Revenge Read online

  “You look beautiful,” Jo says when Scarlett enters the living room.

  She is looking at herself in the small circular mirror applying lip gloss. Scarlett snorts at the beautiful of the two of them calling her beautiful. Jo doesn’t have the face or body of Miss. America, but she always envied her friends confidence that makes her beautiful. While Scarlett is awkward, Jo has the personality that makes all the boys flock to her. She is just enjoyable to be around. Not to mention, funny.

  Jo is the taller of the two even though Scarlett’s heels are two inches taller than the ones her best friend is wearing. They walk to the club, Jo begs to take an Uber but Scarlett admently shakes her head. So like always the walk to the not-too-far club. She was never a heel-wearer until Jo and now after years of wearing them she is a pro at walking. Striding comfortably in black strappy stilettos.

  Music is heard outside the club. The rainbow colored strobe lights shining through the door the large bouncing is standing arms crossed at. They’ve always had to wait an obscene amount of time to get into the insanely popular club but Jo grabs her wrist making their way to the front door.

  Naturally, Jo works her charm to the bouncer saying something Scarlett can’t hear over the music. The pair get in cutting a long line of groaning people who have been waiting for who knows how long.

  “What’d you say?” Scarlett yells over the music into her roommates ear.

  “I know a guy who partially owns the club,” she smirks.

  Scarlett’s eyes widen in surprise. “Who?”

  “You remember Tristian?”

  The only fling she’s taken to bed more than once. “He owns this club?”

  “Well, his father does,” she shrugs.

  Speaking of…

  Tristian walks over with arms wide open. He’s tall with a muscular build. Scarlett would describe him as a chocolate god with his chocolate brown hair, chocolate brown eyes and his bronze skin has been kissed by the sun. He is breathtakingly handsome. Jo jumps into his arm and their lips part into a passion kiss—tongue and all. Scarlett looks away until her best friend sequels ‘Tris!’ and she looks to see his lips moved to her neck.

  “I’m going to the bar,” she says to Jo who nods her head barely paying attention.

  Wallowing to the bar she asks the bartender for her favorite drink while he makes it she discreetly pulls out a wipe from her purse quickly clean the red leather bar stool. Sitting down, she looks out at the dance floor watching the crowd move to the too-loud music and laughing with friends and strangers. She’s always been more of a watcher than a participator. And she’s always loathed it. Wishing she could have carefree fun without feeling self conscious.

  On the dance floor she spots a familiar face. Girls are crowding him and fighting for attention.

  Liam Novak.

  Not to far from him is his beautiful sister, Olive dancing with one man and one woman. Atticus Novak is somewhere in the crowd, too as she makes out his signature curly brown hair. She wonders if all the Novak siblings are present.

  Someone taps her on the shoulder. She jumps slightly turning her stool around to see Tristian smiling. “Are you making googly eyes at Attitcus Novak?”

  “What? No!” She defends herself.

  “I know the family. I could introduce you, you know.”

  Shaking her head fiercely, “No thanks.”

  “They come here nearly every night,” he takes a seat next to her. “A crowd favorite.”

  “I’m sorry, Tristian, but you’ve mistaken me for someone who cares.”

  “Oh come on, you’re just like the rest of them. Mesmerized by the Novak’s. Interested, gawking, craving more…”

  “Really, I’m not.”

  Jo walks up to them from wherever she was and wraps her arms around Tristians neck. “Let’s dance,” she says to the both of them.

  “You two go ahead,” Scarlett takes a large gulp of her drink.

  “Are you sure?” She pouts.

  With a nod of her head the two of them leave her alone at the bar. The alcohol in her blood warms her and gives her a buzzing feeling. She’s starting to feel more loose and comfortable, but dancing as third wheel? She’ll pass.

  Her sight locks onto Liam who catches her gaze. His smile brightens and he stops dancing. Making his way over to her she downs the rest of her third drink.

  “What are you doing here on a work night?” He sits next to her.

  “I guess I could ask you the same thing,” she nervously chuckles.

  “After dinner my siblings and I decided to have a nice night out.”

  “You’ll all here?” She hasn’t spotted Alexander.

  “If you haven’t seen Alex it’s because he’s not here,” Liam’s smile falters slightly.

  “Why?” She blurts out, then winces. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “Today is the anniversary of our sisters death,” he sighs. “Usually we all have dinner and spent time with each other but Alex always ignores us. He’s taken it the hardest.”

  Her eyes widen and cheeks flush with embarrassment. She didn’t mean to make him talk about something so personal. In fact, she’s surprised he even told her.

  Ellie Novak was the youngest daughter of the Novak family. She died in a car accident, Alexander was the one driving when someone T-boned their car on the passenger side.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” he shakes his head. “I’m comfortable talking about it. It’s been so long that the wounds are healing. Besides, I like to talk about her. Makes me feel like she’s still here,” he fidgets in his seat for a moment. “I hate how people ignore the dead. Avoiding conversations and suppress feelings. Makes it feel like the person never existed. Like you never loved them. I loved Ellie and I love talking about her. That’s why I don’t mind telling you it’s the anniversary of her death. Tonight’s a night to celebrate her life and to celebrate living and still having my other beloved siblings.” His smile is so swoon-worthy that Scarlett nearly melts in her seat.

