Saving Us (The Billionaire Brothers of NY Duology #1)

21. Gage

CHAPTER 21

Gage

“ H ey, dick, what’s up?” Chase asked as he came barging into my office. His typical behavior. His intrusion startled me from my thoughts. And I realized we hadn’t touched base since he and Maryellen made the trip to brU for the endowment dinner a couple weeks ago.

That was Maryellen’s little idea. She tagged along to keep an eye on him and help with his responsibilities there. We decided it would make more sense for her to go rather than his assistant since she was familiar with the campus.

“Hey, how did it go in Virginia? Was the board satisfied with our contribution this year?”

He went to the bar and poured himself a drink before sitting in the chair by my desk. There was something that seemed…different about him. He looked more relaxed, a little happier.

But his day drinking was getting to me. The thought of having to talk to him about it ran through my mind.

“Yeah, they were all good.” He sat back, looking at his phone, appearing to stall. “More than good, they were thrilled with our contribution and quite pleased with my speech as well.”

Looking up, I gave him a quick smile.

“Good to hear. I’ve got a meeting to prep for. Was there anything else you needed?”

Draining his drink, he placed the glass on my desk. As he leaned forward, a seriousness veiled his face.

“Um, so yeah, that’s a pretty nice campus. You have a nice school you went to. Can’t believe I never visited you while you were down there.”

What was he getting at?

“And?”

He stood, looking like he was going to leave, but turned toward me instead.

“So, they had some speakers at the dinner. Some big wigs with the school, but some student leaders as well. One was this chick who was president of some business fraternity.”

Shit.

“She was expecting you at the dinner, not me,” Chase said. “It was that girl on your phone, man.”

Leaning back in my chair, I digested that bit of information. And I waited to see how it made me feel. Chase was staring, likely waiting for the same thing.

I hadn’t thought about “you know who” in weeks as well. Considering Chase had been in Virginia, in her world, and not a single thought of her passed through my mind stunned me. Coupled with how well Harper and I had been doing, it was a win-win.

Surprisingly, I felt nothing.

Maybe a bit of flattery that she was seeking me out. But my heart didn’t hurt.

“How is she? Did she seem happy?” I asked.

Chase sat down again, almost in relief, relaxing against the chair.

“I don’t know, man, we didn’t exchange numbers or anything. She seemed fine, I guess. I mean, she had a guy waiting for her after her speech.”

Ty. She was still with Ty. That was good. I wanted her to be happy.

Getting up from my desk, I grabbed Chase’s glass and walked to the bar. But instead of reaching for the bottle of Blanton’s I kept out, I opened the cabinet and pulled out the bottle I’d only tasted once before. Even though he’d already had a drink, this moment was worth celebrating.

“Pappy?” Chase declared. “You’re pulling out the Pappy?” He came up next to me at the bar, his hands rubbing together in excitement. “And why are you having a drink?”

Dumping the contents of his glass in the sink, I made two drinks, one less generous for him.

“Always neat,” I told him as I handed him his.

We walked to my sitting area and sat across from each other, our drinks patiently waiting in our hands.

“So, brother, what’s the occasion?” he asked.

Now that I’d poured the bourbon, I realized I was going to have to tell him. But I was proud of him as well, so I’d start with that.

“A couple things. I’m happy how things went for you on the trip. It sounds like you handled things with the board down there well.”

Holding my glass out, the crystal of our glasses clinked, and I took a sip. The burn as it went down opened the taste buds for me, letting in the caramel and clove flavors. Among the best I’d tasted.

“Chase, make sure you do not chug this, please.”

He took a sip, and his reaction told me he understood why. His eyes lit up as he swirled it in his glass, watching the brown liquid spin around.

“This is fucking fantastic,” he said.

My brother was growing up.

“Yeah, anyway, I’m happy about the trip. I want to start giving you more responsibility, hopefully more in line with what you’re comfortable doing. Do you think you’re ready?”

He sat back against the couch, mulling over my question. That was not the reaction I was expecting. Eventually, he turned to me.

“Yeah,” he said.

“Also, I had something else I wanted to tell you, and I guess kind of celebrate. I’m seeing Harper.”

With this news, his face lit up. He held his glass out to me.

“Cheers, dude!” he said.

As our glasses hit again, he jumped up, unable to contain his excitement.

“You’re not mad at me?” I asked. “I went against everything I told you not to do.”

The smug smile that unfolded on his face spoke volumes. “You really think I didn’t know what you were up to? The fact that it wasn’t just a hookup for you is what makes me happy, man. I knew it! I called it that night at the club, didn’t I?”

