Chapter 5: The best-laid plans

Priest

Of all the places I needed to get to today, I never expected to be back here. It has been years since I stepped inside this building. And I would have gone another thirteen years not coming through the Santos Trade Corp’s (STC’S) tower doors. Regrettably, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my cousin, Tariq. Damn that noble son of a bitch for not adhering to the status quo. It all started this morning when a courier showed up on my doorstep with an official letter from STC. The sentimental asshole is abdicating the CEO throne because he feels that I am the rightful heir. Of course, he’s ignoring the fact that I walked away from it all years ago. And the fact that I never looked back because I didn’t want anything to do with my father’s legacy.

Adjusting my navy-blue suit jacket, I roll my shoulders and step through the lobby’s doors. I have a meeting with one of the top Confradia directors, Stryker Owens, in the afternoon. Several people stop and gape as I make my way towards the front desk. The familiar security guard behind the desk rises with a respectful nod. “Welcome back, Mr. Santos. It’s good to see you.” He mutters with a note of awe.

I nod my head feeling uncomfortable with the underserved welcome. “Thanks, Jones. Is my cousin Tariq here by any chance?” The guard nods. “Yes, sir. He’s in his─ your office.”

I ignore the slip, not wanting to call any more attention to myself. “Thanks,” I reply, making my way to the elevator doors. Several people nod and call out a respectful greeting, which I return with a reserved smile. My shoulders tense further the closer I get to the executive floors.

Stepping out from the elevator doors, I look around, unsurprised to see that not much has changed. The walls are still covered with gleaming wood paneling and paintings of New York landscapes. There’s a large insignia in the shape of an “S” adorning one of the walls and dark blue carpets covering the office floors. I pass by a few small office doors until I reach the one I’m looking for. There’s a large metal reception desk in the middle of the room operated by several females in business wear and several people walking around taking care of whatever they’re working on. Just like they did downstairs, they all stop when they notice me walking towards the desk. Murmurs hum throughout the room. I can feel the touch of a dozen eyes on my neck. And it makes me want to throttle my cousin even more.

One of the women behind the desks adjusts the bun on her head and steps around the desk to greet me. “You’re Aidan Santos? Welcome. Tariq told us we should expect you to come in today.”

My lips tighten at my cousin’s daring. I’m so going to kick his ass for doing this to me. “Yes, can you tell him I want to talk to him?” She turns her head and snaps a finger at one of the women behind the desk.     The woman hangs up the phone she was speaking into and nods. Turning back to me, she gives me a wide smile. “Of course, Mr. Santos. He’s waiting for you inside. Just go right in.”

I give her a tight smile, which makes her breath catch, and her eyes widen with desire. The other women do the same, straightening from their spot and smile flirtatiously as I step around the desk and open the office door.

Once I’m inside, my control snaps. I slam the door shut, finally unleashing the pent-up anger I’ve been holding in since I got the letter this morning. Tariq is standing in front of the office window with his back to me. The fucker doesn’t even turn around at the sound of the door. What the hell? When the hell did I lose my “don’t fuck with me” vibe? Anyone else would have been scared shitless to see me pissed. Even the men I work with know better than to cross me when I’m mad.

“Who the fuck gave you the right to do this?” I ask with an underlying rage. Tariq turns around with a sardonic frown. “Hello, Aidan. Good to see you again.” I shake my head, growing further enraged by his casual tone. Without another thought, I step up, remove my gun from its holster, and aim it at his head. Tariq’s eyes widen with a trickle of fear at the sight of my wrath. “I’m going to ask you one last time. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I ask icily.

Tariq swallows hard, looking directly into the muzzle of my gun with a scowl, and wraps his fingers around it to push it away, but I don’t relent. Unlike Tariq, I don’t get my strength from a gym. My body has been honed by years of military training and dangerous living.

Tariq opens his mouth and grumbles out. “The company belongs to you, cousin. It’s only fair that it’s given back to you. You should have been the CEO of STC, not me. You’re the rightful heir to this place. I should have never taken it over.”

I lower my gun, watching emotionlessly as he takes a deep breath and takes a step back. “Well, you can take it right back because I don’t want it,” I respond with a note of petulance.

Tariq stretches his neck with a shake of his head. “But it’s not mine, Aidan. The company was never mine. Your father wanted you to take it over.”

I grit my teeth, taking a step back to stop myself from choking him. “That’s what my father wanted, not what I want. I gave up the rights to this company when I enlisted in the Navy, and I haven’t changed my mind since.”

Tariq frowns in question. “Why, Aidan? This is yours.”

I shake my head again. “Fuck, Tariq, are you listening to me? I-don’t-want-it!” I growl out. “This place is made for you. I can never be happy in a desk job. I fucking hate doing this shit. This is all for you. Take it! I don’t want it! Just tell me what you want me to do to make it official—I’ll do it!”

Tariq crooks a brow. “Shit! This whole time I thought that I cheated you of your rightful place, and here you are, rejecting the opportunity to be the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar corporation. This is crazy.”

I nod my head. “Yeah, man, trust me, I don’t need the money. I love what I do.”

