Page 21 of Convenient Rivals

Oscar immediately tensed.

“Now, I know you two aren’t as close as you used to be.”

Of course Flo remembered them as kids, no doubt causing her headaches by bothering her for baked goods all the time.

“I just think he needs your help.”

That made Gregory stop walking. Flo realised and stopped slightly ahead.

“Come on, let’s keep walking. I shouldn’t be telling you this. It was something I overheard, and you know the rules.”

The rules! Plenty of staff had been dismissed over the years for repeating what they’d overhead. His mother was a big gossip, but hated if any of it was about her.

“I heard your mother speaking with Lavinia earlier. That Barty is at some health spa recovering from his injuries. He took quite a beating.”

Oscar had heard the story as well. This happened when you tried to rip off people like that. You only had to watch any mobster film to know how it worked. Barty was an idiot and why Gregory kept bailing him out was a mystery.

“Apparently, Barty owes them a lot of money.”

“Do you know how much?”

“She didn’t say, but said it was more than last time.”

The last amount Oscar was certain Gregory had paid.

“What’s this got to do with Gregory?”

“The debt has been transferred to him.”

“What? He agreed to that?”

“No. It was Rupert. He went and spoke to this Grant person and got him to agree to getting the money from Gregory instead.”

“Does Gregory know?”

“I don’t know, but I heard he was going to have to sell his flat to pay it off.”

The flat. The place Gregory lived with his best friends. It had to be worth at least two million, given its location and the spec it was renovated to. Why would he sell it, though? From what he understood, it had been created as a home for all of them.

Flo shared what she knew from the conversation she’d overheard. He immediately wanted to go to Gregory and offer to help any way he could. Perhaps he could loan him the money, so he didn’t have to sell the flat. Gregory’s business was hugely successful, so there was no risk of not getting it back, and even if he didn’t, what did he care? His trust fund had never been touched as he’d created his own wealth. It was just sitting there doing nothing.

“I’ll speak to him. See what I can do to help.”

“You’re a good boy, Oscar. I always liked Gregory. Such a sweet and clever boy. It was a shame you two drifted apart. You were joined at the hip when you were little.”

Oscar smiled at the thought. They had been inseparable as kids, but he’d fucked things up. It was something he’d always regret, but he couldn’t change the past. All he could do was support Gregory as best he could. The challenge was getting him to accept Oscar’s help.

Oscar pressed the buzzer and wondered if he was making a big mistake. He wasn’t even sure if Gregory would be home, and coming round to the flat was like entering the lion’s den. This group of friends was very protective of each other. Hopefully, Langdon wouldn’t be here – that guy scared the shit out of Oscar.

There was no greeting over the intercom, just the sound of the door clicking open. He’d never been here before, but from what he knew, their flat occupied the top two floors of the building, so that’s where he headed. Before he could knock on the door, it swung open. Jason was on the other side, looking at Oscar with amusement.

“And to what do we owe this pleasure?”

“Is Gregory home?”

“Why don’t you come in and find out?”

That didn’t sound ominous at all. Jason held the door wide for him, and he walked in. The flat was stunning. Huge open living space, with each area zoned off, so it was clear which was the kitchen, dining room, and lounge. There was a set of wooden stairs heading to the upper floor. It was stylish and yet felt really homely.

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