  Not to mention his dimples…

  “I lost my mother,” she brings up without thinking first. She seldom talks about her mother let alone with strangers who just so happen to be owners of the company she works for. “Cancer.”

  “My condolences,” he puts his hand over his heart.

  “It’s okay,” she dismisses. “I don’t remember her really.”

  “So you were young when she passed?” He asks politely. “Not that I’m trying to pry.”

  “You’re not. I was six when she passed, but I don’t have any memory of her.” The amnesia that left her without memories of her mother wasn’t something she was willing to confide in Liam.

  His eyes narrow with questions, but he doesn’t push any further to her relief.

  “Let me buy you a drink,” he offers.

  “Oh no, I have to work early in the morning and I’ve already had too much. I should get going,” she looks around the room to see Jo grinding on Tristian, “but it looks like I’m stuck here for a few more minutes.”

  “Then allow me to drive you home. I haven’t had a single drink.”

  “It’s fine,” she shakes her head and ticks a strand of hair behind her ear. Suddenly she’s feeling bashful.

  “It’s no trouble.”

  “I don’t live too far from here, I can walk home.”

  “At night?” He raises an eyebrow. “No.”

  “No?” She mimics his expression. “I’m capable of walking myself home.”

  “I bet you are,” he frowns. “I’d just feel more comfortable if someone kept you company. It’s late out and you don’t know what kind of idiots are walking around.”

  He wasn’t wrong. It’s one of the cons to being a woman, you can’t walk anywhere at night by yourself. It’s not that women are weaker then men, it’s that certain men are pigs that like to prey on women who are alone and vulnerable. Being attacked is just one of many worries.

  “You are here celeb
rating with your siblings. I’ll wait for my roommate to be finished dancing and we will head home together.”

  He gives her a small smile. “Remember, anything you need Scarlett, feel free to ask.”

  The handsome billionaire winks at her before disappearing onto the dance floor. Seconds after Liam left Jo storms over to her looking angry. At first she thinks Tristian did something but when she opens her mouth to yell at Scarlett she knows she’s the reason for her friends anger.

  “What the hell was that?”

  “What was what?”

  “You were talking to Liam Novak and then rejected him.”

  “How do you know I rejected him?” She crosses her arms. “How do you know he even asked me out—because he didn’t.”

  “Then what did he want?”

  “To walk me home.”

  “To. Fuck. You.” She emphasizes.

  “Well I don’t want to be fucked,” Scarlett frowns.

  “Scarlett,” her friend groans. “Live a little. Liam is cute! You couldn’t have just flirted and maybe got his number or—”

  “Are you forgetting I work for Novak?”

  “Yeah? So? I thought you worked with the oldest brother?”

  “I do.”

  “So, that’s not Liam. He’s technically not your boss.”

  “He technically is,” she gives her a pointed look.

  Jo sighs dropping her head to Scarlett’s shoulder. “Scar, it’s obvious that you’re lonely, so you why do you push men who want to be with you away?”

  Not this conversation again. “I want something more than some random guy picking me up at the bar. Is it so bad that I don’t want to take the first guy who is interested in me to bed right away.”

  “No, but...you don’t even try. What’s wrong with Liam?”

  Scarlett shrugs. “I don’t know. I just have a lot on my mind right now. I’d rather go home.”

  Jumping off the bar stool she heads toward the exit, her eyes glued to the floor not bothering to check if Jo following behind her. As she puts distance from the club and the music fades, the sound of Jo and Tristian whispering is the only acknowledgement she has that she isn’t walking home alone.

  Looks like another night will be spent with headphones in her ears.

  ***

  CHAPTER TWO

  The vibration of Scarlett’s phone rattled on her office desk. The number is unknown which is a telltale sign that it’s her father. She picks it up quickly.

  “Hello?”

  “Sweetheart,” her father’s voice sounds.

  “Dad,” her shoulders slump in relief. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too,” he says quietly.

  “It’s been awhile since we last talked.”

  “I’ve moved again.”

  “To where,” her brows crease.

  “I’d rather not say,” he pauses for a heartbeat. “Is it true you are working for Novak?”

  “Yes!” She says excitedly. “I love it here, they’re nice. It keeps me busy, I get to do a lot of organizing—”

  “You need to quit,” he interrupts.

  “What? Why?” Her smile fades. “Daddy, I don’t want to quit. I like it here.”

  “Because I said so. Novak is not a place for you to work. It was a bad idea letting you stay in New York City. I want you here with me.”

  “Daddy…” she rubs her forehead. “I told you, I don’t like moving around. I want to live in one place and have one job for a really long time. I can’t have that with you moving every month or so.”

