In Love with My Brother's Best Friend: Complete Box Set (27 page)

“
Are
you leaving town?” she asked.

“
I
am,” I said. “I'm going to claim my woman.”

I
heard her grunting on my way out. She was damn lucky that she kept up
with my schedule the way she did.

When
I got home, I packed a bag, grabbed my work stuff, and took off
toward my driver. He always managed to be ready no matter what time I
needed him. I really did have a good staff working for me. He'd been
with me since the beginning, and I appreciated everything he had ever
done without complaint.

A
text came through from Tina asking if I was working in the office. I
said I was. She didn't need to know I was on my way to see her. I
wanted her to be completely surprised.

I
hurried out of the car at the departure door and headed for security.
That part never took long for me. I flew so much, I think I knew all
of the agents by name. It was no joke.

My
flight was leaving in less than an hour, so I skipped the first-class
lounge and waited at the gate. No matter how often I flew, I still
wasn't fond of it. Once I was on the plane and relaxed, I checked my
phone. We'd already been told to shut them off twice, and I'd already
gotten the dirty look from the flight attendant. Just as I hit the
button to switch it to flight mode, I saw Tina's mom's number flash
quickly across my screen before it was gone.

She
called from time to time to see how I was doing, and I knew she
probably wanted to check up on what we had talked about the week
before. The thought made me smile. She cared so much about her kids.
I knew she wouldn't be worried that I hadn't answered. She'd had to
leave a message when I was in meetings or on flights before. I'd
probably have a text message once I landed. Once she finally figured
out the whole text thing, she used it often.

I
put my head back and took a few deep breaths as the plane left the
runway. All I could think about was what Tina's reaction would be
when I showed up at her apartment. I was stopping by the restaurant
to talk to Chris before I went to see her. We needed to talk, and I
was hoping he would tell her he couldn't get together so I could
surprise her and spend some time with her. I wouldn't let her turn me
away. She needed to listen to me, and I needed to hold her. Rejection
wasn't an option. I'd listen to her cocky mouth all night long as
long as she was wrapped in my arms.

I
must have fallen asleep. The pilot made the announcement for the
initial decent, and it seemed like we'd only been in the air a few
minutes. I'd never managed to sleep that well on a plane before, and
I had taken some seriously long flights. As soon as I could, I turned
my phone off of flight mode to make sure the office hadn't needed
anything. Just as I thought, Tina's mom had sent me a message.

Mom:
I want to talk to you about something, Jackson. Call me back when you
get a chance.

I'd
call her back once I got everything settled and was able to see Tiny.
I hadn't thought to rent a hotel room. I was hoping I wouldn't need
one. I also didn't want to take the time to rent a car. There was
only one place I needed to be. I got a cab and gave them the address
to the restaurant. It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it
would. I quickly grabbed my bags and paid the driver. As soon as I
walked in, I saw Chris standing behind the bar. When his eyes
connected with mine, I watched his mouth drop open and a shocked look
cross his face. I shook my head and walked over to him.

“
Chris,”
I said with a smile, as I extended my hand to shake his.

“
Jackson,”
he replied, as he took my hand to shake it. “You're in New
York.”

“
I
am,” I said. “I came to ask you a favor.”

“
Okay,”
he said.

“
I
know Tina has plans with you tonight. I was hoping you would cancel
them.”

“
You
flew to New York to ask me not to hang out with Tina?” he
asked. “That is just a little strange and stalkerish if you ask
me.”

I
let out a laugh and smiled.

“
I
flew to New York to see her. She doesn't know I'm here. I wanted to
surprise her. If I show up at her door, she's going to tell me she
has plans with you. I know damn well she won't break them. That's not
how she is. If she says she's going, then she's going.”

“
Oh
really?” he asked. “You being here is definitely a
surprise. I don't know how to break it to you, but she already broke
our date for tonight.”

“
What?”
I asked.

He
reached into his back pocket and pulled out the phone I gave him.
Then he did something before handing me the phone.

“
Here,”
he said.

Tina:
I have to cancel for tonight. I'm so sorry. I swear I'll make it up
to you. Before you say it, I know I already owe you for dragging your
ass into my crazy made up boyfriend world. You know I love you,
Chris. There's something I have to do. I'll text you tonight to
explain. Wish me luck. I'm about to take the biggest risk I've ever
taken in my life.

“
See,”
he said. “She dumped me.”

“
What
is she talking about?” I asked.

“
I
have no idea,” he said. “If you wait a few minutes, I can
drive you to her place.”

I
sat down at the bar and pulled out my phone.

Me:
How's it going?

I
waited for her answer. She hadn't said anything by the time Chris was
ready. He drove me to her place. All I could think about was her in
that huge city alone. She had friends, so she wasn't completely
alone. Then I thought about her working two jobs. When he parked and
we got out, I looked around.

“
She
lives here?” I asked.

