Her Billionaire Bosses: A Menage Romance Read online

  “Going on a trip?” the driver asks me.

  I shrug. “Something like that.”

  “Good. Then they won’t notice right away that you’re gone.”

  My eyes fly open just in time to see a cloud of something being sprayed in my face. My last thought before blacking out is that I may never see the men I love again.

  16

  Leo

  I manage to move some of my meetings and catch an earlier flight home. I have this sick feeling in my gut that something is wrong. Rose isn’t picking up her phone, and my calls are going right to voicemail. I try texting, but no love. I hope her phone is just dead.

  Before I take off, I try to reach Asher at the office, but his assistant tells me he called in sick. He’s not picking up his cell either. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but I need to get home.

  The car service is waiting for me at the airport when I land. I check my watch. It’s creeping towards noon, and I should have heard from someone by now. I call Asher again, and there’s still no answer.

  The optimist in me wants to think they made up—in a big way—and are both too tired from the make-up sex to move. But the realist in me knows that something went wrong. Rose may have killed my asshat of a best friend, or maybe they’re still fighting. I have visions of Rose tossing things at Asher’s hard head. Maybe the police were called, and they’re both down at the station.

  But when I walk into the penthouse, it’s quiet. No smashed lamp or dead bodies. I find Asher sitting in the dark living room, half a bottle of whiskey in his hand, staring out the window. The dark circles that rim his eyes and the heavy five o’clock shadow lets me know right away that things are not well.

  “What did you do?”

  “I fucked everything up.” Asher downed the rest of what was in his glass and filled it again.

  Not in the mood for his self-flagellation, I drop my bags and stalk across the room. “I figured as much, asshole. You smell like a fucking distillery.” He’s gone through dark phases before, but it’s never been this bad. Any hope I had of fixing things between Rose and Asher is slowly dying. Whatever happened last night had to have been major. I grab the bottle out of Asher’s hand and set it on the table. “Where’s Rose?”

  “She left.”

  “Left? Is she at the office?”

  “No. She. Left,” he says, repeating each word slowly like I’m hard of hearing. “She quit her job, packed all her shit, and fucking left the state if you go by her note.”

  He tosses a crumpled piece of paper onto the table. Rose’s thin, loopy handwriting covers the whole page. I don’t want to believe what Asher is telling me, but I can see the words in black and white.

  Asher and Leo,

  I’m sorry.

  I always knew things might end badly, but I never wanted this. Even so, I’ll never regret our time together. I knew that accepting an internship a Lash Equity would change my life. I just never realized that being with the two of you would do so much more. I’m a different person than I was four months ago. I’m stronger and more willing to accept the curves and surprises that life has in store. For that, I’ll always be grateful. But like a lot of things in this life, what we had was perfect, but never meant to last. I was recently reminded of that fact.

  I’m not angry with either of you. It just didn’t work out. If anyone is to blame, it’s me. I pushed for something that wasn’t possible. All three of us had to want this, and I refuse to be the woman that came between the two of you.

  I emailed a formal resignation to HR this morning. And by the time you read this letter, I’ll be on a plane headed as far away from here as possible.

  Leo, I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye. I couldn’t. I knew you’d try to talk me out of leaving. If you had asked me to stay, I would have. I’m not that strong of a person. This is for the best.

  I love you both very much.

  -Rose

  After reading the letter three times, I toss it back to the table. “What the fuck did you say to her?”

  “I told her I was moving out,” Asher said, still refusing to look at me. “I was trying to do the right thing and get out of your way.”

  “What the fuck, man? I realize you have your issues, but what we had was good,” I yell, pouring all my rage and frustration into the words. Better that than kick the shit out of him. “She loves us. Both of us. The three of us, we fit. Everything was going fine until you took a big old dump on what she was offering.”

  “The fuck it was,” Asher said, jumping to his feet. “You didn’t see her at the ball. Everything is fine while we’re here, in the safety of our home. Everything is sunshine and fucking rainbows. But we live in the real world. That world is filled with vicious gossip and asshole photographers. I knew it was just a matter of time before it all fell apart—before the pressure of that kind of life broke her. One of us had to leave, and I decided it would be best if it was me.” Asher reaches up and lays a hand on my shoulder, trying to make it easier for me to swallow his bullshit. “I swore a long time ago, I would never let anything stand between us, no matter what.”

  I shot him a look that’s bruising and step away. “From where I stand, the only thing standing between us is you. You betrayed the bond we share by going behind my back.” I go back and grab my jacket. I need air before I say something I can’t take back. “Find her. I don’t care what you have to do.”

  Asher rakes a hand through his hair and sighs. “I’m sorry. I’ll find her and convince her to come back.”

  “Don’t you think you’ve done enough already? Just find out where she is and I’ll handle it. And as for us…” I pause and zip up my jacket. “Fuck, Asher. What is it you want? Do you even know?”

  Unable to hold my gaze, he looks down at the floor and rubs his chin. “It doesn’t matter what I want.”

