Greed (Seven Vices Series Book 1) Read online

  Oliver winced. “First day back and the boss is already keeping you here late, huh?” he teased.

  I shrugged and gestured at the paperwork stacked up on my desk. “I wasn’t exactly gone on vacation,” I told him. “There’s all the paperwork that I have to do from my trip . . .”

  Oliver shook his head. “I don’t envy you or your job,” he said. “Although I do get quite enough paperwork on my own as well.” He stood up. “Speaking of which, I should get back, so I can leave on time to meet you. See you tonight.”

  “See you tonight,” I said, smiling after him and watching as he left. Jeri was staring daggers at me, and I rolled my eyes. Fortunately, she had the sense not to come into my office to try to talk to me about what she had just seen. I spent the rest of the afternoon in relative peace, getting caught up on a lot of my work.

  The entrance to the bar was hidden in an alleyway and looked more like the back exit of a seedy nightclub. Oliver had to give a verbal password to get in and I was dubious as he held my hand, leading me down a tiny wooden staircase that led to the basement level.

  Once we’d descended the last flight of stairs, the room came into full view and my eyes widened. It was like I’d entered another universe entirely. The tiny bar was covered in wood paneling. There was a random mixture of steampunk décor and taxidermy lining the walls, with strings of fairy lights strewn up in swathes across the ceiling. A hipster band was playing lively folk music in one corner, while people were carousing and tapping their feet along to the beat. There were enough seats for twenty or thirty people, but the place was buzzing with at least double that number.

  “Wow,” was all I could manage to get out as I took it all in. The place was an assault on my senses. And it felt amazing.

  “I thought you might like this place,” Oliver said. “A friend of mine owns it. Apparently it’s a big up-and-comer—it’s almost impossible to get a table.”

  Oliver and I wound through the crowd, with him leading me to a booth at the very back of the bar. As we approached the booth, I could see that Oliver’s friends had already arrived, and suddenly I felt nervous about meeting them. I had no idea why—I guess I just wanted them to like me.

  Pull it together, I told myself. It didn’t matter what they thought of me, because whatever this thing was that I had with Oliver, it wasn’t going to last. I would probably never see these people again.

  “Hey there, big shot!” called a beautiful girl with black hair and bright red lips. “I can’t believe you got us a booth!” she exclaimed as she shot up to give Oliver a bear hug. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy shoot through my core as I noticed their familiarity.

  “And you must be Sophia,” she said, as she turned toward me, leaning over to give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I guess hugging must be her thing. “I’m so excited to finally meet you! Oli hasn’t stopped talking about you—“

  Oliver cleared his throat loudly, interrupting her mid-sentence. I thought I saw him elbow her in the side. “Why don’t you go get us a couple of drinks from the bar, Avery . . .”

  “Ahh, yeah, of course,” Avery said, narrowing her eyes at Oliver. “House special okay?”

  “That’s fine. Thank you,” I replied.

  “Let’s sit down, shall we?” Oliver said, gesturing toward the booth. His cheeks had gone a slight shade of pink. Was Oliver Lewin blushing?

  I sat down in the booth and he slid in next to me, stretching his arm around my shoulders. Warmth spread deep down in my abdomen. It was like ever since that night in the cellar, my body had been harboring the tiniest of sparks, waiting for the slightest touch from Oliver to reignite it.

  Composing myself, I smiled politely at the two men opposite me. The first thing I noticed was that they were both breathtakingly handsome. I guess it wasn’t enough for Oliver to be sexy as sin—his friends had to be gorgeous too.

  One of the men was dressed in a sharp suit that looked like it could easliy be worth as much as one that Oliver would wear. But unlike Oliver, this man seemed dark and serious. His expression was intense and he didn’t seem much interested in the fact that Oliver and I had just arrived. He was impeccably groomed and I could see what looked like a neck tattoo peaking out from his shirt collar. How odd, I thought. I’d never seen a business type with a neck tattoo before. Not that I was prudish—each to their own.

