Page 48 of The Betrayal

“And why is that?” he asks, leaning against my doorframe.

“Slept well, just chipper.” I shrug my shoulders and I fight the smile that is trying to present itself.

“You got laid, didn’t you?” he goads, stepping over the threshold of my office and I roll my eyes.

“A gentleman never tells,” I scoff, sitting at my desk and resting my elbows on the surface.

“Gentleman!?” Titus roars a laugh, shaking his head from side to side. “Keaton, you don’t even know the meaning of the word,” he scoffs and for some reason, it pisses me the fuck off.

Blood boiling. Heart beating hard in the depths of my chest.

Narrowing my cold and intense stare on him, he curls a brow.

“Struck a nerve?”

“Never,” a sly smirk pulls at my lips.

“Whatever you say bro,” he laughs once more and walks away.

“Prick,” I rumble under my breath as I wake my computer up and open my diary. I flick over the dates that Ari told me about and block them out.

I just need to think of a reason why I am out the office. Can’t say I am going to Vegas with Arizona.

Fuck them. They don’t need to know.

I’ll take sick leave. Just need to get through this week and I’ll be in Vegas with her.

Just me and her.

As friends, of course, just friends.

But still, away from all of it here.

Next week can’t come any sooner.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ARIZONA

Exiting the car on the tarmac of the airfield, a small white private jet sits pretty waiting for us and I feel as if I should pinch myself. I never grew up not knowing what it was like to go without; I was privileged but grounded. I wasn’t spoiled. My dad was comfortable but only because he worked hard for it. They all did. Keaton, Kaleb, Nate and my dad. They hardly took leave, they worked with what they had and built their little empire.

“I am so glad you agreed to come,” Sage smiled, linking her arm through mine as we walk towards the jet. I glance over my shoulder at Keaton, his eyes on me as he talks to Dex.

“Thank you for asking me, I have never been away from New York, so this is amazing,” I smile at her as she greets the captain.

“Miss James,” he nods at her as we climb the stairs.

“This your plane?”

She looks over at me and gives a small nod, stepping into the luxurious interior.

“Mine and Dex’s.” I follow her to the set of four seats, Keaton sits next to me, Dex next to her. He scoops her hand up instantly, pressing his lips to the back of her hand and you can see how much he adores her with every fiber. “I grew up with not a lot; I worked two jobs, and it was just me and my mum,” her eyes cast down for a moment, “we got by, she couldn’t work and I had to earn the money and I was more than okay with that. My mum gave me everything she could whilst I was in school, so it was only right I returned the favor.” Her face turns up, a sad smile ghosts over her lips for just a moment. “Then I met Rhaegar,” Dex scoffs beside her and she returns it with a roll of her eyes.

“He was her sugar daddy,” Dex just comes out with it, his British accent thick.

“For a short while…” her cheeks turn pink against her pale skin.

“Wait,” Keaton shuffles in his seat, his hand so close to mine and it’s killing me not having his fingers locked through mine.