  “Don’t give me that martyr bullshit. Of course, it matters. You’re just as much a part of this as I am. We’re not kids anymore. You can’t just fall on your sword and play the martyr. Rose wants you. And you know me. If I didn’t want you in this with me, I would have said something. You need to man the fuck up and be honest with yourself. Whatever you decide will have consequences. And not only with Rose,” I say and step onto the elevator. “Either way, we need to figure this shit tonight. Do whatever you need to do, and I’ll be back as soon as I don’t want to smash your face in.”

  I don’t wait for him to answer. I’ve made my point, and now I need to clear my head.

  I leave the building and head north. I don’t have a destination in mind. I’ll just walk until I don’t feel like my entire world is falling apart.

  I’m beyond pissed at both of them—stupid, pig-headed fools. Neither one seems to know how to love. The trouble is I don’t know how to fix this. But despite this setback, I’m more certain than ever that the three of us belong together. I’m determined to make us work even if I have knock some sense into their stubborn heads.

  17

  Asher

  I don’t believe in love. At least not the love Hollywood tries to sell us. That kind of love is just one of those stories people tell each other in the dark to get us through to the next day. And even if I did believe in love, it’s not something that I deserve.

  I ruin everything I touch.

  Leo is right; I want Rose. I might even be in love with her. But that’s exactly the reason I have to let her go. This is so much bigger than want or love. Leo is trying to build a family. Rose is trying to find a normal. I’m only in the way. I thought leaving would help. But instead, I hurt both of them.

  See, I don’t deserve either of them.

  But I swear to God, I’ll tear this town apart brick by brick to find her. I just hope I can get to her before she leaves town.

  I pick up my cell and dial the head of the security on his personal line. Red has been working with us for a number of years, and I know he’ll help with no questions asked. Because I’m pretty sure what I’m about to ask him to do wil
l break a few laws.

  “I need a favor,” I say.

  “A favor? You never ask for favors,” Red says, warily.

  “It’s important,” I say. “I need—”

  “Before you ask, let me tell you upfront, I don’t do bodies,” he says. “If this is that kind of call, I know a guy. And the less you tell me, the better.”

  “Damn it Red, I’m being serious,” I say. “I need you to find someone for me. Her name is Primrose Morningstar.”

  “Primrose Morningstar? That sounds like a stripper's name.”

  “Fuck off. Can you do it or not?” I ask, growing increasingly impatient. “I need to find her as soon as possible, and if you can’t do it, I’ll call someone else.”

  “Okay, so it’s like that. Color me intrigued,” Red says, and I hear the steady click of typing on the other end of the line. “I’ll find her for you. I’ll handle this myself. Send over the details, and I’ll have a report by tomorrow.”

  “That’s not fast enough,” I say. “She said she’s leaving town and I can’t let that happen. Can’t you track her cell phone or something?”

  “This isn’t a TV cop show, man. You can’t just give a name and a few sketchy details and expect me to tell you where the girl is,” he says, still typing away. “These things take time, but I’ll make it a priority.”

  “Fuck.” I kick the end of the sofa, feeling impotent. “Do everything you can to find her. I don’t care how much it costs or who you have to pay off to get it done.”

  I hang up the phone and shove it back in my pocket, feeling no closer to an answer than before. I send as much information as I have on Rose to Red, which doesn’t amount to much. And for the next hour, I pace the apartment feeling like a caged animal. But the only thing I can do is wait.

  I pull up her employment file, trying to search for clues as to where she might have gone. The only family listed in the file is her mother. It’s possible she sought out her mother on the road, but unlikely. After what Rose told me, I can’t imagine her ever returning to that life, even temporarily. There’s the old boyfriend, but again, there wasn’t much of a connection there. I send the details to Red.

  “Where the fuck are you, Rose?” I say, bringing up her photo and realize that this crappy photo is the only one I have of her. It’s possible that I might never see her again, and this fucking ID photo is the only thing I have to show for our time together. That and the ache in my chest.

  Feeling the need to do something productive, I jump in the shower and wash away the last of last night’s bender. I’m not sure what I’ll do if we can’t find her. Leo will never forgive me. And outside of the obvious implications to our company, I’d also be losing the only person I’ve ever felt close to in my life. In short, my life is a giant, stinking dumpster fire and the only thing I can do is sit back and watch it burn.

  Just as my desperation hits a manic level, my cell rings. Relief floods through me as I see Rose’s number on the screen.

  I rush to the phone, anxious to hear her voice. “Don’t hang up. You were right. I’m in love with you, and it scares the hell out of me,” I say, pleading my case. “I was wrong about everything. Please come home, and we can work this out. I promise. I’m sorry I made you cry. I’m sorry I… Fuck, I’m just sorry. ”

  “No you’re not,” a strange man’s voice says on the other end, “but you will be.”

  A cold chill runs down my spine as I check the number again. “Who the hell is this? And where’s Rose?”

  “Don’t worry, I have your girlfriend right here. Or is it Leo’s girlfriend? The papers don’t seem to know.” the man says. “Are you both bedding this whore?”

  I get to my feet, clutching the phone so hard my hand starts to ache. “If you so much as touch a hair on her head, I’ll—”

  “You’ll what? Destroy me?” The man dissolves into a hollow laugh that hits me like a kick to the gut. “Oh, that’s funny. Like you can do any more damage.”

