Jack haphazardly positioned the pistol at Jordan. I stepped in front of my cousin. Jack lowered his voice. “This is a serious question, so I want you both to think very carefully how you answer it right now.”

I didn’t nod. I didn’t look him in the eye. I didn’t do anything, except wait.

Jack lowered his head near mine. “What are you going to fucking do about it? You have nothing. Nobody. And now, I have you.”

“I’ve got money,” I said.

This wasn’t about lining Jack’s bank account with dollar bills. This was about acquiring that land so they could use it for their own resources, whatever that might have been. I, for one, didn’t want to know.

Jack claimed his upper hand. He knew I wasn’t going to come against him or the thugs he surrounded himself with. Who knew how many other clean guys had their pockets aligned with his?

He continued with the charade. “Look at you. You’re both trembling. I have to admit, you guys do a bang up job defending each other. But I have to wonder who would sell out who first. Probably Jordan. He’s the weaker one, right?” Jack continued to smile, but as the seconds passed, so did his patience.

“If construction doesn’t start this week, we’re both fucked,” Jack said, voice at an all time high.

I cleared my throat, anxiously. Lowering my eyes, I conceded. “I’ll finish the job for you, Jack. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

Jack dropped the grin and slid the gun back in his pocket. “An agreement is everything,” he said, eyeing the both of us.

Stepping over the debris of Jack’s destruction, I dropped the fire hook onto the floor next to the front door. I straightened my back and sucked in a breath.

“Well, that was a little dramatic,” Jordan muttered.

“I’ll fucking kill him,” I said.

I walked toward the window and gazed down at the endless sea of masses—tourists carefully picking out gifts for family members and loved ones. I envied them.

I let out a nervous laugh. “You think those condos will even last five years?” I asked.

Jordan grabbed his coat from the coat rack. I could see him moving in the reflection of the living room window. “I don’t give a shit. I’m going to Chicago until this cools down.”

Jordan held his phone in his shaking hand and called a cab to pick him up.

“Jordan, don’t go. I’ve got no one left but you,” I said.

Jordan paused at the foot of the door with an irritated smile hanging off the corner of his mouth. “Yeah? Well, maybe now you’ll wake up.”

There was no door to slam, but if there were, he would have cracked it harder than Jack did. I turned back to face the view.

Still somehow lying in the middle of the road was the silver choker I gave Matthew. It just hammered it all in perfectly.

“What a fantastic day,” I said.