The Best Friend's Magical Billionaire

Better Watch Out

Sarah

I watched Greg as he engaged with more of the leeches, as he called them, listening to their chatter like a king hearing his subjects. They certainly pandered to him as if he was royalty.

He really was wealthy. I still couldn’t believe it. But why the secrecy?

And why had he stayed away from his family for as long as he had? His behaviour made no sense. More than seven years had passed since breast cancer wrought its seething, fatal havoc on my mom, and I still missed her every day. I’d been thankful for the chance to spend as much time as I could with the woman who’d raised me. So what had driven Greg to keep his distance? Was it really just a fight with his father?

Or was there something else keeping him away?

“Looks like Big Mack has a Whopper of a brother. Or should we call him Bigger Mack?”

My lips parted as Cecily joined me. She may have been a mother now, but of the three of us she definitely had the dirtiest mind. “Did you actually just go there?”

She shrugged. “Come on, Sare. You know you’d’ve thought it, too. I just got there first.”

I laughed. She wasn’t wrong. Yes, Cecily had the dirtiest mind—but Avery and I weren’t far behind.

“So what have you learned so far?” my friend asked. “Is this guy for real?”

“Seems to be. I don’t follow the tech industry, but apparently Muckrake Mindy does.” I jerked her head in the woman’s direction. Jackie Narberg was a well-known gossip columnist who was great at digging up the dirt on everyone. True to form, she was talking up some of the other wealthy guests gathered around the silent auction table, asking about their bids and engaging them in chatter like old friends.

Such as the familiar spindly blond figure lurking within the crowd.

Mikkal Morris? Really? I let out a muttered curse.

“What is it?” asked Cecily. She followed my glare in Mikkal’s direction and echoed my cuss. “That skeezy bastard thinks he can show himself here? How’d he even get a ticket?”

"No clue." I shuddered. The smarmy jerk was a great manipulator. Tried to make the people around him feel as if he was doing them a favour. “Probably charmed his way into someone’s pants again.”

Like he tried to do with me. Yet even his very touch was unsettling.

Cecily snorted. “You’re sure Cole didn’t send him?”

“I doubt it.” I shook my head in disgust. “Not after how Cam ended it.”

That was one thing I didn’t miss from Avery’s last relationship: Mikkal’s incessant come-ons, the slimy way he’d corner me at Cameron Cole’s parties and try to get me to sleep with him. As if his friendship with the A-list actor made it an honour just to be in his presence. All I could feel was disgust. I'd even lied to his face about having a boyfriend so he'd leave me alone.

Still fuming, I watched as Mikkal and Greg crossed paths, Greg clearly surprised to see the man. They clapped each other on the back, as if they’d met before.

As if they were friends.

“Well, damn,” Cecily breathed.

A rush of ice shot through me. They knew each other? What business did Avery’s brother have hanging around a scumbag like Morris? Could I even trust him not to stab his sister in the back like her ex had?

Like a wasp to sugar, Narberg didn’t waste any time descending on the men. Greg appeared to maintain his friendly façade, yet he glanced my way, his expression strained.

Whatever the hell was going on, something was definitely up.

I sighed. “Talk later, Silly. Looks like I’m being summoned.”

*-*-*

Greg

“There you are, sweetie!”

Sarah’s cheeks flushed when I exclaimed at her approach. I didn’t have to work hard to grin at her; something about the woman drew me, and not just her latent magic. To Narberg and Mikkal I said, “Excuse me,” and strode over to meet Avery’s friend.

“Just play along,” I murmured, kissing her on one dimple.

“Oh!” Her eyes were wide, her entire body emanating an energy that seemed like a strange combination of surprise, concern, terror, and delight. In all of that, she gave a slight nod. When I offered an arm, she took it, and I escorted her back to Mikkal and the reporter.

Praying I wasn’t throwing her to the wolves.

“Have you met my girlfriend, Sarah? She manages the charity—”

“Sarah? Of course!” Mikkal gave a friendly-sounding laugh. “How have you been, babe?”

She hesitated before replying, as if a hundred poisonous retorts fired through her brain before she simply replied, “Fine.”

I glanced between the two. So they knew each other. Interesting.

Her reaction, not so much. Especially if Mikkal was still the same sleazy crackhead he’d been at university. The roommate I’d been stuck with at SFU over a decade ago had also somehow come up in the world.

Well, she wouldn't be the first woman I’d saved from him.

