He walked away from a life of luxury, just because he didn’t agree with how his family had made their fortunes.
Sawyer lets out a bitter laugh. “We planned on starting a business together, Rae and I. We’d leave Lucy behind—she was only seventeen—but we’d keep in touch with her. Rae had just finished her landscape architecture degree, and I had a business degree. We were going to build our own business, our way. Without the shadow of my father looming over us. We just needed out. My parents were so embroiled in the wealthy life that they couldn’t see it was destroying their very souls. They were strict with us. Expected us to fall in line.” He shakes his head. “I couldn’t do it.”
“But Rae could,” I finish for him.
Sawyer chuckles bitterly. “Apparently. The day before we were going to move out, I found out she accepted the position that my father had originally offered to me. She turned her back on me and took the fucking job.” He huffs, shaking his head. “Can you believe that? We had plans. Dreams. And then I come home one day and find out she just stabbed me in the back. I couldn’t start the business without her. We were supposed to be a team.”
“She lied.” Bitterness swirls inside me, and righteous anger roars. She did the same thing to me. Took the business I wanted right out from under me. Grabbed it for herself.
“She did more than lie,” Sawyer spits. “She set me up. I’ve thought about it so much over the past couple of years, and I think she wanted the job at my father’s company as soon as I refused it.” He lets out a deep breath. “The day I found out, Rae called me up and said she had something to tell me. Said something had changed. Can you believe that? Something changed! Ha!” He snorts, shaking his head. “The only thing that changed was that our father offered her a thick wad of cash. She pretended she was better than him, but she was just the same. Greedy. Manipulative. Weak.” He lifts his eyes to mine. “So, I left. I didn’t want to hear her excuses. I didn’t want to listen to her explanation about how she didn’t want to leave the family behind. I knew what she was about. Money, money, money. Just like our father. Like our mother. Like that whole fucking society down there.”
“Damn,” I breathe.
Sawyer nods. “Yeah. Anyway. It’s all right. I landed on my feet. I just need to stay gone until she leaves. I’m sure she’s here to try to pull me back into the family. I don’t know why she bought the garage, but I’m sure it has something to do with dragging me back there.”
“I’ll push her out. Make sure she leaves.”
Sawyer’s eyes lift to mine, hope blooming in them. “You’ll try?”
I nod. “I can’t stand people who don’t stand up for what they believe in. My mother left Sarah and me when we were kids. My dad wouldn’t even admit that we were his, because he was afraid for his reputation. I know what it’s like to be abandoned by the people who are supposed to care about you.”
I think of Harold, the one man I thought was different. He’s leaving, too. He isn’t any different—it’s me who was naive.
My best friend’s eyes widen. He lets out a long breath. “You never told me about your parents.”
I shake my head. “I don’t like to talk about it. My father thinks he can buy me off, but I won’t touch his money.”
Sawyer laughs then, surprising me. “You know, my parents tried that too. Every single month for three years, they’ve been putting money in my account. I won’t touch a penny of it.”
I sit up straighter, holding Sawyer’s gaze. This is why we’re friends. This is why we clicked. We know what it means to stand up for what you believe in, even if it’s the harder path to take. We know what it means to turn down money you desperately need, just because you can’t bear to accept it.
My eyes prickle. I know what it’s like to be abandoned by your family. To be left out in the cold. To have everyone you love turn their backs on you.
Sawyer knows, too. He’s lived through it, just like me.
As my best friend reaches over to give me a hug, I know Rae Montgomery won’t come between us.
6
Rae
I’m pretty sure Sawyer won’t be at the garage when I arrive in the morning, but I still hold out a sliver of hope. I haven’t seen my brother in three and a half years, and I’ve never been able to tell him about what happened when he left.
I still don’t have a phone number, an email, or a physical address. It’s as if he fell off the face of the earth.
Seeing him terrifies me. What if he doesn’t understand? What if he doesn’t care about Lucy and Roman?
Taking a deep breath, I park my new rental car outside the Woodvale Garage. The big shed-like building looms up in front of me, sitting comfortably on its huge lot. There are massive roller doors yawning open, and I can hear the sounds of machinery inside.
Benji’s already here.
My heart clenches. I hate the thought of him having this effect on me.
Yes, he’s handsome. One might even say he’s attractive. He smells like everything manly wrapped into one, and his eyes spit a delicious kind of fire.
So what?
I’m supposed to fall to my knees in front of him?
His insolence annoys me. I bought this business with my own money. Any handshake promise Harold Gilles had with him doesn’t compare to cold, hard cash. So, he can hate me all he wants, but I’m here—and I’m staying until I see my brother.
Grinding my teeth, I start marching
