Going Down Easy (Billionaire Bad Boys) (19 page)

“Not really.” Kendall eased herself onto the bed and folded her legs beneath her.

“I’m sorry about Julian. You never should have been targeted by that bastard.”

Kendall shrugged. “I shouldn’t have done the things I did either. I knew I wasn’t feeling right. I knew the meds Dr. Kay switched me to weren’t working, but I was riding the high. I’m the one who got myself in debt. I’m the one who stole Kade’s watch. It wasn’t Julian who did those things. It was me.” Her voice caught as she choked on a sob.

Lexie wanted to pull her twin into her arms, but she understood this was a breakthrough and Kendall needed to have it. So she waited for her sister to pull herself together and to go on.

Kendall shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m so sorry,” she said, rocking back and forth. “I’m humiliated, and I don’t like the person I’ve become. I’m so lucky your boyfriend is such a decent guy or I’d be in jail right now.”

Lexie expelled a long breath, grateful her twin was coming to these realizations on her own. She met Kendall’s gaze. “He’s not my boyfriend,” she said, correcting that misconception.

“But I thought you two were involved.”

“We were. Until he accused me of stealing and betraying him with Julian.”

Get the fuck out.

She shivered at the memory of his cold, accusatory tone and how he’d thrown her out of his office as if she meant nothing to him.

“Oh my God. That’s my fault too.” Kendall looked up at Lexie with big, watery eyes. “I’m sure you can fix things. He knows it wasn’t you, and he isn’t pressing charges against me. That’s got to be because of you. Because he loves you.”

Lexie shook her head hard. Love? She was pretty sure he considered himself well rid of her. She brought complications no man in his right mind needed in his life. Because of his relationship with her, he’d ended up vulnerable to Julian’s manipulations.

“Don’t worry about me,” Lexie murmured. “Let’s talk about you.”

Her sister let out a harsh laugh. “What about me? I think I’ve hit the proverbial rock bottom.” She looked away. “I called Dr. Kay and told him I wanted to check myself into an inpatient facility and get help.”

“Kendall!”

“Long term, this time. Not a two-week-and-I’m-out sort of deal. I have to learn to function on my own. To find the right cocktail of meds, to have the correct therapy. I can’t go on like this anymore. The ups and downs are killing me, and worse, they’re hurting you, and I’m so, so tired of hurting too.” Her sister’s rocking continued as she broke down in gulping, loud sobs.

Lexie couldn’t believe her sister was finally reaching out for real long-term help. Admiration welled up inside her.

She crawled over the bed and grabbed her twin, hugging her tight. “It’ll be okay,” she murmured. “I’m so proud of you. So proud. And I’ll be by your side the whole time. You can do this. I know you can.” She stroked her sister’s hair and whispered comforting words in her ear, doing all the things a mother would do. If only they had a capable mother.

Kendall held on to her as she cried like a little girl while Lexie choked back her own tears. Tears for her twin, for the hard life Kendall had, and for Lexie’s own choices and losses.

For Kade, the man who meant everything to her. And the man she had to let go.

*     *     *

Kade shouldn’t have
been surprised when Lexie didn’t show up for work the next morning. He’d fired her. Not just fired her. He’d told her to
get the fuck out
. Despite all that had gone down with her twin sister yesterday, he hadn’t asked her to come back to him. Not as his PA and not as his woman.

The PA had been a mistake. On a professional level, he needed her to keep things running smoothly. She was always two steps ahead of him and the perfect assistant for a man like him.

Coming back to
him
, that was another story. Without a doubt, he knew he wanted and needed her in his life, by his side for the long haul. But he was about to make some extremely drastic moves, and he didn’t think it was fair to ask her to stand by his side as he made them.

“Kade.” Luke walked into his office, Derek right behind him.

“Shut the door,” Kade said, walking around his desk and joining his friends.

“I don’t know why. You don’t have an assistant to overhear anything,” Derek said, his sarcastic tone indicating he wasn’t happy with Kade.