He shrugs with a hint of relief. “Okay, I’ll talk to the lawyers then.” Calmed by his acquiescence, I back away and look around the room. “Looks like you have it all, cousin. You deserve it more than I do. You have a job you love and a beautiful woman like Sage. I’m happy for you.”

Tariq snickers with a shake of his head. “I’m sure you’re more than glad to see me with the job I love, but I get the feeling you are not sincere about Sage and me.”

I take a deep breath at his shrewd observation. “What makes you think that?” I reply evenly.

But Tariq, the bastard, is a lot more perceptive than I give him credit for. “Really, cousin? Are we going to pretend that Sage is not an incredibly beautiful woman and that you didn’t give me a killing glare when you saw us together? Let’s not forget that neither of us could take our eyes off her in that incredible dress.”

He quirks a brow waiting for my protestation. My jaw ticks. “I won’t pretend that Sage is not an incredible woman─”

Tariq nods.

“But?” He asks. “But Nothing. She’s with you, and I’m not.” I reply glibly.

Tariq chuckles. “Yeah, why do I get the feeling that it isn’t from lack of desire. Is it because of Casper and Tanya?”

My eyes flinch at Tariq’s cutting assessment. The urge to rip him in half reawakens inside of me. The fucker doesn’t know when to stop picking at old wounds. “Fuck you, Tariq! That’s bullshit!” I growl out.       However, Tariq doesn’t back down. “Why, Aidan? I know what everyone says, but I also know that it wasn’t your fault. I knew how Casper was, and I knew that Tanya was up to no good. None of it was your fault. You got a bad rap, and you let the family bulldoze you. They shouldn’t have treated you the way they did. Do you know how much I regret that I didn’t say anything? It eats at me every day... I’m so sorry.” He mutters dejectedly.

I swallow hard, feeling my throat thicken with emotion. “Just drop it, Tariq. It’s all in the past. I don’t care what everyone thinks. All I care about is the here and now. The truth is, I had my chance, but I didn’t take it, and she’s with you now. I can never be the man she needs. Not with the way I live my life. She’s better off with you in her life.”

Tariq shakes his head with a sputter. “Fuck you, Aidan. You don’t get to dictate people’s life. I’m not going to pretend that I don’t want her—because I fucking do. But I’m not going to be her second choice either. I won’t stand in your way if you really want her. Because it’s obvious by the look in her eyes that she still has feelings for you too. You should have seen the look on her face when you walked away. I can never compete with that.” He ends deflated.

I’m about to argue further when the door opens. To my surprise, the woman of our dreams appears. Sage strolls in, looking distracted as she shuffles through a few papers, not looking up from her task. My breath catches at the sight of her beautiful body encased in a red fitted, silken shirt that molds to her firm breasts and black leggings that mold to her long legs, rounded hips, and small waist. I groan at the sight of her bare toes painted in a hot red color, peeping from the opening of her six-inch heels. Her long blonde hair is strewn over one shoulder, and she’s wearing these really hot black glasses that make me think of sexy librarians. I look over at my cousin, who is wearing a similar infatuated expression, then look back at her. She still hasn’t looked up as she shuffles through a few papers.

Her husky voice resounds across the silent room. “Sorry to bother you, Tariq, but I have a contract that I need you to sign, and for the life of me, I can’t find it.” She mutters in exasperation as she continues to dig through her large messenger bag.

I can tell that by her agitated movements that there’s something wrong. She seems tense and a bit grim. When she gets no response, her head snaps up, and her eyes widen as soon as her gaze lands on mine. “Priest...” She mumbles in surprise.

My cousin chuckles, finally breaking out of his trance. “Priest? You still call yourself that?”

Sage bites her lower lip, looking contrite, making me want to take her lip and pull it between my own.

I answer. “Priest is what I was called when I was with the Seals. Aidan was part of my former life.”

Tariq snorts. “Okay, but don’t expect me to call you that because It’s seriously weird. Especially since I’ve seen you do some unpriest-like things growing up.”

Sage giggles at our banter, finally breaking the sad aura around her. To my chagrin, Tariq envelops her in a hug and kisses her on the cheek while giving me a Cheshire grin. I want to punch his stupid smug face, and he knows it. The little shit is trying to get a reaction out of me.

I scowl at his gesture, stiffening my back to keep myself from punching his pretty face.

Noticing my grim posture, Sage’s smile slips as she looks back and forth between us. Fuck! She probably thought I was scowling at her. I feel like such an ass.

“Here.” She mutters, handing Tariq a file. “Please, look it over and return it to me by tomorrow.” Tariq takes the file and gives me a soft smile. “Wow, that was fast. Rhania must be working overtime to have gotten this done so quickly. Don’t worry, sweet, I’ll call you as soon as my lawyer revises it.” Sage nods, keeping an even expression while avoiding eye contact with me. “I should go.” She shivers.

Tariq shakes his head. “You don’t have to. How about we have lunch?” She shakes her head, turning back to the door. “Actually, I’m late for a client meeting in SoHo. We’ll talk later, though. Bye, Tariq...bye Pri─ Aidan.” She waves distractedly.