  Whatever his story was, he didn’t seem to fit into the environment around him. This was a fun, casual place, and he must have been the only person there who looked like they were having a bad time.

  The man seated next to him had very similar features, but was a little rough around the edges, with a thick five o’clock shadow and a worn t-shirt. He looked rugged and a little dangerous, like you wouldn’t want to run into him in a dark alley—no matter how handsome he was. When he spoke, he sounded amused by my presence.

  “So, Sophia, what mortal sin have you committed to end up with an obnoxious asshole like our Oliver here?” he asked, nodding his head in Oliver’s direction.

  I didn’t quite know how to respond, but I didn’t have to.

  “Sophia, this is Will. Don’t be alarmed—he’s a prick to just about everyone. It’s just unfortunate that this prick happens to be my cousin,” Oliver said, staring daggers at Will.

  Suddenly, it all made sense. It wasn’t so much that they all happened to be good looking—they were all related. I remembered briefly reading about his family when I’d done a little research prior to our first date. Oliver had three cousins—two here in the city, who had become almost as notorious in New York social circles as Oliver himself.

  “And right here we have Julian,” Oliver said, pointing at the man in the suit. “Who has less of a chip on his shoulder than Will, but not by much,” Oliver continued, a smirk on his lips.

  “Oh, tonight, your not gonna get much out of LA Ink over here,” Will smirked, pointing his thumb at Julian. “He’s not just practicing his pensive stare; he’s got his panties all in a knot over some girl.”

  “Oh leave him alone, Will!” Avery exclaimed as she returned with our drinks. They spilled a little as she placed them roughly down on the table and sat down next to me. “He’s entitled to a little self pity after what he’s been through with that girl.” She lowered her voice toward Oliver and I. “It can’t be easy to hold a relationship together, given his . . . proclivities when it comes to . . . romance,” she said with concern. It seemed like she had been choosing her words extremely carefully.

  I smiled politely at her in response. I had no idea what she was talking about, but I had a feeling that it was none of my business—especially since I was not going to be seeing these people on a regular basis. “I don’t think we were properly introduced. You’re Avery, right?” I asked, wondering who she was to Oliver.

  “Oh my goodness, I was so shocked at seeing Oli bring a date to Fuck-it Friday drinks that I completely lost my shit,” she said, smacking her palm against her forehead. “Yes, I’m Avery Jenkins—Oli’s bff” she said with an excited smile. Her eyes darted between Oliver and I expectantly, like she was waiting for one of us to perform a circus act.

  “Ah . . . fuck-it . . Friday what?” I looked around the table, confused.

  Oliver, Will and Avery all broke out laughing. “Fuck-it Friday drinks,” Oliver responded with amusement. “It’s just a thing we’ve always done, on Fridays . . . you know, because fuck it, it’s Friday, let’s get toasted.”

  “Oh,” I replied with puzzlement. I wasn’t used to such boisterous company. I felt like a fish out of water.

  “Anyway, Oliver and I have been friends since college. Believe it or not, he is the sensible one in the friendship,” she said, smiling fondly at Oliver.

  Best friends. I wondered if it had ever been more than that; you never know with a guy like Oliver.

  “That’s something you’ll have to get used to with Oli, darling. Most of his friends happen to be female,” said Will, just about reading my mind. He stifled a la
ugh and took another swig of his whiskey.

  Will wasn’t telling me anything that I didn’t already know. I looked over at Oliver who was smiling down at me uncertainly. He took his arm off my shoulder and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly under the table.

  Chapter Sixteen

  We sat around drinking and talking for what seemed like hours. I didn’t understand most of their inside jokes, but after a few rounds, I began to loosen up and enjoy being around people who were refreshingly . . . carefree. It felt good to be twenty-seven for a change. To not have the weight of the world on my shoulders. To have no-one to save. To just be me without any hang-ups or responsibilities.

