Chapter Five
Leah
I sit on the couch next to Cody, with Saint on my other side. No one has said two words since Corvin told Darius he had to leave. The guys tried to change his mind but Corvin wouldn’t budge and what could they really say when Darius agreed to my brother’s terms. On top of everything that I am already feeling, I can now add feeling like a homewrecker to the list. I never meant to come between my brother and Darius. I knew he would be angry but I never thought he would throw away years of friendship with D because of me!
“Take these, it will help with the pain.” I flick my gaze up to see Crue standing there with a glass of water and two pills in his hand. I eye them skeptically for a moment. “It’s just pain relief for your cheek.” I take them and the water from his hands, mumbling my thanks before handing the empty glass back to him and flopping back against the couch. Cody rests her head on my shoulder, I lean my head against hers, sighing. Beck and Corvin disappeared to organize some press release thing that I have no idea what for. Darius has been locked in his room all morning while the rest of us hung out downstairs.
“Holy shit!” I snap my gaze across to the other side of the room where Katie sits on the window love seat with her phone in her hand. I frown, how the hell does she get service here? Katie flicks her gaze to Saint and Crue who are both already staring at her with curious looks on their faces. “Gary just released a statement saying that Darius paid him to sleep with Leah and he was the one who drugged her!” Crue and Saint are across the room, peering over Katie’s shoulder reading whatever it is she is showing them.
“Fuck!” Saint curses. “Beckett, Corvin, Darius get the fuck in here now!” he shouts. It takes a second before I hear feet pounding the stairs and then another two sets coming from the theater room end of the cabin.
“What?” Corvin snaps. Saint turns to face the three newcomers with a grave look on his face. I peer over the back of the couch to see Corvin and Darius have kept a couple feet of space between them, not wanting to be near each other. It kills me that I can’t go to him and wrap my arms around him, promising that he isn’t alone. That I’m right here by his side, but there is so much water under the bridge that I can’t get past my own hurt feelings.
“There’s a warrant out for Darius’s arrest for breaking Gary’s arm. The Hayes are pressing charges against him and you’re wanted for questioning as well.” My stomach sinks.
“Fuck, we need to call Troy,” Beck grits out.
“Wait, how the fuck do you know that?” Darius asks cautiously. Saint and Crue both step aside to reveal a smug looking Katie who slowly climbs to her feet, takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders as she stands between the guys.
“I found it,” she says confidently and a little bit smug.
“How? There is no cell service out here and Corvin had a blocker put in place to stop anyone from tracking us while we are here.” Katie doesn’t cower under the accusation of Darius’s words like I assumed she would. Cody and I both shift so we are looking at them all over the back of the couch.
“I feel like this is the best time to tell you all something you don’t know about me.” The five guys tense. “I am a dancer and I love what I do, but my true passion is in computer science. I’m really good at it, which is why I was able to nullify the blocker you have. I was also able to reroute your Wi-Fi that you have disabled and have it re connected so I could get online.” Saint and Crue stare at Katie with their mouths opened in shock. Beck, Corv and Darius look stunned. Katie drops her gaze and scuffs her foot along the wooden floorboards.
“You’re the one who hacked into Beckett’s computer, aren’t you?” Katie looks up at Saint nibbling her bottom lip, she nods. I stare at her in shock. I look to Cody who seems just as shocked as the rest of us that our friend slash roommate was able to keep something like this a secret from us!
“Look,” she says as she runs her gaze over each of us. “I know your lawyer is good and all but he sucks at computers and is slow as shit. I had the video scrubbed from the web two minutes after I got in Corvin’s car. If anyone sends the link to try to keep it circulating their phone is going to download a virus and wipe their entire phone including the cloud.”
“Why the secrecy?” Darius asks as he steps forward eyeing my friend warily.
Katie snorts. “Dude, guys don’t like it when a chick is smarter than them or able to hold her own. Imagine me being able to tell them on a date that I know what their SAT scores were?” Darius doesn’t look convinced. Corvin steps up beside him and I’ll admit I’m more shocked that he didn’t keep an ocean of space between them. They may be mad at each other but when shit hits the fan, they will always band together. I see that now.
“What did you find on Beck’s laptop?” Corvin asks her, his tone is filled with warning. Katie gnaws on her bottom lip nervously. Crue turns to her, reaches out and uses his thumb to pry it free. Her eyes shoot wide as she stares up at him, her cheeks tinge red.
