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At least he wouldn t have to fire him. He thought he might even finagle an invitation to go shooting
with Henry and his friends, just so he could swing by the house and check up on Jasmine. She stood
up and gathered her jacket.
We aren t done yet, he said.
I m done. I have something to do tonight. It s my normal quitting time, and all the other employees
are leaving. There s nothing that will not hold until tomorrow. Fire me if you want. I don t care
anymore. She didn t wait for his response but just marched out of the room.
He sat there, a little stunned and a little turned on, and he wasn t sure which emotion was stronger.
He decided to call it a day, too, and collected what he needed before heading out.
His mind was on Jasmine the entire elevator ride down, and the entire ride home. He was
supposed to be finding sweet revenge, and instead, she was once again the one in charge of their
relationship.
It was just a damn good thing that she didn t know that.
Chapter Twelve
When Derek got home, he was delighted to see his cousin Drew sitting in the den with a drink in
his hand and a smile on his face. They were closer than any brothers could possibly be.
I m going to have to talk to the footman again about keeping the riffraff out of here, Derek said.
Yeah, I know what you mean. It seems like they will let any old bum in off the street nowadays.
Home security here is nonexistent, Drew replied.
At least we agree, Derek said.
How are you doing, cuz? Drew asked.
I m great, Drew, and you?
Well, since I found your sixty-four-year-old scotch, I m feeling pretty good. With an impish
smile, Drew held up the expensive bottle, which had considerably less liquid in it than it had boasted
in the morning, when Derek had left for work.
OK. If you re going to drink my best stuff, then the least you can do is pour me a glass, Derek
said as he shed his jacket and tie and rolled up his sleeves.
No problem. How s the corporate-takeover world treating you? Drew asked as he handed him
the glass.
I finally got my company, Derek said with a genuine smile. He didn t have to explain what that
company was. Drew had grown up with him. He d been there when Jasmine left him, when her father
had destroyed his dad s chances of a real business, and he d been there by his side as Derek had
plotted his revenge.
Drew was from the same impoverished neighborhood as Derek, and he had been just as
determined to get out. It had always been the two of them and their other cousin, Ryan. Their fathers
were all brothers, so they shared the same last name. Ryan s parents had died in a terrible auto
accident when he was ten years old, and he d moved in with Drew, next door to Derek. The three
boys had been inseparable.
They d all left when they were twenty years old and made successes of their lives. They stayed in
touch, at least as much as their work would allow. Sometimes Derek hated the distance that divided
them now that they were older.
That s beyond great, Derek. How did it all happen? Drew asked with genuine interest.
David was a very poor businessman, and all I had to do was bide my time and wait him out. He
finally made one too many mistakes, leaving the doors wide open for me to come in and take over. It
feels great, but I thought I would somehow feel more like some completion or closure or
something.
Too much psychobabble to share with your wonderful scotch. But here s the thing. I think you re
just growing up, and getting revenge isn t as important as it once used to be for you. What are you
going to do with this one?
I ve decided to keep it intact. The product is actually top quality, and there are over five hundred
factory employees who would lose their jobs if I divided it up. I think they will do a spectacular job
once they are getting paid what they really should be, Derek answered.
Turning softhearted on me, huh? What happened to my coldhearted snake of a cousin?
I guess, like you said, I ve grown up and can think beyond myself once in a while, Derek said, a
bit uncomfortable with what counted for praise with his cousins.
Don t worry. I won t tell your secrets to the world. They can all think you re still a jackal, he
said and then punched Derek in the arm.
OK. Enough about me, Drew. It s been too long since we last talked. Tell me what you ve been
up to, Derek demanded.
I just got back from Spain. We opened up another resort. You ll have got to come stay there,
because she s a beauty. Drew pulled out a folder, and Derek looked through the pictures. It was
certainly an impressive place, with all the bells and whistles. It has three Olympic-size pools, a full-
use spa, a couple of top-of-the-line workout rooms and so much more. It s a woman s paradise and a
man s dream. Or vice versa. I should get an award for this place, Drew said.
Derek decided he d take a vacation there once he finished dealing with the current employee
situation. He d seen the beginning phases of this new resort and hadn t realized it had been so long
since he d spoken to his cousin.
Derek was used to staying in some nice spots, but for the last five years he d stayed at his cousin s
places whenever he could. He liked to review the service for Drew, since Drew wasn t able to be in
every place at once, but he also genuinely liked the resorts. They were world class, and he got better
service than he would at any regular hotel.
At first, he d been able to stay at them without the staff knowing who he was, and he could give an
honest assessment to his cousin, but his name was just too big now, and the employees knew him the
moment he walked through the doors. It didn t matter. The service was always exceptional, whether
they knew who he was or not.
She s my favorite so far. You know, it s a hard life traveling to all these exotic places. Drew
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