It was a nice moment for us. We didn’t have too many of these anymore.

Our father tried to keep us happy, us boys. But he was always too invested in this company. Once Mom left, and it was just the guys, our father really didn’t know how to parent alone.

Not that our mother was parent of the year. Far from it. But she was slightly better at it than he was.

But then she did what she did.

She walked out. On all of us.

For another man.

And another family.

And left us behind.

But that was almost fifteen years ago. And Dad was gone most of the time now, too. Plus, I didn’t think Chase had finished growing up. I was left with a brother as a business partner who wasn’t quite equipped to help run a billion-dollar company.

“Yes, you did, brother. And I’m pretty happy. I mean, it’s only been like six weeks, but it’s been good. So, when you come back from brU with news of Becca and I’m okay with it, it’s reason for a drink.”

A contemplative look settled over him as we sat in silence, sipping our bourbon.

“Becca,” he said. “Yeah, didn’t know that was her name before meeting her. Got a thing for that name I guess, huh?” he said, then chuckled. “She’s pretty young, yeah?” I wasn’t sure if that was judgment in his tone.

“Yeah, the name thing threw me in the beginning. And she wasn’t a mistake,” I told him, assuming that was what he thought. I would never call Becca a mistake; we were never meant to be. But she showed me I could let my walls down, the ones I built up after Rebecca.

And that was it.

That was what Becca did for me. And that meant a lot. Because if I hadn’t come to that realization, I don’t think I would be opening myself up for what might happen with Harper and me.

“So, hey, Jared and I are going to the Velvet Rope tonight. Wanna come?”

Watching him throw back the rest of his drink in one gulp hurt my heart a little. But it lasting as long as it did was an improvement for him. He wasn’t ready for the big boy stuff yet.

“You caught me on a Friday night with no plans, brother.”

Standing from the couch, I joined him, now quite behind in preparing for my meeting.

“Heading there to keep watch on your girl?” he asked.

“What? Fuck no, I liked the place and wanna go back.”

He started walking out, talking as he was.

“Sure, brother, sure. I’ll see you there.”

As Jared and I arrived at the club, I regretted not telling Harper I was coming. Just showing up at her place of work might not come across as endearing as I’d like it to. And what Chase said earlier had been stuck in my head ever since.

“Wow, this place is packed,” Jared said as we walked around the corner from where Thomas dropped us off.

And it was. There was a line to get in. Walking to one of the bouncers, I asked a few questions, and he pointed around back. Handing him some money, I returned to Jared.

“C’mon,” I said to him.

“Where we going?”

“Back entrance. Amazing what a couple hundred bucks’ll do.”

Jared started laughing out loud behind me.

“What?” I asked, continuing to walk behind the building.

“You’re not too proud to buy yourself in, but you won’t go in the front door?”

Jared knew me better than that. He knew even though I enjoyed the lifestyle the money provided for me, I didn’t like to flaunt it. Walking into the club, ahead of all those people, was a dick move.

So, instead, we took the back door. No one needed to know. By the time we got to it, another bouncer was holding it open for us.

“Thanks, man,” I said, handing him a hundred of his own.

It may have been a back entrance, but it took us right into the action. It was a side door off the main dance floor and no wonder they weren’t letting anyone in at the moment. It was shoulder-to-shoulder in here.

“Let’s see if there are any tables,” I said. “If not, we’ll head to the bar.”

How the hell did Harper serve in this place? I could barely move between people, and I was holding nothing in my hands. But there were no servers anywhere near the dance floor, sticking to the perimeter near the tables.

I continued looking for a table, but there was nothing. So, I made a hard right and worked my way through the crowd toward the bar. Most people were waiting in line for a drink, not looking to sit. We found two seats at one end and grabbed them. It wasn’t ideal because our backs would be to the club, making it harder to look for her.

“We don’t get out enough, I guess. Either that or this was never really my scene,” Jared said.

He and I were definitely more sports bar kind of guys. I didn’t like the dance music they played here, nor did I dance. So, I concurred, this was not my scene.

But Harper was there.

And I was hoping she was on the floor tonight. It would really suck if she was in a lounge upstairs and I was stuck down here.

My phone pinged.

Chase - You inside? The line is around the corner

Me - Go to the bouncer with the buzz cut, tell him you’re with me and give him a C-note

“Chase is here, should be in soon,” I told Jared.

Finally, a bartender came around.

“What can I get you?”