“You gonna answer my friend, doll?” he says in the sexiest voice that has me waiting with bated breath to see what happens next between them.
“Uh… I… um.” Katie shakes her head causing Crue to drop his hand back to his side. “I found contracts and files on there about the Hayes.” All five guys turn ridged.
“What else?” Saint asks as he steps into her back, plastering himself flush against her, drawing a gasp from my poor friend who is now sandwiched between him and Crue.
“I know this merger with Sullivan global goes public in two days. I also know you have been trying to find dirt on Saint’s dad’s company.” I see Saint stiffen behind Katie at the mention of his dad. “I didn’t find anything at first but the moment Gary released the video and I tracked the IP that granted him web wide access it led me back to Saint’s father’s company and this video isn’t the first he has released to gain him the upper hand.”
“What does that mean?” Saint grits out. Katie turns so her back is now to Crue as she faces Saint. She reaches out and places her dainty little hand on his chest.
“Your father uses his company to help blackmail other companies into selling their stocks, assets and many other things because of the back door access he has to their servers. I’m sorry Saint, but your father isn’t a good man and he has been trying to find dirt on you and your friends since the contract for Sullivan Global was drafted. I put a firewall in Beck’s computer to stop it from being hacked again but he can access your phones and other devices you have that are connected to the internet.” My jaw is practically on the floor, not just from the information Katie is sprouting but from the sexual tension that is pulsing between Saint, Crue and Katie.
“How much do you know about what we are doing and why we are doing it?” Darius asks. Katie flicks her gaze to him and then me for a split second before focusing back on Darius.
“From what I could gather off of Beck’s laptop, you have had this ball rolling for about four years. I must say, what the five of you have accomplished in that short amount of time is freaking impressive, men twice your age couldn’t do half of what you five have done.” Corvin and the others puff their chests out with pride. I hate that I’m still confused as hell as to what is going on here. “Except, with the merger going public in two days, you are going to have to do damage control and if I may suggest, you and Darius call your lawyer and discuss the charges so it doesn’t look like the youngest billionaires in the United States ran from the police.” I choke on my own spit.
“Say what now?” I squeak out as I stare directly at my brother. Corvin doesn’t even spare me a glance as he answers.
“Guess you were too busy sleeping with my best friend to notice I was the one paying all the bills at home.” I recoil at his harsh tone. I drop my gaze in shame. “You’re gonna help us,” he demands. Katie shakes her head. “You don’t have a choice, you either help us or I have you arrested for hacking.” I balk at my brother, he is being a complete dick right now.
“Fine, but you all have to sit down and explain to Leah what you have done. She has a right to know that Gary only targeted her because of what you five planned to do to his–excuse me, and Darius’s father.” I flinch at the reminder of Darius and Gary being twins. My stomach churns just thinking about it. Corvin reluctantly agrees. The guys come round and claim seats on the couches, Beck taking the spot next to Corvin and shoots Darius a smirk. It’s then that I realize the only available seat left in the room is beside me. Sighing, I say,
“Just sit down, Darius, don’t be a douchebag.” He spins around and pins me with a look loaded with disgust. I keep the hurt from my face.
“You’re one to talk, Goldie. Sitting there acting all innocent and shit when it’s your fault all of this has happened.” I climb to my feet pissed off that he would dare stand there and blame me for any of this.
“My fault?” I shout. “How the fuck is it my fault your brother drugged and raped me, huh?” He closes the space between us until his chest brushes against me, forcing me to crane my head back to meet his stare.
“I told you to stay home!” he growls.
“I only went because I didn’t want you to be on your own when you told Corvin,” I snap right back.
“Tell me what?” Corvin asks in an icy tone. Darius slams his eyes closed, I step around him and face my brother.
“Darius planned to tell you about him and me that night. I didn’t want him to have to face your wrath on his own, so I snuck out to meet you all at the party, then Gary…” I clamp my mouth shut and drop my gaze to the floor. I try as hard as I can to fight back the tears. It seems that’s all I do these days is fucking cry. I’m so over crying! Darius grunts as he is shoved aside by Beck, arms wrap around me pulling me against him. I return his embrace without thought.
“I promise you, sweetheart, Gary Hayes will not get away with this. I swear.” Call me crazy but I believe Beck.