CUZ: Billionaire Stepbrother Romance (3 page)

Josh

The next morning, I offered to take Ashley home with me. Mother raised an eyebrow at us, but I told her I planned to help her find a job. My forest green Mercedes gripped the road like a magnet on metal as we drove away from our parents’ house. I turned the stereo on. Mellow jazz flouted from the speakers, filling the cabin.

“We don’t have to listen to this crap, do we?” she asked.

“Seriously? You’re dissing jazz? Mom and dad aren’t around anymore.”

“I know, but I thought we could talk about the trip. Have you made up your mind?”

“What do you think?”

“Well, I know you told Mrs. Knight you were taking me to get a job.”

I laughed. “Like that would ever happen, right?”

“I’ve worked for a living before,” she said.

“Well, I wasn’t really lying to her. I’m thinking about buying up some land in New Orleans to start a company.”

“Why the hell would you do that?”

“Land down there is cheap right now because of Katrina.”

“You’re just like him, aren’t you?”

I turned to glance at her. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean, Josh. Mr. Knight is the worst kind of capitalist. And you’re becoming more like him all the time.”

“Agree to disagree,” I said, stepping on the gas pedal.

As smooth jazz played, I raced to the airport.

“Where are you going?”

“I thought you wanted to go to New Orleans.”

“Are you driving there?”

“Of course not. We’re going to the airport.”

“We’re going now?”

“Yeah, why not?”

I smiled. She rolled her eyes.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re so fucking decadent. And I don’t have any clothes.”

“We can buy some new ones. And you know you love it,” I said.

Before she could reply, I bounded up the stairs and into the jet. Once we were both inside and seated, we waited for our turn to take off. I opened a bottle of champagne while we waited.

“Flying still freak you out?” I asked, handing her a glass.

“Yeah. Can you tell?”

I smiled. “You’re fine. Most of the women I bring on the jet…”

“I don’t want to hear about them tramps,” she said.

After finishing the entire flute in one gulp, she handed it back to me.

“More?”

“No, you know how I get when I drink champagne.”

Maybe that’s what I want
, I thought then scolded myself.

“Fine. We’ll be there in a bit. My personal assistant is booking us two rooms.”

She turned to look out the window as we rolled down the runway. A moment later, we were in the air. I got out my laptop and checked the properties I wanted to purchase. With only a couple million dollars investment, I could double or triple my money in four or five years. It was a homerun and would help me toward my financial goals.

* * *

After checking into the hotel, we got into the elevator and rode it up in silence. The door slid open. We walked into the hallway.

“Bobby will call to get your size for clothes,” I said.

“Cool,” she replied, unenthusiastically.

“You need to cheer up,” I said. “We’ll talk later, okay?”

“Sure.”

She stopped in front of her room and unlocked the door. I took a few steps down the hall to my door. Once inside, I sighed and surveyed the room.
Plain, but not too bad
, I thought as I sat down on the edge of the bed.

While I didn’t know why Ashley was upset, I had to be ready to deal with her and everything else on the trip. I took a deep breath and told myself I wasn't going to lose my temper with her, that she was my blood. Right on cue, I heard a knock on the shared bathroom between our rooms.

“It’s open,” I said.

The door opened. She walked in with a look of determination no her face.

“You ready to go?”

“Go where? Bobby is going to bring us clothes. I have some work to do, but I thought we could do dinner later.”

“I want to show you something. It's the reason I brought you here.”

“Come on, Ash. Quit playing games.”

“I’m not playing. We’re close to the house that might contain the bible with our family history written in it.”

I sighed, wanting to unwind. “Fine. Let’s go. Is it close?”

“Yeah, about half a mile away. I figured we could walk.”

“Fine.”

We headed back down to the lobby, which was crowded with tourists of all ages. Outside, the further we got from the hotel, the less people we saw and the more rundown the buildings became. Some of Mr. Knight’s friends in New York lived on Park Avenue. At the same time, just across the river, people lived with the highest infant mortality rate in the country.

That the same Park Avenue could be home to the ultra-wealthy as well as the ultra-poor was something that had always struck me. What concerned me sometimes was that I didn't see it as a bad thing necessarily. In fact, I had no emotions when I thought about disparity of wealth. I remembered what it was like to be an orphan.

“What’s going on in that big brain of yours now?” Ashley asked as we walked side by side further away from the hotel.

“Business stuff. Like I said, that's really why I came down here. Not to walk around with you.”

“We used to take a lot of walks together growing up, remember?”

I sighed. “I do, but...”

“But what?”

“But we're older now.”

“So?”

“Look, Ashley, I love you a lot. You're my sister, but...”

“Shh,” she interrupted. “We're here.”

“We're where?”

“Here.”

She pointed to an old three story dilapidated house that appeared ready to fall down.

“And what the hell is this? This the home to some cult you're going to join?”

“Haha, very funny. This house has a book...” Her voice trailed off.

“Yeah?”

“This book that says we might not be related. I found my birth parents, but I haven't been able to contact them yet. While I was doing that, I found out that you might not be my brother.”

I stared into her eyes. “Are you fucking around? If you're joking right now, I'm going to kill you.”

“No, I wouldn't do that, Josh.”

From the tone of her voice, I knew she was being sincere. I took a deep breath as I let the information she had dropped on me sink in
. She’s not my sister?

