Elite. Hell, I don’t know what she’s calling her company. Dad liked it. So did you. Teagan said you gave it a green light, and she pulled out all the stops. Abby is in. That’s all I told her.”
“Social Elite?” I rack my brain trying to make sense of any of this. “Why does that sound familiar?”
Crap. A horrible thought occurs to me.
I head back into the bar, scouring the Black Bear from top to bottom in hopes of finding Abby. I don’t have her number, but The Pelican has it on file. A thousand thoughts crash through my brain. Head to The Pelican. Screw The Pelican—head to Lex’s place. Stay away from Lex’s place. Give Lex time. That’s what the bouncer at the Moulin Rouge suggested that fateful night. It didn’t work. I gave her six long years, and she’s still running from me.
I head back into the poolroom where I find Teagan swinging her hips into two wasted boys that I’m positive are far too young to drink.
“Teagan”—I gently pull her aside—“I need to ask you a question.”
“Hey!” She looks longingly to the drunk boys I just dragged her from, and she cries out in frustration. “What do you want? Things were just getting good.”
“Abby Wilcox,” I growl her name out like a curse. “What kind of company did Dad partner with her in?”
“What?” Teagan looks pissed at the fact I’ve pulled her aside on this, the most important night of her life. “Who the hell cares! Jason Roderick is here!” She stomps over my toes with her high heel. “I swear, you are certifiable. Pull me aside once more to see what time Dad picks his nose, and I’ll make sure you won’t walk for a week.” She tries to take off, and I block her path.
“Was it called”—my mouth can’t bring itself to say the words—“Epicurean Elite?”
“Yes!” She shoots me with her finger and wrinkles her nose. “Weird, right? But you said she was brilliant, and, apparently, Dad thinks so, too.”
My body goes numb with rage. That witch. Abby stole Lex’s company right from under her. I’m betting both concepts have more in common than just a name. “Teagan, did you file that copyright like I asked you?” My voice is shaking with anger. It’s all I can do not to hunt down Abby Wilcox and make her explain a few things to me.
“Of course. It’s a done deal. Abby and Dad have everything they need to run it. Dad was so excited he assigned her a team. It’s already gone down to tech.”
Tech is where the real work happens. If Abby needs a website, she’s got it. Any technical aspect of the company is graciously covered by my father and his minions—right along with his millions.
I’ve done this. I’ve unwittingly sold out Lex’s dream.
Teagan bops back to her guests, and I don’t stop her. Instead, I stagger to the door, stunned as hell, and a familiar body bumps into me.
“Whoa.” It’s Brody Wolf, another victim of my manipulation, and I can’t even find it in me to return the smile. “Dude, did someone piss in your beer?”
“Yes.” I head outside, and Brody follows. “I did.”
Brody sits next to that oversized bear, and I tell him everything—and I do mean everything.
“Are you messing with me right now?” He gives my shoe a hard kick. “You have our accountants giving me busy work so you could chase a skirt at the bar? Crap.” He bangs the back of his head against the stone wall. “You could have told me to go to Cabo for a few months, and at least I would have had a good time.”
“You would have gotten killed by a drug lord.”
“That might be true, but at least I wouldn’t be having nightmares where numbers were chasing me down. Dude, I can’t breathe at night. You’ve given me anxiety that’s going to last a lifetime.”
“Yeah, well, it’s over. Just like Lex and me.”
“No way. That chick has cost me too much lost sleep—even if I didn’t know she was at fault. You’re getting her back, and I’m going to help you.”
“How are you going to do that?” I sink my head between my knees a moment and soak in the dizzying rush.
“Find Abby Wilcox. I don’t know—void everything to do with her connection to that company. Doesn’t your father have some sort of a fraud clause? You know, she stole it from Lex.”
“It’s a classic case of he said, she said.” Or in this