  “Who are you? What do you want? If it’s money—”

  “We’re far beyond that, Asher Knight,” he says, cutting in. “You’ve taken everything I’ve ever cared about away from me, and I’m not going to stop until I take everything away from both of you. Starting with your woman.”

  This psychopath has Rose. My stomach sours with the thought, and I have to swallow the bile that’s rising in my throat. If something happens to her, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.

  “Let me talk to Rose,” I demand, but the phone goes dead. I call the number back, but it goes straight to voicemail.

  I dial Red, trying to get a grip on my panic. “I need to know where she is right now.”

  “I have some leads, but you need to give me time,” Red says with a sigh.

  “We don’t have time. Someone has her.”

  “Has her? Like kidnapped? Why the fuck didn’t you say that in the first place,” Red says, typing frantically. “Do you know who took her?”

  “I haven’t a clue. I think it has something to do with our company,” I say. “He said Leo and I ruined his life.”

  “If I had a name, it would make this go a lot faster. Does Leo have any ideas?”

  “He doesn’t know yet. Fuck. Maybe I should call the police. They can—”

  “Don’t,” Red says, interrupting me. “I can work a lot faster. And once we get them involved, you’ll be stuck answering questions all day. I’ll pull some of my guys and go through the last threat analysis we did on your company and see if anything pops. In the meantime, find Leo and see if he has any ideas.”

  I call Leo, but he’s not picking up, so I leave a message. The silence in the penthouse is crushing. I move to the window overlooking the city and pound the glass. Rose needs me, and there’s not a fucking thing I can do about it.

  18

  Rose

  The smell of mold and fetid water burn my nose. I blink, trying to adjust to the dim light, but I can’t seem to focus. I have no idea where I am or what time it is. The last thing I remember is getting into a car.

  My eyes still burn from whatever was sprayed in my face. I try to rub them, but quickly find, I can’t move. Arching my head, I see a thick rope wrapped around my wrists, tying me to what looks like a stair banister.

  The bitter taste of fear coats my mouth as I realize I’m all alone. No one is going to come looking for me. I quit my job. Told off my mother. And, fuck, I left that note. Leo and Asher are going to assume I left. Well, I was leaving. But I had hoped that with a little time and distance, we might be able to overcome our problems.

  I’m such a fool. They’ll assume that I’m off living somewhere, happy to be rid of them, and never know that some crazy person took me. I’m going to die alone, and no one will even miss me.

  Tears pool in my eyes and I blink, trying to hold back the flood. God damn it, there are those tears again. Now’s not the time to fall apart. There’s no rescue party coming, and if I’m going to survive this, I need to get out of here myself.

  I look around for any clues as to where I am or who took me, my eyes finally adjusting to the low light. I’m in a basement. No, that’s not right. It’s more like an old root cellar. The floor is dirt, and the walls are bare stone. In the corner of the room, there’s what looks like an old broiler for a steam radiator system, and next to that, an old coal chute.

  If I can get loose, I might be able to escape that way.

  I turn back to the ropes and give them a tug. They’re tight—so tight, my fingers are cold and tingly. My hands are tied far enough apart that I can’t reach the knots to loosen them. The rope itself is thick and sturdy, but the banister looks old. The paint has rubbed off the slim, wooden spindles where the rope is secure and the wood underneath looks dry and cracked. I give an experimental tug, and the wood bows under the pressure. Given the right leverage, I think I can pull them free.

  I stretch, trying to get a better footing when I hear a door open above me. The stairs behind me creak and groan as someone
comes down. I hurry to get back to my original position and close my eyes, feigning unconsciousness.

  “You are quite the gift, little lady,” a distinctly masculine voice says. “Like a treasure that’s been delivered and dropped into my lap.”

  There is a loud thud on the ground next to my feet as the guy drops something. My heart is racing, but I concentrate on keeping my breathing slow and steady.

  “Honestly, between you and me, I was starting to give up hope. I thought about killing Leo and letting that rich bastard, Asher, live with the knowledge that it was all his fault. The problem with that plan was that Leo is equally responsible for ruining my life. If I killed him, he wouldn’t suffer—not the way I want him to. But then you showed up.”

  He leans over and checks the rope. Then grabs my chin with rough hands and leans in. The stench of unwashed body and alcohol overwhelms my senses. I fight the urge to open my eyes and try to stay as limp as possible as he manhandles my body.

  “At first, when I saw you outside the penthouse, I thought you were Leo’s newest slut. But after the accident, and I saw how you rushed to Asher’s side in the hospital waiting room, I knew you weren’t with just Leo.”

  I don’t know how much longer I can keep up the act. I feel like I’m going to retch. This lunatic was watching us; at the penthouse, at the hospital. Maybe even before.

  “I should have known those assholes would share a woman. They have no respect for other people’s property.” He has to be inches away from my face. His rancid breath heats my skin as he turns my head from one side to the other. With a huff, he lets go and takes a step. “Fuck. I hope I didn’t use too much of that shit. I want to make them suffer, and it’s not going to be the same if you’re still unconscious.”