Jared ordered us two draft beers while I spun around, taking in our surroundings. And hopeful to catch a glimpse of some dirty-blonde hair or blue eyes. Scanning the entire room, I didn’t see her anywhere. Discouraged, I turned around, grabbed my beer, and faced Jared.

“She might be upstairs tonight.”

He stood in front of his chair, leaning against the bar top, looking around while drinking his beer. “Maybe she can help you,” he said, pointing across the bar with his glass.

A big blonde bun was bouncing up and down, her hand waving erratically at the two of us.

“Did Harper say she goes to NYU?” Jared asked, shaking his head. “She doesn’t seem the type.”

But she did go to NYU, and she was headed our way, with a wide smile on her red lips.

“Oh my God! What are you guys doing here? Does Harper know you’re here?” The strength with which she held onto my arm surprised me. Then she was twisting and turning, apparently looking for Harper. “I have to find her,” she said, looking me straight in the eye. “I’ll be right back, don’t move.”

She was like a tornado.

But at least she was finding Harper, so that meant Harper was on the floor and not upstairs.

“How was Victoria when you took her home that night?” I asked Jared.

“Actually, surprisingly nice, and easy to talk to. She seems to have two sides to her.”

Suddenly, heavy hands landed on my shoulders, pushing down on me. Jared’s face lit up into a shit-eating grin, so I knew who it was. Turning around, a familiar face wrapped his arm around my neck before I could get away.

“This place is crazy, brother,” Chase said. “You must be dead set on checking up on your girl.”

“Shut up, man,” I said, shoving his arm off me.

That was not what I was doing.

Was it?

But Jared and Chase shared a look, and it pissed me off more. Ignoring them, I turned my attention back to the people around us, looking for either Harper or Victoria. But with so many people crowding the bar, I’d never see them approaching. Instead, I drowned my frustration in my beer, draining it and slamming the glass to the bar.

Chase and Jared rattled on next to me about work shit. But my eyes couldn’t stop scanning the crowd, hungry to find her.

And then I did.

Her smile lit up the room from halfway across the dance floor. She worked her way to us. But literally was “working” her way to us. People were stopping her, and she was taking orders as she made her way to the bar.

On her final approach, she looked at nothing but me, our connection strong as she barreled through the last remaining people between us. Launching herself into my arms, I caught her around the middle, squeezing her.

She felt like home.

“Oh my God,” she whispered into my ear. “What are you doing here?”

I put her to her feet, though the loss of her in my arms hurt a bit.

“Couldn’t go another night without seeing you, beautiful.”

Her smile did something to me, especially with those lips painted hot pink. I leaned close to her cheek, talking quietly against her ear. “Your pink lips are fucking turning me on, Harper.”

I loved when she had her hair up in one of those messy knot things on the top of her head, with pieces falling out everywhere. Paired with her makeup and uniform, she had that just-sexed look.

Her hand discreetly landed on my cock.

And my head rolled back in my attempt to not react.

“Hey guys,” she said to Chase and Jared. “Come with me, I think I can get you set up with a table in my section.” She grabbed my hand as we followed behind.

She was working a back corner of the room, off the side of the dance floor, and there were some booths and standing tables. She got to work clearing half empties from a tall table while we claimed it with Chase and Jared’s drinks.

Her tray was full when she turned to us. “Can I get you guys anything? Food?”

They looked at me as if I were the warden.

“Get what you want, boys. I got what I came for,” I told them. Turning to Harper, I gripped her empty hand, pulling her closer. “Can I steal you for a minute?”

Her big blue eyes stared up into mine.

“Give me a few minutes,” she said.

Too distracted by her eyes, her ass, and what the rest of her was doing to me, I attempted to entertain myself by watching the dance floor. But it wasn’t working. Harper took a food order from Chase, then left for the kitchen. All I could do was steal glances of her, especially as she walked away.

“You’ve got it bad, brother,” Chase said.

Looking around for a drink, I realized I’d finished my beer when we were at the bar.

“But she’s not a bad one to have it bad for. She’s hot and she seems cool,” he added as he leaned against the high top next to me. “I, uh, guess I still owe her an apology.”

Harper returned with a tray full of drinks and food for us. She placed a highball glass full of bourbon I hadn’t ordered in front of me. She put beers in front of the guys, plus a plate of nachos and some wings. The guys dug in to the food and drinks.

She scurried away, though, taking care of other customers. Bouncing from table to table, I was forced to watch guy after guy flirting with her. They would stand next to her, come up close, some would even put their arm around her. She was good at maneuvering out of their hold, but it was frustrating to watch.

