Chapter 14

At midnight, the private room reeked of liquor. Cole and Carter kept throwing back shots, and empty bottles lined the table like casualties. The same guys who used to help them scheme sat in a loose circle, but the room that was always lively now felt dead. "Cole, knock it off," Zach Morgan said as he yanked the glass from Cole's hand, then reached for Carter's. "What's the point? This won't fix anything." "Yeah," another friend added. "What are you really drinking for? The right of succession? Valerie? Or Maya? Say it out loud and let us talk you off the ledge." When they heard Maya's name, the brothers finally reacted. "Maya..." Cole muttered. He reached for another glass, let the liquor swirl, then threw it down his throat. Before Valerie returned, he had told himself all he felt for Maya was part of the act. He had sworn he didn't have any real feelings. Even after Carter and Maya slept together, he refused to admit the jealousy knotting inside him. Now that Valerie's facad