“So, you're my half-sister?” I asked.

“No. We might not be related at all, but I'm not sure. Supposedly, the owner of this house had an old family bible with information that this lady online can use to find your real parents.”

“I'm confused.”

“Well, we had the same last name, Smith, but our parents might be totally separate. It is a common name. This bible will let us know for sure.”

“This is a lot to digest.”

“I know. I've been trying to figure out a way to let you know. I thought it would be best to do it here.”

“Have you seen the book?”

“No, I just got here with you. We need to break in and get it.”

“What?” I shook my head. “Are you crazy?”

“Not right now in the daylight, but we should come back. It's abandoned. Nothing is going to happen.”

“I don't know. Let's go back to the hotel. I need a drink so I can think about this.”

I started walking back toward the hotel, hoping she would follow. She had a mind of her own. Growing up she had always exerted her dominance. Unlike others, I let her get away with a lot. In my mind, she was my sister and I had to protect and love her at all costs.

“You have to want to know,” she said as she caught up to me.

“Yeah, sure. I mean, not really.”

“Just be honest.”

“I'm being honest, Ash. You're my sister. I love you. That's all there is to say.”

Back at the hotel, I went to my room to make some calls and set up some meetings to see properties that could make me some money.
Fucking old house and a bible?
What was all that about?
I shook my head and got to work. Money made money, and I wanted more money. With enough, security and safety might finally be mine.

Five

Ashley

I watched Josh’s ass as he walked toward his room in the hotel. At first, I was upset, but I quickly realized I didn't need him. If I wanted to find out if he was really my brother or not – and if my feelings for him were forbidden and wrong – finding the family bible was essential. As I walked out of the hotel and back to the abandoned house, the city seemed at night.

When I reached my destination, I quickly moved from the sidewalk to the property and worked my way around back. Plywood covered the windows. I walked up and saw an official looking notice pinned to the front door.
I’ll go around back
, I thought, hoping I could find a way into the house. In the backyard, one of the boards covering a basement window was loose. I pulled back the graffiti covered wood and peered into the dark basement.

I stooped down and listened intently. Silence. I pried the board back all the way, leaving an opening big enough for me to fit through. I sat down and slid my feet in. Luckily, they hit a shelf or something solid. Slowly, I lowered myself in. The damp, dark basement spooked the hell out of me, but I was on a mission and couldn’t turn back.

After listening for noises, I pulled out an LED flashlight. The beam of light pierced the darkness. I pointed it around, trying to get my bearings. More graffiti covered the brick walls. When I found a staircase leading up, I walked over.
It’s probably better I can’t see more
, I thought as my feet squished over the floor.

I crept upstairs, not liking the creaky steps.
You’re fine
, I told myself as I finally made it into a kitchen made darker by the boards over the windows.
What the fuck am I doing?
I took a deep breath before continuing into the house.
The bible is probably in a bedroom upstairs.
In the next room, I found another staircase leading to the second story.

The moment I put my foot on the first step, a rat scurried across the floor. At least I hoped it was a rodent and not something else. I hurried up the stairs. Part of me wanted to scream and run away, go beg Josh for help, but I took another deep breath and put my big girl panties on. At the top of the stairs, I stopped to look around.

I marveled at how nice the house must have looked at one point and time. Questions ran through my mind as I headed toward the nearest bedroom to look around. A dirty mattress sat neglected in a corner of the room. After checking the closet and finding nothing, I moved back into the hallway. In the next room, my eyes opened wide.

An old, wooden chest against one of the walls. I rushed forward to examine it. To my surprise, it was unlocked. I slowly lifted the lid, a cloud of dust blowing into the air. Inside, a huge, dusty bible sat on the bottom. My heart beat faster.
Do I really want to know the truth? Is this the end of my fantasy?
I stared at the bible, unable to move.

After a few moments, I reached in and picked it up. Covered in ornate leather, it looked unlike anything I’d seen before. I sat down cross-legged on the floor with the book in my lap and opened it. On the very first page, I read a dedication to the Smythe family. My heart sank. The researcher had said it was for the Smith family, for our parents.

Still interested, I turned another page. At that point, I noticed something sticking out from somewhere toward the back of the bible. I flipped to that page, which was the third chapter of the Gospel of John. The sealed envelope had no markings on the outside. With the paper yellow with age, I wondered how old it was.

I opened it up as carefully as I could manage. With the flashlight under my chin illuminating the letter, I read it to myself.

Dear Josh,

If you come looking for this book and find it, don't be discouraged. We changed your name to Smith when we put you up for adoption. I don't know if I can ever tell you why I had to do what I did when you were born. I hope you have had a good life. Please don't look for me.

Your loving Mother,
Joan Smith

I lowered the letter and stared out the window at the moon. Josh had changed in my eyes in an instant. For so many years I had seen him as my brother and had fought the feelings I had for him, but I suddenly saw him in a different light. My love for him was real, but the love seemed somehow different. Why was that? I wondered.

When I heard a noise downstairs, I froze. The sound of laughter got louder then fainter. I crept forward, praying none of the boards creaked while I clutched the heavy bible. I got to the stairs and listened again. I didn't hear anything right away, but I was sure I had heard at least a couple laughing. Then someone yelled, causing another round of laughter downstairs.