Chapter 5.

Regan.

Tuesday.

Am in dad's office in my parents' mansion, pretending I don't hear my brothers and father arguing on top their voices, over my blunder yesterday on television.

They're fishing for a remedy, and I just ignore them. 

Dad called all three of us over for breakfast. And we've barely had breakfast, before he dragged us into his opulently furnished office. 

"What in God's name were you thinking when you decided to run your mouth like that?" Lucas, my eldest brother, says.

I spare him an imperceptible glance.

"It's a product that is to be kept under lock and key, due to its sensitive clientele and now you've exposed it." He bites.

I ignore him. 

"Yeah, perhaps it was the beautiful reporter that got him all shitty." Franklin jeers, indifferently.

He's my immediate elder. His indifference to my actions, sometimes infuriating.

We all share the same features, but don't share the same brain, unfortunately.

"Screw you, Frankie." I throw at him. 

"Stop this at once, both of you!" Dad thunders.

His anger palpable.

Frankie gives me a middle finger. 

"We need damage control. I don't want exposure for our clients. Before you know it, LA World and other media outlets will be fishing for their names." A worried expression crosses dad's face. 

I look at my old man and suddenly feel sorry for my carelessness. But at the time, I had been fishing for a way to distract myself from seeing Rita's face. And now, I ruined most of our work.

"I can fix it," I say quietly.

The others turn to me. If I didn't know dad's age, I'd say he just aged a hundred years. His eyes hold me with such horror, like I've said something wrong. 

"No thank you. You've ruined enough, Regan. The last thing we need is more damage." Lucas dismisses. 

"I didn't ruin this…Not yet, anyway. If anything, we can salvage it. Draw more attention." My eyes fix on dad.

He eyes me, meditatively, and I know he's considering my words. 

"Let him speak, Lucas." Dad orders.

My brothers cut me a look, before going quiet.

"We can hold a party this weekend. Announcing the launch of the product. Where we auction the product to all the clients and all our invited guests. In that case, the clients and everyone will see that we are mindful of both our clients' interests and our business standing."

"But that will mean we have to produce enough of the product. And where will we find that time, with such short notice?" Lucas argues. 

Of all three of us, he's the one who protects the business most. Although the business is shared among the three of us, with Lucas in charge of overseeing everything, yet his passion is intense. Frankie, he just does what he can, without tasking himself. 

"I might have a suggestion for that." Frankie leans forward in his seat. "We can invite a limited amount of guests, including the ones, who have already pre-ordered. In that case, we wouldn't fall short in production." He's smart, when he puts his mind to it, but he rarely does. Prefers women and money, even though he's been married for a year.

Actually both my brothers are married; with Lucas been married for four years now. No kids yet. 

"Your suggestion is brilliant, Frankie. Ensure that you have that covered." Dad orders.

He turns to me. "And Regan, ensure that you announce your wedding date with Lucinda that night. That would stop wagging tongues." Dad adds.

I look, stunned. "But Dad, Lucinda and I haven't fixed a date for our wedding yet." I frown, displeased at my father's idea.

He fixes a hard gaze on me. 

"What are you waiting for, you're already engaged to her. So marry her already. I have her father asking me questions." Dad maintains.

I frown at how expendable my life is to these men.

Emmanuel Grove and Paul Heartstone have been friends for as long as I can remember. This marriage alliance is just another way to strengthen their bond. Both running the most ruthless organizations in the underworld, they have my neck clamped.

"Yes father," I say, tightly.

Rita's face flashes again and I try to push her back.

***

I lean in, kissing Miss Dinah Stevenson of LA World.

She melds into me, her puckered nipples pressed deliciously into me. Her feistiness in bed, remarkable. But she isn't Rita. She'd never be.

I can't even describe the recent obsession I've had with Rita, since I saw her, last week. After all I didn't think of her this much, for these six years.

"Should we do this some other time," Dinah says, rocking her naked hips beneath me. I groan. 

"I'd call you." I lie.

She has this excitement in her face and I kiss her, knowing she bought my words. 

After my meeting with dad and my brothers and my work for the day, I gave Dinah a call and asked I picked her up from work. She didn't even argue. She just gave me the time and where and I picked her. 

We had dinner, and soon found ourselves in my luxurious LA home.

We had steaming sex; one which did nothing to quench my need for Rita. I only got my release.

"Who's Rita?" Dinah asks, quietly rising from the bed. "You do know am Dinah, right?" She smiles, tentatively. 

A dark scowl forms on my face at my slip. My mind reeling, trying to figure out what my problem is. I notice she's eyeing me cautiously and I avoid her gaze, reaching for the TV remote. It's 8pm, and the news is on. 

My silence seems to unnerve Dinah. So instead of admitting it, she wordlessly crosses to my bathroom. My eyes fall on a news item on television. The photos bold.

Cold dread swamping me. 

"Malachi Tenshaw, son to Justin Tenshaw, just got married in the early hours of today to his long time fiancée; Melanie Berry."