Page 2 of Royal Pain
“We need to corner her up here.” This time, I knew it was Joseph’s voice. He was leading the hunt, gleeful about doing so. He was gaining stripes with the core group of old men who ran the place with prison guards. No one could do anything. It was the Stepford Wives all over again.
I bolted, forced to head through an open passageway.
“There she is!” At least two men were so gleeful I was sick inside from hearing their voices.
“Corner her. Block her.”
“Do not allow her to leave this community.”
I continued running, but they were closing in.
Closing in.
Closing…
“My beautiful wife,” Joseph said as he jumped in front of me. “Now, where do you think you’re going? You already know there is no way out. You were chosen for me.”
“You know what to do, son.” One of the elders placed his hand on my husband’s shoulder. Given they were all in war paint, I wasn’t entirely certain which one was providing Joseph with suggestions. “That will keep her in your life.”
Whatever that meant, I wanted no part of, but the moment I tried to take off running again, Joseph was right there on me.
“Tsk. Tsk. Darling. I guess I’m going to need to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.”
CHAPTER 1
Almost five years later
Gage
Life was good.
Busy as fuck but good.
Right now, I was sitting in a gorgeous office overlooking my empire with my feet up on my desk, a drink in my hand. Okay, so the two private islands in the Caribbean catering to the rich, famous, and kinky weren’t technically all mine.
My two brothers were equal partners in this business and two others. We were wealthy beyond our means, enjoying the spoils of life.
Valerio, Braxton, and I had an equal share in the make it or break it business operation. We were extremely wealthy men, the resorts more than paying for themselves after a few years of operation. We’d discovered the islands after receiving a tip. Both were remote yet sought after by billionaires and recluses alike.We’d won the bid and managed to hire the best contractors and designers and after a lengthy period of time, our dreams had been born.
Granted, given our father and his worth, our wealth management firm that had been our moneymaker for years, the three of us had amassed billions. We had been called the most eligible bachelors in the city and perfect catches byPeople Magazinea few years before.
I took a sip of my whiskey and rolled my eyes. Of course, our notoriety had changed when both brothers had found the loves of their lives. Me? Not a snowball’s chance in hell. Once burned, you learned.
Or face additional misery.
A hell of a lot of women were simply gold-diggers who’d say anything to have access to my funds. It wasn’t going to happen.
Now I spent the lion’s share of time shifting from one island to the other. With crystalline beaches, soft rolling waves of turquoise blue water, and the paradise-like environment, what was not to love?
Except that traveling and always being on call was exhausting. I was ready to get back to San Diego, my beautiful beach house calling my name. Not much longer and I could get the fuck out of here. We’d hired great people, which helped in being able to leave the facilities for an extended period of time. Zoom video calls were a powerful tool.
The knock on the door of my office brought me out of fantasyland. “Come.”
One of the incredible recent hires now running the entire facility was Raleigh Powers. She’d come from resort royalty, her father and grandfather running some of the poshest locations in the world. With no husband and no children—yet—she was the perfect candidate to run the show.
As Raleigh walked in, an iPad in her hand, I knew it was her every other day reminder of the upcoming activities. The resort was no longer just about catering to rich men and women; we’d branched out into providing a more limited membership for family gatherings, holiday events, and other celebrations.
On a trial and limited basis.