Fuck. What dark and slithering secret had my brain released when I’d been too out of it to control myself?

“What do I say in my sleep?” I cocked my head and tried for a look that was humored and indifferent. “Am I calling out Gigi Hadid’s name? Because that’s entirely possible.”

Gemma flattened her lips. “You never really say anything I can understand, but that’s not the point. I love you, so I worry.” She slid her gaze away. “Maybe you can talk to Xander.”

I gritted my teeth. I was not going to call my brother. He was the last person I could talk to about any of this shit. I worked hard to school my expression. “I appreciate the concern. Honestly, I do. But you have nothing to worry about. Now get some sleep.”

Instead of heading for the kitchen, I headed back to the bedroom—I didn’t want her watching me too closely. She thought she wanted to know my secrets, but the darkness inside me would change how she looked at me forever.

I was unlovable. That much I knew to be fact.

Lex…

In the morning, I was still foggy from lack of sleep, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have work to do.

“Are you two sure you want to sell this company? With venture capital funding, you can expand the lifestyle brand of Take Back the Night.” Annabelle Smith, our solicitor, asked Nick and I carefully.

We glanced at each other briefly before we both nodded.

I spoke first. “Nick and I have given this a good deal of thought. We want to eventually become the venture capitalists for small scrappy companies like ours and prepare them either for sale, like we’re doing, or help take them public. A lot of people out there have great ideas but don’t know how to follow through. We’ve figured out how. We might do another small company again and sell that to make sure our feet are well and properly sodden, but we’re selling.”

Nick added, “We want to strike while the iron’s hot. Before someone else comes and tries to copy it with something subpar. First to market is key.”

She nodded. “And Toshino, Inc. is banking on that with their purchase. But their team has asked again if you won’t both stay on to run it and lend your names to increase the value.”

“That’s a nonstarter,” I said.