  “Okay, so then Oli said—” Will stammered, laughing so hard he could barely continue on with the story. We were all a little tipsy at that stage, except Oliver, who hadn’t been drinking much.

  “It’s Oliver,” Oliver interrupted with irritation in his voice. He really disliked that nickname. I thought it was kind of cute.

  At that point, I knew that I’d probably had a little too much to drink. Will’s stories about Oliver were becoming more hilarious with every sip.

  I excused myself to go to the ladies’ room and freshen up. A splash of water on my face would do me some good. As I stood, Avery also excused herself and linked her arm in mine as we made our way to the restroom.

  I had to admit that I had missed female camaraderie in recent years. I remembered my college days: being around girls like Avery, having nights out, talking about boys and our hopes for the future, getting drunk and giggly, without a worry in the world.

  Of course, I now had more important priorities in my life. My aid work had become my whole identity. There wasn’t room for girlfriends and drunken nights out.

  “So, you and Oliver . . .” Avery said teasingly as we entered the restroom.

  “Me and Oliver,” I responded with a goofy grin on my lips. I wasn’t sure why I felt so excited and nervous and giddy tonight, just being there, but it probably had something to do with the way that Oliver and I had left things. I might not have thought that Oliver and I could work out in the long term, but there was definitely a level of passion and excitement that I hadn’t felt with anyone else, not even Javier.

  Avery reached out her hand and placed it on my shoulder, a serious expression suddenly coming over her. “You know, I’m so glad Oli has finally found a girl that is his equal,” she said, looking sincerely into my eyes. “Not like all those bimbos he usually goes out with . . .” She trailed off.

  “His equal?” I scoffed. “You have to admit, we’re pretty different . . .”

  “Yeah, your occupations, for sure. But I mean, from what Oliver has told me, you’re sincere and caring and loyal,” she said. “And so is Oli.”

  Her voice started to waver as she continued on. “You know, not many people know this, but Will and Julian weren’t brought up in this lifestyle. Neither was Oliver at a young age.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked curiously.

  “Well, Oliver and his cousins are related paternally. Their fathers were brothers,” she said, swallowing loudly. “The family was poor. Really poor. Sometimes I think that’s why Oliver is so you know . . . extravegent.” Avery smiled fondly.

  I was shocked at this revelation. This hadn’t come up in my research and Oliver had never mentioned much about his family in our time together—not that I’d really taken much of an interest in getting to know his past. Now that I knew there was more to it, I just wanted to know everything.

  “Go on,” I said, pulling her into an alcove by the sinks.

  “Anyway, Oliver’s father was an entrepeneur. He never stopped trying to make a better life for Oli and his mom. Eventually, he caught some luck and invested in a start-up that ended up becoming huge. He made his family’s fortune and become renowned for predicting profitable investments.”

  “That’s why Oliver started an investment firm,” I wondered out loud.

  “Exactly. His father taught him everything he knows,” she replied. “But his cousins didn’t get to bask in that fortune. Their dad, Oli’s uncle, was an abusive drunk who used to hit their mom. He moved them out into a country town, looking for work. Eventually, he ended up running away with another woman, leaving them all alone with their battered mom in a town where they had no family or friends. Unfortuantely, after years of abuse, she had turned to prescription drugs and was in no state to bring up three boys,” she said, her eyes beginning to well with tears.

  I couldn’t help but feel heartbroken for those poor boys. I knew what it was like to lose your parents, to be an orphan. But I just couldn’t imagine what it was like to have two parents—alive—who couldn’t pull themselves together long enough to take care of their own kids.

  “So, how did Will and Julian end up here in the city?” I asked.

  “Well, that’s just it—what I was trying to tell you. After high school, Will and Julian ran away to New York. Oliver hadn’t heard from them in years. They showed up on his doorstep, hungry and with nowhere to go. They had been sleeping rough for weeks,” said Avery.

  My mouth fell open. “What happened?”

  “Oliver took them in, no questions asked.”

  “He did?”

