Billionaires Dollar Series

“Yeah.”

“That chain is massive. And failing. People have been placing bets on how long it’ll stay afloat.”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Well, a little bit longer at least. I need to squeeze out a profit from it first.”

Cole runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck,” he says again. “A clothing chain. They must have massive stores of inventory.”

“I’m betting on that, yeah.”

“And you need to flip it fast to pay the overhead. Do you know anything about retail?”

Uncomfortable though it is to admit, I answer him truthfully. “No. But I’ll hire people who do.”

He bends down to tie his shoelaces. The wedding band on his left hand shines golden in the sunlight. The man had become near insufferable with happiness after his wedding to Skye. “Hire Blair,” he suggests. “She knows fashion.”

I stare down at him. “What?”

“She studied business and fashion. She had that fashion brand a few years back, remember?”

Yes, I do, and the memory isn’t a good one. She’d launched a collection at twenty-three that had crashed and burned not two years later. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

But even if that wasn’t the case-even if she was the most qualified person on the planet-there’s no way she’d work with me.

“I remember,” I say. “But…”

“But what?” Cole meets my gaze baldly. I know he won’t accept a bad word about Blair. I’m on thin ice, and for the first time in a long while, I can feel the danger. Cole gives me a lot of leeway, sure, but absolutely none when it comes to his family.

But then it hits me.

There’s no way she’d agree.

“It’s a good idea,” I say. “You’re right, she knows the industry. I could hire her as a consultant.”

Cole’s shoulders relax. “It would be good for her. For you both, I’m sure. Who knows, maybe you can both finally learn how to get along?”

I nod, though my agreement is an absolute lie.

It sounds like a nightmare.

“I’ll ask her,” Cole continues. “I’m seeing her later.”

“Good.” I swing my bag up on my shoulder and make my face impassive. She’s going to say no-what excuse she’ll use to Cole, I don’t know. But if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that Blair Porter has never hated anyone more than she hates me.

“Do you never lock the front door?”

“Not when you have a front gate.” My brother leans against the kitchen island, still in his dirty gym clothes, a protein shake in hand.

“Have you abandoned showering?”

He shoots me a don’t-start look. “I just got back from playing with Nick.”

I ignore that. “Is Skye around?”

“No, she’s out with Timmy and her sister tonight.”

“Oh.”

“Try not to look so unhappy about that, will you?” Cole rolls his eyes. “I’m the one who’s technically flesh and blood.”

I aim a kick at his shins as I walk past. We might be older now, but he’ll always have it coming. “I’m unfortunately aware of that, yes.”

I hop up on one of the barstools and reach for a muffin from the center basket. Ever since Cole married Skye, there’s always good food in the house. It’s one of the many, many positive changes she’s wrought on my brother.

“Skye texted me about the skiing weekend,” I say, “three weeks from now. I’m guessing you closed on the place in Whistler?”

Cole reaches for a muffin of his own. “Yes. It was the third link I sent you.”

“You know,” I say good-naturedly, “a lot of billionaires will buy their own islands in the Caribbean. You couldn’t be that kind of billionaire, could you?”

My brother gives me an amused glare. “No. That’s for egomaniacs and James Bond villains.”

“But an eight-room chalet nestled deep in the snowy mountains isn’t?”

He flicks his muffin liner over to my side. “One more word and you’re uninvited.”

“You wouldn’t dare. Skye would have your head.”

“Unfortunately very true.” He reaches for yet another muffin. “How’s work going?”

“Good,” I say. “I’m cautiously optimistic.”

The glare he shoots me this time is tired. “You have to stop being cautious at some point, Blair. You’re never cautious in any other area of your life.”

There’s truth to his words but I ignore them, spinning around on the barstool instead. Ever since my fashion brand spectacularly crashed and burned-so spectacularly that it was still used as an example in the media of what not to do-talking about my career dreams hurt. Better to work in silence than let people see me fail a second time.

“You’re probably right,” I admit.

“Probably?”

“It’s the best I can give you,” I tell him. “Remember, I’m programmed to oppose you at every turn. That’s what a little sister does.”

“Yes, and don’t I know it,” Cole says. “But put that on hold for just five minutes, okay? I’ve had an idea.” There’s a warning in his voice. “And before you bite my head off, let me just say that I genuinely think this might be good.”

“What did you do now?”

“I didn’t do anything, but I… well, I suggested something to Nick and he agreed.”

I look up at him. “To Nick?”