He got it. He wasn’t happy with how he’d treated Lexie in this very room yesterday either. He still had to apologize for that, and would when he explained why she no longer had a job. He didn’t want her thinking she was fired. It was more complicated than that. But this meeting had to come first. When all was said and done, he might not have a position for her to return to.

“Let’s sit,” Kade said, easing himself onto the edge of his desk, facing his friends.

Derek and Luke eyed him suspiciously as they settled into their chairs.

“What’s going on?”

Kade cleared his throat. “First you should know I admire the hell out of you two. You’re my brothers, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Which is why I’m pulling out of Blink.”

Derek was out of his seat, but Luke, ever the more rational and calm when it came to personal decisions, pulled him back.

“Let him explain,” Luke said.

“I went to see Julian. He’s not going to back down until he gets what he wants, and he’s demanding one quarter of what we’ve built.” He curled his good hand around the desk. “No fucking way will I let that happen.”

“You know we can fight him,” Derek said.

“And we’re willing to go all the way.” This from Luke.

Kade shook his head. “That’s why you’re my brothers. That’s also why I won’t let you. He’s proven he’s willing to play dirty and hurt people who don’t deserve it. People who won’t see him coming and aren’t capable of fighting back.”

“Lexie,” Derek said.

Kade nodded. “And her twin. Her sister is bipolar,” he said, trusting these two men with the truth. “And that bastard used her and dumped her like yesterday’s trash.” He couldn’t get Lexie’s face out his mind, the concern for her sister, the fear in her eyes aimed at him. “I won’t add to that.”

Derek groaned. “Let’s take a breath and regroup.”

Kade shook his head. “I called a tech mag reporter I like and trust. I’m telling the truth about my past and signing over my shares of Blink evenly between the two of you. I’m taking away Julian’s power to destroy Blink.” And to destroy his best friends and their legacy.

“Fuck no.” Derek rose and Luke did the same.

“For the record, I agree. You are every bit as much a part of this as we are,” Luke said.

Kade rolled his tight shoulders and smiled at his friends. “I appreciate that. But it’s my past threatening the empire. I’m going to handle it the only way I know how.” Ironically he was at peace with his decision. “Just promise me one thing.”

“Anything, man. You know that,” Derek said.

“When you settle with Julian, and the lawyers already said he’s going to get something if we go to court, make sure it’s the bare minimum and no part of the company.”

Luke pulled him into a brotherly hug. “I admire the hell out of you.”

Kade slapped the other man on the back, then turned to Derek.

“Are you sure there’s no other way?” Derek asked. “Like admitting to the Lila situation and we ride out the storm together?”

He shook his head. “I made some calls, spoke to some investors, and if I stick around, the IPO goes up in flames. But even more importantly, I won’t let him go after anyone else we care about, and if I remain a part of Blink, my gut tells me he’ll keep coming.”

“This sucks,” Derek muttered.

Kade grinned. “There are worse things in life than losing billions.”

Like losing the woman he loved.

*     *     *

Lexie sat with
the computer open to Indeed and Monster.com, looking for a job. Kendall was at a therapy appointment, and Waffles was asleep at her feet. In another open window on her computer, she worked on her resume. She hoped Kade would give her a recommendation, although she knew it didn’t look good to have held her last job for a mere couple of weeks, and for the one before that, she lacked references. She didn’t think Kade would be looking to hurt her professionally, although deep down she knew she didn’t deserve anything from him at all. He’d already given her the biggest gift he could, not reporting her sister to the police.

As she narrowed her search choices, she decided to stick with secretarial and professional-assistant-type jobs, knowing, at the very least, that’s where her skills lay. Once she had her sister situated inpatient somewhere, she could apply for a job without worrying about Kendall wreaking havoc, at least until she was released.

Lexie sighed and went back to looking. She didn’t know how long she’d been at it when the doorbell rang. Maybe Kendall had forgotten her keys. She strode over and opened the door.

“Kade!” He was the last person she expected to see, and damned if her heart didn’t pick up speed at the sight of him.

In his khaki pants and green Army shirt, he was every inch the sexy tech god she adored. She pushed back the flood of desire, knowing it had no place between them. Not anymore.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Can we talk?”

