Page 59 of Misdeeds of a Billionaire
“Fuck, this coffee is strong,” he grumbled. “I’ve had green tea for a week straight. Women and their green teas.”
God, grant me patience so I don’t murder my brother. “You can always leave without breakfast.”
Royce sighed, rolling his eyes. “I need to take pleasure where I can. Like this breakfast, for instance.” It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Do you know what hard times are?” he said.
“As if you do,” I remarked dryly. “You’ve had a silver spoon in your mouth your entire life.”
Royce ignored me as if I hadn’t spoken. “My woman doesn't even know I exist, except when she wants to bang me. I feel used, Byron.”
I cracked a smile. Royce’s theatrics always managed to cheer me up. He had a way of exaggerating, and somehow, I didn’t think he minded beingused.
“She’s still not giving you the time of day, huh?” I mused. “Except between the sheets, of course.”
“Do we have any updates on the boy?” Winston asked, ending Royce’s show for the morning. It was all he could think about—Billie Swan and her son. Except, there was no record of her having a child.
“No.”
“How can that be?” he wondered. “You saw it yourself, Byron. That kid is the spitting image of me when I was a kid.”
Kingston grabbed a paper and looked it over. “Why don’t you just kidnap her and keep her?”
Bunch of “atta boys” traveled around the table while Winston looked like he was seriously considering it. My brothers were idiots.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake.” I exhaled heavily. “We aren’t gangsters.”
All three of my brothers shrugged. “Technically.”
They referred to our mother who’d had connections to the Syndicate. To the Kingpins. She was just used by our father to get necessary funds to advance his political career. Unfortunately for him, when she was killed, all those funds passed on to me. I was the executor of her estate, and it burned our father.
My brothers exchanged looks. “Well, if that’s the case, I’m kidnapping Dr. Swan first.” Yes, apparently I was an idiot too. “After all, I’m the eldest.”
Royce and Winston high-fived each other. Bunch of immature boys.
“Find something she needs and use it against her,” Royce said—always with the unhelpful advice. “You’ve been pining for her for far too long. Marry the woman.”
I stared at them for a moment, ideas dancing through my mind. I could blackmail her. Maybe something to do with that diamond smuggler. That exchange had definitely been illegal. Or I could hack into her phone and find whatever else she had going on. Clearly she was involved in something.
“Big brother likes the advice,” Kingston stated, his dark eyes on me. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. Was he serious, or joking? The little boy Kingston was before he was taken from us had been carefree and happy. So protective of our sister. The brother we finally got back was… different. Slightly broken. Regardless, it felt good to have all my brothers here.
“Just do it, Byron. Take the woman and work out the details once you put a ring on her finger.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “She hates my guts.”
“Yeah, nothing new there,” Royce deadpanned. “Women usually hate your guts. Just look at Nicki.”
“Don’t put Nicki and Odette in the same sentence,” I growled. “Odette was the best sex of my life.” I pushed my hand through my hair. “I’ve been walking around with a fucking semi-hard-on ever since I saw her.”
All my brothers stared at me for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“You're fucked.” Kingston chuckled. My brotheractuallychuckled. It was such a rare sight, I actually paused.
“What are you going to do?” Royce asked. “Maybe ask her if she’ll take care of your semi?”
“I don’t have time for this shit,” I growled, rearranging the napkin on my lap. “I certainly won’t be taking advice from the brother who can’t get a date from the woman he’s been pining after for decades.”
For the remainder of breakfast, I ignored their jabs.
* * *