The reporter, on the other hand, was visibly nonplussed. She frowned, showing off the creases in her heavy makeup. “You two are together? How’d you manage to keep that under wraps?”

“Yes,” echoed Mikkal, shooting Sarah an equally suspicious frown. “You certainly never mentioned that around Cam.”

“I told you weeks ago that I had a boyfriend,” Sarah scoffed at him, clutching my arm tightly. “I'm not obligated to share my personal life with anyone.”

Hmm, so she was taken? Unlikely. Sarah wasn't the first woman to invent a relationship to get away from that jerk. And I was more than happy to help, for more reasons than Avery.

I shrugged. To Mikkal I said, “We both prefer low profiles, as I'm sure Ms. Narberg here can attest to.” The reporter preened at my comment, and was quick to agree. “What with my commitments in Bergana and Sarah’s charity work here, a lot of it’s been long-distance.” At that I put my arm around her waist, pulling her even closer. “But let me tell you, this woman is worth it.”

Sarah was quick to catch on. Blushing, she nodded excitedly. “We’re finally ready to go public!”

I bit back a laugh. In for a penny...

Narberg’s face changed from surprised to calculating as she realized the sort of scoop she’d just been handed. She whipped out her pocket recorder. “On the record?”

“Of course,” I said, smiling down at Sarah. “Right, hon?”

Sarah tensed again. “You betcha!”

“Excellent,” said Narberg. “So how did you two meet?”

*-*-*

Sarah

Soon enough, lies firmly in place, Greg clasped hands with me and made excuses for our exit. To Mikkal, he said, “Good to see you, man.” Then he gave my fingers another squeeze, sending little jolts of energy that warmed me to the core. “We’re going to mingle a bit.”

“Don’t be a stranger,” said Mikkal, his oily voice reaffirming his natural sliminess. “Maybe we can get drinks while you’re in town.”

“Sure thing.” The men exchanged numbers, and then, finally, I was free of that awful jerk and the equally detestable reporter.

Yep, Mikkal and Greg were friends all right.

“What the hell are you playing at?” I hissed at Greg, steering us back into a quiet corner the moment we got away.

“The same thing you are, Sare-Bear.” Greg also kept his voice low. “Trying to survive the piranhas.”

“And Mikkal Morris? Don’t lie to me. How you can even associate with that viper—that—that—”

“Egotistical prick?” he finished for me, and I nodded, surprised at his honesty. “At arm’s length.”

“Oh.” So he wasn’t really friends with that scumbag?

Greg squeezed my hand. “Mikkal and I were roommates at SFU for a semester. Believe me, it was one semester too long.”

The tension in my shoulders eased, relief grounding me on the polished wood ballroom floor as I realized just how badly I needed to hear that. After everything Avery had been through, that I had been through by association, neither of us needed another person trying to screw us over.

“Hey. It’s going to be okay.” Resting one hand on my shoulder, he cupped my chin with the other, tilting it up toward him. His blue eyes caught mine and held them for a long minute, and as he brought his nose to mine, the breath of relief I’d just caught fled once more. “We’ll get through tonight. Then we can work on me proving I’m good enough for my sister.”

And then he kissed me.

*-*-*

Mikkal

I studied the man I’d once been forced to share a room with, and his ease around the woman that I’d nearly conquered. Or would have, if my employer hadn't screwed it up with her best friend.

So Greg Mack was back once again. What was it with that pest to show up right when I had another chance to control a girl with magic? To take her under my wing, show her the wonders that her powers would bring, and seduce her with the knowledge I could bestow?

“Jealous?” said a voice at my side.

I turned to the nattering reporter. “Of course not,” I told her. “Just surprised, that's all.” I leveled my gaze at her. “Not even a journalst with your record caught wind of that one.”

Jackie’s cheeks flushed. “They’re good.” She made a face. “That man designs computer systems. I’m sure he found some way to program secure communications for them.”

Unless he’s already helped her to break through, I thought, but discarded that idea at once. Sarah still had the wild energy of an unwoken. Even without touching her I could sense that.

Greg had always been too serious, too self-righteous, when it came to his powers. I should never have helped him break through back when we were roommates. He may have thought he’d won when he stole that other girl from me, but I knew I’d find others. And Sarah Young had been just that.

Only for him to spoil things again.

I watched as he kissed her and clenched my fist. To the nosy reporter, I said, “They've announced themselves to the world now. No more hiding for them.”

And I would make sure of that.

The Rising would happen, with or without either of them. But the more support I could gather now, the faster and better our results would be.

Even if I did have to kill them both first.