Read Online Building Our Love (Griffin Brothers #2) by Crystal Perkins - Free Book Online

reputation,
as well as the consequences that Owen would face.”
    “Those bastards. I
need to find them and cut off their balls.” I look at Candi and can
fully believe that she would do it.
    “Yes, they are
bastards,” I agree and continue. “Then, they took out some
pictures of my dad and Maggie. They were from the private party at
the Griffin house after my mom’s funeral. Maggie was comforting my
dad and I know Gary was there as well. But he was cropped out of the
pictures. Andrew and Adam said they would release these and make it
look like Maggie and my dad were having an affair. Since it was a
private party, they likely had the only set of photos. Gary would
come out and say it wasn’t true, but people would believe that he
was just trying to hold onto his wife and protect his image. I
couldn’t take a chance on people believing it and vilifying my dad,
who was still grieving, as well as the woman who I thought of as a
second mother.”
    “Oh my God, Chloe.”
Yasmin comes over and hugs me. “You said that there were three
things. So, there’s more?” I nod.
    “Scott may have told
you that the Griffins had a large project they were doing with a
famous architect who Ryan was interning for.”
    “Yeah. He said that
the architect almost backed out to go work for a competitor, which
would have hurt their reputation. But then that deal fell through and
he went ahead with the Griffin building.” A look of understanding
dawns on her face. “They offered to drop the contract and give them
back the architect, didn’t they?”
    I can’t keep the
bitterness out of my voice as I confirm it. “Yes, they said they
would do that, too. All I had to do to protect the people I loved was
give up Ryan and three years of my life. They felt that Adam’s
reputation would be intact by the time we graduated from college. I
agreed to do it and broke up with Ryan over the phone while they
listened in.”
    “Wait, so you had to
fuck that bastard for the last three years? Now, I want to kill him
even more.” Candi’s expression is murderous.
    “No. I drew the line
at having a real relationship with him. I made them put it in writing
that if he touched me, I could take control of their company. Adam
countered and said that he could say whatever he wanted about me when
we had our fake break-up. Which is why all of Chicago thinks I’m a
slut who cheated on him constantly with other men over the last three
years. I had to act affectionate when we were in public and let him
hold my hand and kiss me but nothing more.”
    “So you haven’t
been with anyone at all except for Ryan three years ago?” Sam asks.
    “Three years ago and
the last month, but no. I haven’t slept with anyone except for
Ryan.”
    “The last month? So
there is something going on between the two of you! Alex said she
thought there was even though you denied it,” Yasmin says with a
mischievous smile.
    “There is something,
but I don’t know what it is. I was hoping you guys could help me
figure it out before I go crazy.”
    “I think I speak for
all of us when I say that we would love to help you. I can’t
imagine what you must have gone through, and I for one want to see
you and Ryan together now more than ever.” Erika smiles at me, and
the other women nod.
    “Thanks. When I came
here with my dad to beg for a job, Ryan insisted that I only work for
him. You all know that I’m his assistant. Two weeks after I started
working for him, I told him that I wanted him back, and he said that
we could only have a sexual relationship. One that was for his
pleasure and not mine. I agreed but made him promise not to be with
any other women sexually. Then I spent the next two weeks,
umm…well…giving him blow jobs in his office every day.” I bury
my head in my hands as I tell them this.
    “Hold up. This is
Ryan we’re talking about? He had you do that for two weeks? Wow! I
didn’t think that boy had it in him.” I look up and see Candi
looking