A Game With The Billionaire

Chapter 12:

Jeremy:

I wake up to a sharp pounding behind my eyes. It’s surprisingly painful and I recognize the signs, it’s not the first time since someone made me strawberries by accident. I sit upright, staring around in surprise, how many hours did I sleep? I check the time and realize it’s seven in the morning.

I go to the bathroom, splash water on my face and take a warm shower.

Pulling a white shirt over my chest, I walk out of my bedroom but the moment I step out, I almost collide into a wide-eyed Emma.

“Damn it.” I say under my breath, steadying her shoulders with my hand. “I’ve got you.” I reply hoarsely.

“Thank you.” She says, and I nod, because it’s hard to breathe, why? Emma is wearing an oversized shirt that stops mid-thigh, showcasing her long, slender legs. I head downstairs and go to the kitchen. “Wait! What do you think you are doing?”

“Uh....making breakfast?” I say, even though my temples are pounding so hard.

“Your mother stopped by last night.” Emma says moving towards the fridge, where she brings out Tupperware of dishes. If my mother dropped by last night, then she must know about what happened to me yesterday. I sigh, I’ll probably give her a call today.

Emma and I start to eat a quiet breakfast, none of us saying a word. She picks at her food and I desperately want to start a conversation but my head is reeling about the strawberry incident yesterday, who could have sent it? All my close friends know that I don’t like strawberries, so who? Who did this?

After breakfast, I take my coat from the rack and head towards my car, texting Kade, my assistant, that my schedule should be cleared for this morning and the afternoon. I dial a call to Devon Brookes, husband to Arya Morris, he picks up in the third ring.

“Hello?” His voice sounds gravelly cold, “Jeremy?”

“Looks like someone is having a good morning.” I reply cheerfully, taking a turn towards Golden Retreat, one of the best and expensive lounges in all of New York.

“What do you want?” Devon replies, his voice turning icy. I know that if I don’t respond in the next minute, he’s going to hang up. Devon Brookes is one of the respected billionaires in New York known for his icy demeanour, the only person he softens up to is his wife, we are friends, at least close enough to ask each other for favours.

“I want you to take me to the underground; I need to talk to your cousin.” I breathe in sharply.

As if Devon sits up straight, he asks in a surprised tone. “What?”

“Please, let me meet you there.” I end the call, once when Devon and I were out drinking, he told me about the underground in Golden Retreat, where gangsters and mafias operate, he said his cousin, Leto Brookes and Xavier Castillo co-owns a mafia organization known as The Nexus, they can find any information, deal in various weapons. They can help me find out who’s behind the strawberry incident.

My car makes a sudden halt in front of the lounge, it’s massive. Devon’s black sedan is already waiting for me, he comes out of his car wearing a light cashmere sweater, his light dark hair slightly wet as if he just came out of the shower.

“You made it.” My voice is hell bright, Devon eyes me wistfully before making his way into the lounge, it reeks of cocktails and money. Devon leads me to the elevator and he presses the secret button that takes us down.

“This is fun.” I say earnestly and he shoots me a glare which makes me shut my mouth immediately. When the elevator door opens, it’s like we step into another world, a thud echoes from somewhere, two men sparring in a ring surrounded by the jeering crowd. To the left is a long marble bar, with dark liquor lining the shelves, and the men drinking there look as dangerous as the men sparring.

I feel eyes on me and it makes me slightly uncomfortable.

“Devon!” A blonde-haired woman with pink highlights approaches us, I don’t fail to catch the pistol tucked under the waistband of her trousers, I recognize her from the photos scattered around her social media, Leto Brookes, socialite, the influencer with million followers, CEO of a matchmaking agency but here, in the underworld. She’s the co-owner and mafia queen of The Nexus. She’s holding a glass of wine as she sashays to us. “Looking good this morning, cousin!”

Devon calmly sighs. “Jeremy here wanted to talk to you, is Xavier around?”

“Someone called for me?” Xavier appears from the long, narrow hallway, wearing silver knuckle braces. Like everyone else here, his look alone is dangerous, with tattoos sprawled around his body, dark strands of hair falling over his face. “Devon....Jeremy? I think I recognize you.”

I wave.

“What brings to our humble abode?” he heads over to the bar, grabbing a bottle and pouring himself a drink. “I have a feeling you aren’t just here to catch up.” He heads to the available booth and we all sit down.

I swallow, bringing up my reaction for strawberries is something that makes me uncomfortable but I have to bring it up because these two, they can help me out. “I get a strong reaction in front of strawberries. Someone sent me a box of strawberry pastries in front of the media house yesterday, and I don’t know who sent it.”

“So you want Leto and I to find out who sent it? It has to be someone you aren’t on good terms with, any enemies we should know about?”

I furrow my brows, I have never had the habit of collecting enemies, it just isn’t in my nature, even my mother used to say to me that I never let hate find a home in my heart.

“I don’t have enemies,” I say, making Leto’s eyes sparkle with amusement.

“Everyone has enemies. Some people just dislike you for no reason. Anyways, we’re going to get to the bottom of this.” Leto says. “I saw the news, you’re dating Emma Roberts now?”

I nod my head numbly.

Leto raises a brow, as though she is keeping herself from commenting further. After the whole conversation, I thank Devon who, with a very grim face, tells me to never contact him in the early hours. I go to the office and finish up my work, and approve the new employees.

The moment it’s closing hours, I go straight home. When I am in front of the house, my phone rings. It’s my mother.

“Yes, mom?” I say, unlocking the knob as I step inside.

“Jeremy Hart!” She shrieks into the phone so hard that I almost slam the phone across the wall. “I stopped by yesterday and guess what I heard from Emma? You passed out because of the strawberry incident.”

“Hello to you too, dear mother.” I remove my coat and head straight to the kitchen, pouring myself a cup of coffee. “How’s father?”

“Jeremy,” she sighs, “I told your father and he was very concerned.”

“Mother.” I say sharply, because there’s no other word to say.

“I know you’re old enough to take care of yourself, but you still have to make your health the top priority. The wish of a parent is to see their child healthy.” My mother says and I stand rooted, taking a sip from the already cold coffee. “You’re our last child, Jeremy. Your brothers are already married with kids, hell forbid I am trying to take care of my last child.”

Growing up as the last child has never been easy especially when the age gap between my elder brothers is so wide, don’t get me wrong. We are close as we are, but sometimes I feel so small even in my own household.

“I am thinking of having breakfast or lunch together with the whole family, what do you think?” My mother asks and I can feel her smiling through the phone.

“No, thanks.” I say, walking upstairs. “Mom, I have to go now, don’t forget to take your meds, I love you and tell dad to say hi, okay?”

“Don’t you freaking try to skip this conversation, Jeremy Hart. Just stop being so stubborn and let Emma take care of you, alright?”

“Yes, mom.” I say automatically, she says she loves me before hanging up. Sighing, I collapse on the bed. Maybe my mother is right, I have been stubborn all my life, maybe that’s just an automatic way to guard my heart.