The Arrangement (unenhanced Edition) by AnnaRCase (good novels to read TXT) 📕

As Amberleigh put away the mostly uneaten dinner, then did the dishes afterwards, she refused to feel worried about Grayson. Like hell would she waste that energy on a man who treated her like a fucking dog, literally just throwing her small scraps of affection here and there. And to hell with begging for him to give a damn about her anymore. Those days were over.

                Who she did spare some concern for was poor Leo, who was beside himself with worry as he scoured the streets of Omega City for his friend. Leo kept sending her updates and he seemed to grow more fearful as the hours went by without a trace of his thoughtless, shitty friend.

                But fuck no was she going to chew down her fingernails and pace the floor and shit while she waited back at penthouse. She set herself up in front of a real fire that Mr. Duvall had lit for her in the den, all nice and cozy like, snuggled under a plush throw, with a book she nicked from the library.

She read the same chapter about ten times and kept checking her watch for messages, but no, it was only Leo she worried about. After Leo called to say he’d contacted all their friends, checked most of the bars within a ten mile radius, and called all the hospitals in the area, she convinced Leo to come home. It was nearing three a.m. and nothing else he could really do tonight. He seemed exhausted and on the edge of losing his fuckin mind. He needed a friend.

Leo staggered through the door wired and tired at the same time around three a.m. Amberleigh did her best to try and reassure him Grayson would likely turn up safe and sound in the morning, or even after work as he was likely to go right to the office first. But Leo wasn’t convinced and assumed something bad must have happened to Grayson. Try as she may, she couldn’t get him to elaborate on that particular subject.

She convinced Leo to sit down in the den at least and fixed them both a stiff drink. It was clear the chef wouldn’t be sleeping a wink until he either heard from Grayson, or the bastard strolled through the door. In the meantime, the sound of the fire crackling in the hearth filled the heavy silences in between Leo making comments about how he should be out there looking for Grayson and Amberleigh spewing the words she believed he needed to here.

She was getting fuckin pissed at Grayson, for putting Leo through this shit. It was heartbreaking to watch him so torn up. She refused to entertain the idea that something bad had actually happened to the billionaire, as Leo had that covered, and not that she fuckin cared anyway. No. She refused to care. To worry.

It was around four a.m. when a banging came from the front door. Amberleigh spilled her drink on herself and Leo jumped up like his ass was on fire. Fuck, was that a cop knock? Cops banged on doors like that. Cops came to give bad news at the ass crack of dawn.

She wiped at her sweats with some tissues she found by the lamp as Leo answered the door. She was sure to place herself in viewing range to watch this go down. She would have been a lying bitch if she denied being afraid one of the city’s finest was standing on the other side of the door with his hat in his hands and a crestfallen expression.

But it wasn’t a cop standing on the threshold to the penthouse, but it was the Godwin himself who stumbled through the door. Leo legit looked as if he couldn’t decide to punch his friend in the face or hug him. Somewhere between the office and twelve hours, Grayson had lost his suit jacket and tie, and apparently his keys too. And the billionaire was drunk as fuck.

“Sorry Lee man buddy. I don’t have my fucking keys. Thanks for letting me in. I love you man.”

Grayson actually pulled Leo into some headlock bear hug thing. Leo was still so pissed he hadn’t said a word yet. Obviously, his buddy was in one piece and hadn’t bothered to call because he was out getting plastered and probably pussy too. Or maybe dick? How much did she really know about him after all?

She certainly hadn’t taken Grayson for the hugging or the I love you type. Leo wasn’t having it though. He removed himself from the hug and grabbed Grayson by the shoulders, even gave him a shake.

“What the hell Grayson? I have been trying to get a hold of you for hours! I even went out looking for your ass! I thought you were dead in a fuckin ditch or something you son of a bitch! And what, all this fuckin time you were out getting hammered?” Leo demanded.

Grayson’s eyes widened as he tried to make out his watch screen, “It’s dead. That’s what ya get when you import shit from Taiwan though.”

He began to laugh and Amberleigh was tempted to intervene because Leo looked five seconds away from murdering him. Leo was trying to take calming breathes to keep from going off.

“And at any point of the night, before your fuckin watch died, it never crossed your mind to send me a message and tell me you weren’t going to be home for dinner? You know send me a courtesy text that you weren’t hurt or some shit?”

Grayson patted Leo on the shoulder, “Man, I don’t even know what day it is buddy. I must have lost track of time. Got any food I’m fuckin starving.”

“Are you fuckin kidding me right now? Grayson, you know you shouldn’t even be drinking that much with the medicines you are on! Why the hell did you do this stupid shit?”

Amberleigh jumped when she noticed the butler had appeared seemingly out of thin air and was standing in the hallway. He was dressed in his crisp uniform and standing by in case the master of the penthouse called for him. Talk about dedication to your fuckin job as it was four in the fuckin morning.

Grayson was making his way towards the kitchen leaving a trail of clothing in his wake. He kicked off his shoes, socks, and his dress shirt on his trek down the hallway. Amberleigh ducked down back into the den so he didn’t see her as he passed. She could smell the alcohol wafting off him.