She deliberately squelched the spark of hope in her chest because nothing had changed. She’d decided that earlier today. “Of course.”

Waffles jumped up on his hind legs, his front paws on Kade’s jeans, begging for attention. “Hey, buddy.” He petted the dog’s head, talking to him in silly tones that made Lexie smile and warmth fill her at the sight. Of course he would be good with dogs too.

“His name is Waffles,” she said.

Kade groaned. “Thanks to who?”

“My sister.” Lexie laughed. “I suppose you’d have a manlier name for a dog?”

He shrugged. “Never gave it much thought. I didn’t have a pet growing up.”

“Maybe you should get one now. Dogs are soothing.”

He glanced at the furry thing still begging for attention. “I’ll take your word for it.”

She hoped he’d consider it. There were therapy pets meant just for people with anxiety and other unique needs, and she wanted to know he had company at night. Furry canine company would be her preference, but she also wanted him to have a full and happy life. She didn’t want to consider just what that meant.

“Come sit.” She led him into the family room, and they settled beside each other on the sofa. “We’re alone, in case you’re wondering. Kendall is at a doctor’s appointment, so feel free to talk.” She gestured around the empty apartment.

“I wanted to discuss your job. Things are changing at Blink, and I won’t be needing an assistant.”

He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t ask, no longer feeling like it was her business to push him for answers. It hurt her, that she could no longer speak her mind or know what was in the deeper recesses of his.

Still, she appreciated him letting her know in person, considering he’d already technically fired her. “Don’t worry about me. I was looking for a job before you got here. See?” She pointed to the open laptop on the ottoman in front of them.

He frowned at the screen. “You don’t need to worry about employment ads. I promised you that no matter what happened between us, you’d have a job at Blink. Whenever you’re ready, go back and Derek will have a position for you.”

She blinked back tears. “Kade, I don’t deserve that kind of generosity. Kendall shouldn’t have been in your apartment. She shouldn’t have had the chance to take your watch in the first place. That’s on me.”

He shook his head, his gaze warm and understanding. “Julian being able to get close to your sister? That’s on
me
. So maybe we call it even?”

“Yeah. Even sounds good.” Maybe she could say good-bye knowing he didn’t hate her for how things had turned out between them. Heaven knew she didn’t hate him.

He reached out and touched her hair, curling one strand around his fingers. “I’m glad I had you in my life for a little while, because in that short time, you taught me a lot.”

“I did?” She couldn’t imagine what.

He nodded. “You’re everything I never had in my life. You’re loyal, caring, honest. You accept people for who they are, and you’re there for the people who need you. You were there for me.”

Because she loved him.

She reached up and clasped his wrist, pulling his hand down and holding on. “You deserve someone who can do that for you. Someone who can give you one hundred percent, and that’s not me right now. It may never be me.”

“I’m selfish enough to want to pull you away from your twin, but I’m smart enough to know who needs you more. I wish I’d had someone who was there for me when I needed them, so I won’t ask you to choose.” He pulled her close, resting his forehead against hers.

She sighed, breathing in his masculine scent, soaking in as much as she could of him in this short time she had left. It wasn’t a lot and it wasn’t nearly enough.

So she was surprised when his lips trailed down her cheek. Unable to help herself, she tilted her head, giving him a silent okay for his lips to press against hers. And when they did, there was no doubt the chemistry between them was still strong. Just as there was no doubt this was an emotional moment, one she wanted to drink in and remember.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her close, until she straddled him on the sofa, sex soft and needy against his thickening erection. He slid his tongue into her mouth, and she moaned, reveling in what she sensed was a good-bye neither was ready to accept.

A smarter woman would break things off now, but she wanted this. She wanted him, and if it was the last time, she was going to commit every moment to memory. His tongue glided against hers, eradicating brain cells with every touch, tangle, and sweep throughout her mouth.

She edged her lower body closer. He grabbed her waist, holding her down as she rocked her hips, letting desire and waves of passion build between them.

He pulled back suddenly, meeting her gaze. “Bedroom?”

He was asking permission, not wanting to overstep. There was no way he could. In answer, she threaded her fingers through his short hair, sliding them against his scalp.