Page 40 of Reckless Love

Our mini emotional breakdown did a lot to soothe the doubts still rolling through Leo about William’s intentions. We were able to share information between us. It was obvious we were all holding things back, but at least we were able to stop referring to Nashville without saying anything specific.

“So back then, when William realized what was happening,he was frustrated and vented to his best friend...who happens to be one Jonathan Eubank.”

“And Jonathan is smart, Leo. As smart as Esme but different. He’s more of a math man. He can run numbers in his head that I’ve never seen anyone else able to do. It’s incredible. Give the man a piece of paper, or worse, a calculator, and he’s a computer with unlimited potential.”

“In short,he’s fully capable of taking Esme’s formula and creating this monstrosity?” Leo asked.

William sighed. “I think so.”

“Why?” He didn’t have a vendetta against Edmund. What was Jonathan’s reason for doing this?

William winced. “I feel like shit sharing his stuff but...fuck it. It’s not about you or Edmund. He’s got his reasons. And trust me, he doesn’t believe what he’sdoing is fundamentally wrong or hurting anyone.”

“I have one miserable Charley Culpepper to convince him otherwise.”

“Collateral damage,” William shrugged. “I know that sounds harsh but to Jonathan a few unhappy players isn’t a big deal. If they don’t work for him he’ll move on. It’s...just the way he is. Always has been.”

Leo’s eyebrow twitched. “What if he’s changed?What if peoplearegetting hurt? Really hurt. Career ending hurt?”

William frowned. “Who?”

“Brian Porter.”

“The baseball player? What does that have to do with Jonathan?”

So we explained how widespread we believed things had gotten. William was white by the end. He scrubbed is face and sat back in the chair. “I have no words.”

“Do you still think it could beJonathan? Is this all him or are there others involved?” Leo pressed.

“He hasn’t breathed a word of it to me which makes me believe he hasn’t involved anyone else in our circle of friends.”

“And what kind of circle is that?” I asked.

“Our Wharton connections. Every single man and woman we do business with. The families we grew up with...” his voice dropped away and hiseyes unfocused.

“What?” I leaned closer like my proximity would make him speak.

“His brothers.”

“I thought he was an only child.”

William shook his head, his lips a tight, thin line. He rolled them between his teeth. “His half brothers. After his parents divorced his mother remarried. She had four more boys. They’re a very angry family and they have a tendency to maketheir money in illegal ways. Jonathan didn’t have a relationship with them but if everything you’re saying is true I have to wonder if things have changed.”

I wasso tiredby the time Leo and I got home I could barely move let alone think. Leo kept his arm firmly around my waist as he guided me from the car to the house. “We’re going straight to bed.”

“I think I want a bath first.” My muscles ached. Probably from tensing them for three straight hours as we dug our way through information and came up with a plan.

“No you can’t have a bath.If you have a bath we have to have sex and I’m too tired to properly sex you up.”

“We are capable of having a bath and not follow up with sex.” Although that actually sounded like a wonderful idea. Yes I was exhausted and sex would require even more energy from my already empty reserves, but it would also relax me. “Or maybe we do.”

“We do?” He shut the door and started emptyinghis pockets while I kicked off my shoes.

“I’m going to wake up in three hours with a head full of thoughts and worries.”

I saw the moment he understood my meaning. His eyes flashed and his stance changed. Instead of slumped and two seconds from crawling into bed, he was tall, sure, ready to command me.

“Unless I erase all those thoughts from your head.”

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