  “Of course. He clothed and fed them. Not just that, but he took them under his wing. He taught them everything he knew about business. That’s why they’re both successful businessmen in their own right. Will opened a chain of restaurants which people would sell their left kidney to get a reservation at. And Julian became New York’s most successful property broker and started his own company, becoming even more successful than Oliver himself.”

  “I had no idea,” I whispered, leaning my head back against the wall behind me. Everything that I had ever known and thought about Oliver was now a twisted mess. I no longer knew what was right or wrong when it came to that confusing man.

  After leaving the restroom, I went back to the table to find that Oliver was gone. Will told me that he had gone up to the rooftop terrace to get some fresh air. I climbed the four flights of stairs up to the terrace in hope of finding him.

  I spotted Oliver in one corner of the terrace, leaning his arms on the railing. He looked deep in contemplation, running his thumb over his lip.

  I walked over and Oliver watched as I carefully set my drink down on the table beside him. He reached over just as carefully and placed his hand in mine, weaving our fingers together.

  “I know you said you just want to enjoy the night, but I really do want to apologize to you,” he said quietly. “How we left things after the dinner party . . . My timing was all wrong—it wasn’t fair to you, especially not when you were trying to focus on your work. I know how important that is to you.”

  “Are you sorry that we had sex?” I asked bluntly.

  Oliver looked shocked. “Of course not,” he smiled crookedly. “To be honest, I really enjoyed that.”

  I let out a breath that I wasn’t aware I’d been holding. I had to wonder if maybe part of the reason I was so nervous about the whole idea of a relationship with him was his level of experience in comparison with mine. Maybe I was just worried about being inadequate in comparison to the other girls that he’d been with?

  But that was ridiculous.

  “So how was Argentina, anyway?” Oliver asked. “I donated a lot of money to the relief fund, but I can only imagine how satisfying it must have been, being down there on the ground, seeing everything firsthand. What did they have you working on?”

  “I worked on a few different projects,” I said. “I have a pretty diverse background, so they use me wherever they can. Especially since they know that I won’t complain, regardless of what they ask me to do.”

  Oliver smiled at me. “No, I can’t imagine you would,” he agreed.

  I smiled back at him, feeling almost breathless in the moment. I quickly took a sip of my drink, trying to calm my beating heart. “So, originally they had me working on clearing roads so that we could
get relief supplies in,” I told him. “Afterwards, I did some work in the medical wing. And then it was digging wells and building houses.”

  “That’s incredible,” Oliver said, shaking his head, and I had to wonder if maybe I really had been wrong about him. Maybe he was more interested in this stuff than I had realized. After all, if I’d learned anything tonight, it was that I really didn’t know Oliver at all.

  But, somehow, I still couldn’t picture him working at a relief site.

  “If there’s anything else that you need, just let me know,” Oliver said seriously. “I can give you a blank check—whatever you need.”

  “Thanks, but I think Le Monde has done everything that it can for now,” I sighed. “Helped, of course, by your generous donation from before. It’s time to turn our attention to other projects, though.” I frowned. “To be honest, this is always the most difficult part for me. It feels like I’m abandoning them halfway through.”

  Oliver shook his head. “I can only imagine how difficult that must be. How difficult all of it must be, from seeing the devastation close up, to actually doing the work, to leaving the project. You’re very strong.”

  I blushed, touched by his kind words. I couldn’t help feeling that this was the genuine side of him, like I was somehow finally privileged enough to see his true colors—the side of him that he hid from the tabloids.

  His hand was still wrapped around mine, and I felt a sudden jolt of desire go through me as I realized this. I bit my lower lip and ducked my head. When I glanced up at Oliver, he smiled knowingly at me.

  “So do you always work with the same people when you go to these places?” Oliver asked curiously.

  I thought again of Javier, who wasn’t like anyone that I had ever worked with before—who wasn’t like anyone I had known before.

  “No,” I told Oliver. “It’s different people every time, and a lot of them I never end up seeing again.”