“
Yes,”
he said.

Chris
pulled the door open and began the walk up the stairs. I couldn't
hide my shock mixed with a slight bit of anger. The building looked
like shit. The elevator didn't work, and the halls had a funky smell.
He continued up to the third floor before walking down the hall and
stopping in front of a door.

“
She
fucking lives here?” I asked again.

He
nodded but didn't speak.

“
She
works two jobs all year and one in the summer, and this is all she
can afford,” I said more to myself than to him.

“
She
could afford better than this,” he said.

“
Then
why do you let her live here?” I asked.

“
Are
you serious?” he asked, as he took a step toward me. “You
have met her haven't you? Nobody lets Tina do anything. She does what
she wants. You can tell her how you feel, but that doesn't mean shit.
She's not my wife. I can't pull her out of the apartment and move her
in with me. She lives here so she can save money.”

“
Save
money for what?” I asked.

“
She
wants to buy a house, but she won't do it until she can pay for the
whole thing. She doesn't want to have to take out a loan. Don't stand
there and act like I don't care about her. I've been here for a very
long time. Should I remind you that this is only the second time I've
met you. If she was so important to you, why did she feel like she
had to fake having a boyfriend in front of you? If she were that damn
special, you would have already known where she lived.”

I
snatched him up and held his ass up against her door.

“
You
can swing if you want, but this time I'll swing back. Would you
rather stand here fighting with me or find her?” he asked.

I
let out a long breath, as I released my hold. Then I stepped around
him and knocked on the door over and over again. He pulled his keys
out and let himself in before motioning for me to walk in.

“
You
have a key?” I asked.

“
I
do,” he said.

Her
apartment was so little. I could not believe what I was seeing. Her
entire place would fit in my damn bathroom. I didn't wait before
walking through to see one bedroom and a little bathroom. The kitchen
was very small. She had a table with two chairs. Her living room had
a couch, end table, coffee table, and a television jammed into the
little space.

“
I
have no idea where she is,” he said. “It looks like she
took a bag with her. She doesn't usually leave that kind of mess in
her bedroom.”

I
let out a growl, and he turned quick to face me.

“
Calm
your ass down, Jackson,” he snapped. “I'm here often.
I've even slept in that bed. She is my best friend. I don't do girls.
If I did, I can guarantee one thing. You wouldn't be standing here
right now. Do you know why?”

I
looked straight into his eyes.

“
She'd
have no damn use for you. Tina is an amazing woman. She has a heart
of gold. Until a couple of weeks ago, I didn't know what exactly had
her keeping that heart locked up so tight that nobody could even get
close to it. She is perfect, and she deserves a man that is going to
show her every single moment of her life how cherished and loved she
is. I'm not totally sure what you're here to do, Jackson. You better
think it through. If you hurt her, all the money in the world won't
be able to save your ass.”

“
You
really do look out for her,” I said, and he nodded. “Help
me find her.”

He
pulled his phone out of his pocket, as he locked the door. We headed
back down toward his car. I watched him type a message, and there was
an instant beep back in response. Then he turned to show me the text.

Chris:
Where are you, Tina?

Tina:
I made the biggest mistake ever, Chris. You know that risk I told you
about? It bit me in the ass harder than I could have imagined. I feel
like a complete idiot. He's with someone. All that I miss you and
want to see you, it was all crap. How could I have been so damn
stupid again? I'm so done. I have to get out of here. When I get
home, we are going out, and I'm going to get him out of my head. Be
ready. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, he owns the fucking company. He
doesn't work there. No wonder he laughed when I said things about
kissing the boss' ass. All he had to do was bend over and kiss his
own. I was worried about him taking care of everyone else. What a
fool. He even lied about being at work. He'd never want someone like
me. I can't believe I ever thought he would.

I
felt like I couldn't breathe. My chest hurt, and I felt like
everything was closing in on me. She was talking about me. How did
she know I owned the company? What was she talking about someone
else? Where the fuck was she?

“
You're
with someone else?” Chris asked.

“
No,”
I said. “I have no idea what she's talking about.”

“
Do
you own the company?” he asked.

“
Yes,”
I said.

“
That
car wasn't a rental?” he asked.

“
No,”
I said. “She pissed me off when she made fun of me and acted
like I couldn't possibly own that car.”

“
What
is going on with her?” he asked.

“
Oh
shit!” I yelled into the car. “Take me to the airport.
I'll give you twice what I'd give the cab. Right now, I'd probably
give you a car.”

“
What?”
he asked.

“
She's
in Florida,” I said. “She went to my company. I don't
understand why she thinks I'm with someone else though.”

Chris
turned on the car and took off.

“
I
don't want your damn money, Jackson,” he said. “I want
you to fix my friend. Whatever you did to her, you need to fix it. If
she's still like this when she gets back here, I'm going to go to New
York and kick your ass. You better do something. She's hurting right
now.”