I take action before she can make it through the door. “Sage wait, I have a meeting near the area too. How about I give you a ride?”

I can tell that she’s about to reject my offer, so I don’t give her a chance to refuse. Instead, I take her by the elbow and usher her out the door, giving Tariq a half-hearted goodbye. I don’t even wait for him to respond as we walk out the door. However, I won’t pretend that I don’t hear Tariq’s knowing chuckle. He’s such a pain in my ass.

Sage walks quietly beside me, looking uncomfortable with every step. Her luscious lips tighten, and her shoulders tense. This time as we move through the office, I don’t notice the people gaping and swarming around us. The only thing I see is Sage. She’s even more beautiful than the last time I saw her. I run my fingers through my hair, feeling nervous, which is a first for me because I’m usually the one woman get nervous over.

I can’t take my eyes off her as we make our way across the floor. However, I can tell that she wants to say something when she looks down at her feet, then opens her mouth and closes it.

“I didn’t know you wore glasses,” I say with a note of desire. Sage clears her throat and reaches for her glasses with a slight flush. “Yeah, I do. I need them for reading.” She answers lamely. “So, what brings you by STC.” She asks curiously.

I shrug my shoulders. “Tariq and I had some business to resolve.”

She nods her head as if understanding what our Business is. You can almost hear her sigh of relief as soon as the elevator doors ding open. If I didn’t know any better, I’d almost be insulted by her rush to get away from me. However, all I feel is amusement when she stiffly walks ahead of me and mutters. “I appreciate the offer for the ride, but I’m okay.” She gives me a fake smile.

I don’t smile back, ignoring her excuse as I usher her towards the parking garage. There’s no way that I’m letting her go without talking about what’s bothering her. She reminds me of a ruffled cat when she sputters angrily and shoots daggers in my direction. “Are you listening to me, Priest...Aidan…whatever you call yourself. I can find my way to my meeting so you can be on your way.”

I hold firmly to her, not releasing my precarious hold.

Thankfully we make it to a dark, empty corner of the garage before she chews me out. She’s sizzling with anger.  “You can call me whatever you want, Sage. Now tell me what’s wrong. Tell me.”

Sage pulls her elbow from my grasp and gasps. “Nothing’s wrong. Can I go now?”

I shake my head taking both her forearms in my hands, and pull her close. “If nothing is wrong, then why do you look shaken?”

She shakes her head but cannot remain stoic when tears gather in her eyes, and her lips begin to tremble. Something is definitely up with her, and I’m not going to let it rest until she tells me.

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I look into her eyes, kiss the tip of her nose, and gently whisper. “Tell me why there are tears in your beautiful eyes.”

She blinks rapidly, letting a stray tear fall. I watch as the tear glides down her silky cheek and disappears down her neck. Her blue eyes shine beneath her glasses and the dim lights of the garage. I want to kiss her. But before I decide, she whispers. “Today is Smiley’s final hearing.”

My nostrils flare with anger at the thought of Smiley Alvarado. Every day I regret not killing the fucker. After what I saw he was doing to her, I wanted to put a bullet between his eyes. Rubbing my hands up and down her waist, I pull her closer and tilt her head to mine with a direct look. “Don’t worry about Smiley Alvarado. That fucker is going away for the rest of his life. And if by some slim chance he manages to get out of his sentence, I promise the bastard will not be alive long enough to see the light of day.” Sage’s eyes hone in on my lips as she considers the sincerity of my words.

As if a weight is lifted from her shoulders, her body relaxes, and her lips tilt into a sardonic smile. “Thanks, Priest. I guess...I guess I needed that.”

I nod my head, keeping our position as it is. “You know that I’d never let anyone hurt you, right? I’d kill anyone who tries.”

Sage chuckles, not fully understanding that I’m deadly serious, then softens and leans her forehead against my chin with a sigh. I inhale her sweet scent of honeysuckle, absorbing it into my memory. I can never get enough of her scent. It’s ingrained in every pore of my body. After we had parted ways, I put off washing my sheets and pillowcases because I couldn’t bear losing even a sliver of her scent.

Her next question surprises me. “Why did you leave when it was over? We...have you already forgotten that night?”

She stops talking and takes a deep breath. I close my eyes, trying to formulate an answer that won’t make me sound like an asshole or an idiot. “No, I haven’t forgotten that night, Sage. I promise you; I didn’t want to leave.” I whispered, running my mouth through her hair. “I just think it was better this way.”

Sage shakes her head in bewilderment. “Why?” She mutters again.           My hands tighten. “Tariq is the better man for you, Sage. I’m not a good guy. Maybe things are how they are supposed to be now.”

After a moment, Sage sighs and steps out of my arms. “What?” She shakes her head. “You know what...?” She stops and takes another exasperated breath. “...forget it...never mind. I can’t do this right now. I have to go. I guess I’ll see you around.” She mutters dejectedly.

I want to call her back, but my head and heart are still warring with each other, so I back off and watch as she disappears from sight. I’m such an asshole.