But then one guy got really close. He followed her as she left his table, and I could tell it annoyed her. She turned to talk to him, seemed to point to his table, maybe telling him to go back and wait. It took everything in me to not go to her side and help her.

As she turned from him, though, he continued to walk next to her.

And then his hand went to her ass.

Harper froze.

And I stiffened.

But then I saw her hand go to the air, three fingers held high.

And within seconds, two bouncers were on the guy, and he was being tossed.

I turned to Chase and Jared to see if they caught the scene, but they were busy stuffing food in their mouths. Of course, I was uncomfortable with Harper having to deal with assholes like him, but I was happy they had a system in place to keep the girls safe.

Yet I still wasn’t happy. And I never thought I was the jealous type. But her working in this setting had me turning into a green-eyed monster.

Then I felt that familiar tingle when a soft hand landed on my forearm.

“I have a couple minutes,” she said. Grabbing my hand, she led us down a dark hallway that seemed to be designated for employees. “This is the access hall for the DJ, so no one should need to come down here.”

The second I heard that, I spun her on those high heels, pushed her against the wall, lifted a leg and placed my hand under her ass, painfully close to her pussy.

“Christ, Harper, your pussy lips are almost coming out of these shorts.”

Her laugh was warm against my cheek. “Well, I don’t think I need to worry about anyone else lifting my leg sky-high like this, Gage.”

My fingertips rubbed the silky skin slipping from the edge of her shorts, and the tiny moans escaping her mouth drove me crazy.

“I love when your hands are on me,” she said.

My hand continued rubbing her from underneath while I ground my rock-hard dick against her, seeking her clit through the thin material. My mouth found that tender spot on her neck behind her ear that I knew drove her crazy, and I nipped at it with my teeth.

But then she tried getting her leg from my grasp, except my grip was fierce.

“We can’t do this, not now, I won’t want you to stop, and I have to get back.”

And suddenly something snapped inside me.

“Harper,” I said into her ear. “I don’t want you to go back out there.”

I knew I shouldn’t be saying it. I knew it was wrong.

But I meant it.

“I know, baby, but I have to get back to work,” she cooed.

She didn’t understand what I was saying. My hands dropped from her as her leg fell to the floor, the tip of her shoe echoing against the tile. Stepping back from her so I could look at her face, I reiterated my feeling.

“Harper, I don’t want you going back out there.”

Her smile remained, but the confusion formed in her eyes. The confusion cleared as my words registered, then morphed into rage. Her shoulders came up as she stood tall, preparing for a fight.

“What are you talking about, Gage? I’m working. I have to get back to work,” she said, very matter-of-fact.

“You don’t need this job, Harper, and I don’t want you working here anymore,” I told her. “I don’t need every guy in this place getting a hard dick when they look at you.” I caged her in as my arms went around her head against the wall. “You’re mine.”

It came out like more of a growl than I intended.

Her fists balled at her sides as her anger flared. Then her hands came up to my chest, and with all her might she pushed me back, using the wall behind her as leverage. She actually moved me.

“Who the fuck do you think you are? You don’t get to tell me what to do!” she screamed. “And I do need this job. You don’t have the right to waltz into my life and tell me what I can and can’t do, Gage!”

There were tears in her eyes threatening to spill over. But I didn’t care. There was no way I could let her out on this floor another night with the likes of these guys, ready to pounce and put their hands on her. This obviously happened all the time, considering this was only the second time I’d been at this club, and it was the second time I wanted to kill someone.

“Harper, you don’t need this money. I have money. I’ll give you what you need for your shop. I don’t want you here with these assholes touching you another minute. Stop putting yourself through this bullshit.”

By now, her hands were on her hips, a snarky smile planted on her face.

“ Putting myself through this ?” Her hands flailed in the air around her. “I’m not putting myself through anything. It’s called working. Holy shit, so you think you can just buy me? What the fuck, Gage? I’m not letting you just give me the money for my shop. Are you kidding me?”

She wiped at her eyes, her makeup smearing. Falling back against the wall, I shoved my hands in my pockets to prevent them from grabbing her. That would only make things worse.

She looked everywhere but at me.

But then her fierce blue eyes stared me down from a foot below me.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me at work. I didn’t see you being the jealous type, Gage. You come across as a secure person.” She paused, gathering herself and her words. “I’m heading back out there, and you won’t stop me. And if you try to stop me from doing my job, I will raise my fingers for the bouncer on you.” And I believed her.