Masquerade (Swept Away #2.5)(4)

“She might find out about the background of all the products . . .” His voice trailed off. “She seems to want to talk to Mattias.”

“Well, then she can’t be in that deep, can she?” My voice was wry. “If she wants to speak to Mattias, then she can’t know much.”

“What happens when she realizes there is no Mattias?”

“You need to distract her before that happens.” I was bored. How many times was David going to call me in a panic because someone wanted to meet our fictional brother?

“Her father was the inventor—”

“Wait, what’s her name?” I stopped outside of the elevator, my mind suddenly very focused on the conversation.

“Bianca . . . Bianca London.”

“Bianca London,” I repeated, my heart racing as I said her name. The first name meant nothing to me, but the last name—the last name conjured up images of my mom sitting on the couch, drinking a glass of wine and telling me stories through her tears. London was a name that I wasn’t going to forget anytime soon. London was the name of the couple who had ruined my mother’s life. If it hadn’t been for their interference, she might have been happy. She might have been married to the man she loved. She might still be alive today.

“I know her name rings a bell,” David said lightly, though I knew he was gloating inside. He knew how badly I wanted to find out what had happened to the Londons. I’d only asked him once if he knew anything about her, but even once was enough. David knew me well enough to know that if I was asking, it was for a reason.

“What do you want, David?” I wasn’t interested in playing his mind games; psyching people out with words and vague clues was a tactic he’d picked up from our father, and I for one didn’t have time for all the back-and-forth. I liked to be straight and direct. I didn’t have time for mind-f*ckery. I’d never seen the point, but I supposed that I never knew how I might react in certain situations.

“I think we need to figure out exactly what Ms. London knows.”

“So do that, then.” I walked into my apartment and locked the door behind me. I stared out the windows at the New York skyline and smiled at the sight. This apartment had the best view of Manhattan and it never ceased to amaze me.

“I’m going to get to know her, but I think we might need a more exhaustive plan.”

“What does that mean? A more exhaustive plan?”

“Larry Renee suggested it.”

“Oh?” I froze at the sound of Larry’s name. He was on my hit list, too, though he wasn’t at the top. It seemed to me that Larry had had a large role in everything that had gone on during the first years of my parents’ dating.

“He’s worried she might know things that we don’t want to come out. Things that could hurt us.”

“Where would she have found out these things?”

“Her father might have told her.”

“You think he told her everything?”

“I don’t know. That’s what we have to find out.”

“You think she wants a piece of the company?”

“She probably thinks she deserves a cut.”

“She most probably does.”

“She doesn’t deserve anything, Jakob.”

“Why don’t you tell her that, then?”

“You know it’s more complicated than that.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I was thinking about that island . . .” His voice trailed off.

“What island?” I shook my head in frustration, not following along with him.

“The island you just bought. Maybe she could have a nice trip.”

“At my resort?”

“No . . . the deserted one.” His voice was stiff.

“You want me to fly her to a deserted island? You think she’s going to agree to that?”

“I’m not suggesting anything right now. I just want us to consider all of our options.”

“This is your problem, David, not mine. I really don’t care what happens to Bradley, Incorporated.”

“It’s not my fault I wasn’t born the bastard.” Superiority rang out in his tone and I clutched the phone. I hated David with a passion. This weak-willed, smug, spineless * really thought he was better than me just because he’d been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. How badly I wanted to tell him that he was running his beloved company into the ground. He didn’t see it yet, and neither did the investors, but I knew exactly what was going on. I followed every move they made and every company they purchased. David had made some foolhardy investments and, unbeknownst to him, I was the one keeping him afloat right now. I was the owner of almost every company that he had major stocks in. I held his livelihood in my hands. And I could crush him whenever I wanted. But now wasn’t the time.

“It wasn’t my mother’s fault that your dad was a bastard, either,” I said softly, wishing I could see his face.

“I’m sorry that you hated our father. He was a good man.”

“I have to go, David.” I walked over to the couch and sat down, my head starting to pound.

“Before you go, I wanted to invite you to the annual company ball. It’s this weekend.”