  The line goes dead. She pulls her phone back from her ear to look at the screen. Call ended. Her father has always been protective along with paranoid. He always seemed to sleep with one eye open and was constantly checking behind him as if someone was following him. She began to worry about his health as she got older looking up his symptoms and fearing a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

  For the first time she notices Alexander standing in the doorway of his office. Was he eavesdropping on her conversation?

  “Sorry, I know I’m not supposed to take personal calls at work—”

  “Who was that?”

  “My father. I don’t get to talk to him much so when he calls...I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  The angry look on his face makes her feel as though she just blew her second chance.

  “It’s fine. Can you run to the copier and make two copies of this document?” He hands her a piece of paper.

  Quickly, she grabs the sheet and scurries off to the copier down the hall.

  ***

  Alexander takes her phone checking her recent call. Unknown. The son of a bitch really goes to great lengths to not be found. For years his trail was hot, Alexander had hired private investigators find him, then it went cold. Up until recently things have been looking up when he found out the daughter of Gavin MacIntyre lives here in New York City. He followed her around paying off all potential job offers and with his own brilliant plan, he fired his secretary and left a flyer for the job in her mailbox.

  Guess who applied for the job?

  Scarlett Halloway.

  He is one step closer to catching the bastard.

  Next step: getting close enough to Scarlett so that she’ll tell him—unknowingly—her father’s location. Or hope someday soon Gavin will make a mistake and call his daughter from a traceable phone that leaves a phone number. That will be the day he traces it to his location and he’ll take his private jet to meet him.

  The sound of heels tapping against the tile floor tells Alexander she’s just around the corner. He places Scarlett’s phone back on her desk before she could catch him snooping. She returns with a smile and a pile full of copies he didn’t even need in the first place.

  Entering his office his shuts his door before throwing the documents in the trash bin in the corner of the room. He sits in his comfortable black leather chair and looks at the large oak wood desk neatly organized for the first time in years. He had to hand it to Scarlett, she did a great job at making his job easier.

  When she came in late yesterday he never planned on firing her despite his you only won’t get another chance speech. He just enjoyed seeing her squirm.

  There are two pictures on his desk. One of them is of him, his five other siblings and parents and the other is his favorite—him and Ellie when she was four years old. He loves all his siblings equally, all of them provide him with something different. Olive has always been there to talk him up and boost his confidence when he needed it. Liam has always been the brother he confides in and tells every secret to. Kai is the most sensible of the brothers, if he needs advice he goes to Kai.

  Atticus, the fun brother, always brought joy to his life making him to do impulsive and reckless things. And Ellie was the one who gave him love and acceptance. She would always hug and kiss him and tell him how much he meant to her. She always made his heart feel full and when she died, she took his heart with her.

  Not to mention he blames himself for her death.

  His door creaks open and in pops Olive’s head. “Mom missed you last night.”

  Sighing he leans back in his chair and watches his sister enter, inviting herself to sit in one of the seats across from him. Olive and him have always been close, they were so close in age that in school they were in the same grade. People always thought they were twins with their matching blond hair and green eyes. They’ve always felt like twins.

  “I was busy.”

  “You’re always busy.”

  He presses his eyebrows together. “I’m the new CEO of this company. I have a lot of work to do.”

  “What did you do last night when you went home from work? You mean to tell me you couldn’t make it dinner or went out with your siblings and I?”

  Pinching the bridge of his nose, he really doesn’t want to have this conversation. “I wasn’t in the mood, Olive.”

  She opens her mouth trying to find the words to reach him. The words
are caught in her throat as she shakes her head looking sad and disappointed. “I love you, Alex, but you’re unhealthy obsession is—”

  “I don’t need a lecture,” he narrows his eyes.

  “Apparently you do, because the past few years you have been unrecognizable. Where is the brother who used to be fun and used to talk to me about everything? I hardly know what’s going on in your life anymore. It’s like we’re strangers.”

  Alexander won’t deny that he has been distant to his family. He finds it hard going back in his childhood house where his sister used to live. There are memories all over that house, on the stairwell where they used to slide down the bannister, pictures of her in the hallways, her old room, her empty seat at the dinner table…

  It’s all a painful reminder he actively avoids.

  “At least give mom a call...please.”

  “Is that all?” He crosses his arms.

  Olive stands her hands clenched at her sides. “Fine. That’s all. You can get back to work now since you’re so busy, boss,” she spits spitefully.

  With a slam of the door, he’s alone in his office.

  He attends three meetings in the span of six hours. The day consisting of signing, approving, and brainstorming. His stress levels have been high ever since he received the CEO position. The workload is unbelievable, his free time little to nonexistent, and his thoughts consumed with one thing and one thing only.

  Revenge.

  Staying late has become a usual for Alexander, sitting at his desk was better than lying awake at home. He has no interest in going to a club or a bar, but taking a girl home to his apartment for a quick fix sounds much needed. He’s always had his fair share of women since high school. Girls liked to throw themselves at him for many reasons. Some found his irresistibly handsome, others found his found money irresistibly handsome.

  Walking out of his office door twenty minutes to midnight he is shocked to see Scarlett half asleep at her desk. “What are you still doing here?”