Page 96 of The Spare
“Sloan, I thought you didn’t—”
“Who.” I didn’t want an explanation. I wanted an answer, even though I knew it.
His eyes darted away from my face. “You.”
“The McLaren, the books, Zermatt.” I listed off with a bitter laugh. The anger concentrated into spite. “All ways to distract me so I wouldn’t mind when you helped ensure I didn’t get the only thing I’ve ever wanted.”
“Do you?Actually,want it?”
“It doesn’t matter, you should have—”
A new voice filled the room, then suddenly stopped. “Marcus, when were you going to tell me about having a seat on—”
Caught up in our argument, neither of us heard Henry enter. We looked at him at the same time. His mouth was agape, his face etched in disbelief.
He stood stunned into silence at the sight of us. I was in my silk pajamas. Tight silk tank top and short bottoms that ended just below my butt were never something I wanted to wear in front of my brother.
The room was stuck in silence, and his eyes darted between us. It only took a few seconds to put it all together. I was supposed to be at home. Clearly, he’d just showered, and we were both dressed for bed.
“Henry.” Marcus’s voice was stern but with his trademark control, trying to head off the inevitable implication. “Listen—”
“Mylittlesister?” Henry took a couple of determined strides toward Marcus. Fury poured off him in waves. I grabbed Henry’s arm and yanked him back with surprising force. The logical part of my brain finally cleared the fog. I knew the argument would escalate out of control if I let it. “I’m going to fucking kill you.”
Whatever civil conversation Henry planned to have wasn’t going to happen now.
“Yes, Henry, because that’s what you need right now, an assault charge.” I stood in front of Henry, but he was entirely focused on Marcus. Marcus would never escalate a fight, but the accusation that he might would hurt him, and that’s all I wanted in that moment.
Henry finally took a step back, and I shoved him further. I stood between the two of them.
“Lying to me about Ellory, abandoning us for years, that isn’t enough?” Henry shook off my hand and took a step closer, his face flushed with anger. “You screwed Sloan? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Listen—” Marcus’s voice rose over Henry’s.
“No,” I interrupted calmly. My heart raced, but I wasn’t going to let Marcus have any more of my anger. He’d taken enough from me. I looked directly at Henry. “Outside, now.”
“Sloan—” Henry protested.
“Now,” I barked. He recoiled in surprise. Henry wanted to fight. Hell, so did I. But we needed to leave, before I said something I couldn’t take back. Not for Marcus’s sake, but for Xander’s. “I mean it. I want to leave.”
Henry looked at me, and his features immediately softened. His pinched expression changed to concern for me. For the first time in years, it didn’t make me angry. My protective older brother was always there, behind the man that bickered with me.
“Do not call her,” Henry warned Marcus, stepping backward as I pushed him to the door.
I threw a jacket over the little clothing I was wearing. Too angry to think, I grabbed my bag, laptop, and Henry’s arm. I pulled him out the door. I stopped in the threshold and met his gaze one last time.
“Sloan, please let me explain.”
The pleading sound in his voice almost made me stop.
“Despite what my grandfather thought, I could lead just as well as Henry. But it’s nice to know you agreed with him.”
I walked out knowing exactly how much it would hurt him.
* * *
We were silent for a few minutes in the town car on the way back to Henry’s place on the Upper East Side.
“The board seat is to ensure the vote,” I said into the silence, staring at the floor of the town car. That was why Henry was there; he figured out the same thing I did. “With my vote and his, all you need is one of the swing-votes.”
