Eat Your Heart Out: Virgin Cove Trillionaires (Single Brothers Book 4) Read online

  Eat Your Heart Out

  Virgin Cove Single Brothers

  Victoria Pinder

  Eat Your Heart Out

  Copyright©2021

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemble to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

  Your support of author’s rights is appreciated.

  Published in the United States of America.

  Copyright © 2021 Victoria Pinder Love in a Book

  All rights reserved.

  Contents

  Series Information

  Join Victoria Pinder

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  33. Gerard

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Also by Victoria Pinder

  About the Author

  Series Information

  Virgin Cove Trillionaire Single Brothers

  The One that Got Away

  No Regrets

  Never Again

  Eat Your Heart Out

  Crying Shame

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  1

  Gerard

  Most of my brothers were already in the house, and the evening garden party was going. Wine flowed. Laughter drifted through the windows, and the night sky was thickening. A storm brewed.

  My yacht had staff and was docked so I would not stress about rain.

  I belonged there, with the only family I’d ever known, despite being abandoned then adopted from the hospital. Their happiness was all that mattered in the end.

  My chest was still tense as I headed to my ship alone. Once the storm passed, I would be out to sea, and hopefully, with only the blue waters around me, I would learn to breathe again.

  The staff were tying up the sails, and I jumped to help. Soon, it would just be me and them. Hard work was a relief. Once we finished, I reminded them they had rooms on the estate.

  The Norouzis treated everyone with kindness—even me. Unlike the rest of them, inside, I struggled every second of every day to prove I belonged. And it wasn’t them. They loved me unconditionally.

  I headed downstairs to grab my cell phone. I wasn’t expecting any calls, but not having it attached to me was hard. For five years, I had run and pushed and proved to myself over and over again that I was a winner. Losing was never an option. But at twenty-seven, my forehead had permanent wrinkles and my hair was thinning because I never slept or stopped working. I needed rest.

  The only reprieve I’d had was working out, which cleared my mind and got me in shape for life on the ocean. My parents had encouraged me to let go and live my life, and sailing had always been my first love.

  The last straw had been when I’d realized how much I was away making deals for my oil company and exercising in different gyms around the world. I’d sold my business because I wanted to stop.

  My body tensed again at the memory, but then I remembered how that moment had been my precipice to change. Inside, the party was meant to celebrate my freedom and the start of my quest to see the world. The world was mine to enjoy, and it was time.

  But even as I walked onto my ship, my mind raced with the question I needed to face. What will happen to me when I stop making deals?

  I was on pins and needles, but I was determined to go through with the plan. One year of nothing but ocean would hopefully reconnect my heart, body, and soul.

  Cyrus, one of my twelve brothers, stepped off his yacht then waved at me. He was olive skinned and Mideastern, like the only parents I’d ever known, as he was their natural-born son.

  I’d always wished I had more of his looks, to be honest, though with every arm tattoo I got as a college kid, I knew I was rebelling and accepting I would never be perfect like the rest of them.

  Once my brother was on board, he clapped me on the shoulder and said, “Congrats.”

  I shook my head, but then we both settled into seats that overlooked the bay. “This is your night, Cyrus, not mine.”

  He laughed. “You just made a 2.2-billion-dollar deal. You’re definitely Pedar’s favorite.”

  No. I would never earn enough to prove myself. I winced at the thought that I logically knew wasn’t true. The trillion-dollar inheritance was mine as far as Pedar was concerned, without strings, but the money was more pressure on my shoulders. I lifted my chin and kept my thoughts to myself. “We both know that’s not true. Besides, today is your day. You’re engaged.”

  “That party’s tomorrow night. The gathering in there is for you.” Cyrus’s eyes gazed at me like he saw right through me. “So, what are you going to do?”

  He’d seen the map. I had a captain, his first mate, and soon, a steward to accompany me sailing around the world. I shrugged. “My yacht is being stocked.”

  “And your food blog?”

  My 1.2 million followers had no idea who I really was. Online, I spoke about food and wine. And my reviews had become renowned, as I was often in a new city or new continent. Writing about my dinners was almost grounding when I had no family near.

  I shrugged again. “No one reads that anyhow except maybe that gossip site fishing for information. When I get to some ports, I’ll taste the local fare and leave my reviews.”

  Our brother, Warren, recently had warned us that some of the gossip magazines had almost ruined his happiness with his fiancée. They were fine and would soon tell me their confirmed wedding dates. S
o the only things on my schedule for the next year were that I’d promised to fly to New York in May, dock or fly into Hawaii in June, and to join the family in December on a private island to ensure I hadn’t missed a family wedding. That meant I had to park the yacht a few times and shave.

  The music from the house changed, and Cyrus smiled. “You could tell Pedar that you’re going to follow your passion and write your blog about foods. He’d be fine.”

  I shook my head. “It’s not that easy for me. I was adopted.”

  “You’ve been one of us since the day you were born. We all love you.”

  Their love was the pressure inside my chest. It wasn’t physical, as I’d had every medical exam out there, not that anyone knew that.

  “I still have this desire to prove myself worthy, which is why I’ll take the next CEO position that’s created after the merger is finalized next year.”

  Cyrus’s phone rang. He stood but said, “You know all Maman and Pedar want is for you to settle down and be happy.”

  And if I didn’t show up soon, Maman would search for me. I stood as well. “We’re not all lucky like you, where your true love just appeared in your life.”

  Cyrus waved. ”Yours will in time. For now, let’s head in.”

  I nodded. “I’ll meet you in the house.” I lifted my chin and made a fast decision. “I’m going to go into town to pick up something, but I’ll be back in an hour.”

  “Don’t make Maman send out a search party.” He walked back inside to his fiancée and infant.

  Maybe that was the secret to life. I would have to learn how to share it with a good woman. I wouldn’t be used again.

  I hopped into my Porsche Panamera 4S—I’d downsized everything for my world trip—as a quick drive to the store might clear my head. The rain started as I left the estate. The car automatically turned on the wipers and adjusted lights for night driving in the rain.

  I turned a corner and saw a woman walking on the side of the road, wearing a blue vest. A sudden burning energy to speak to her washed through me despite that I couldn’t see her face or much of her in the storm. I slowed the car and, rolling down my windows, heard her call out to the rain, “Anything else you want to throw at me tonight?”

  I coughed. “Are you all right, miss?”

  She wiped the water off her face, and my heart stopped. Despite the mess of her fake-red hair, she was stunning. And it wasn’t just her big brown eyes. It was something in their gleam as she stared at me. It was feistiness and hatefulness and determination all mixed together.

  “I’m… I’ll be fine.” She took a few steps away like she was done, though the rainstorm thundered.

  Leaving her like that wasn’t an option. I pulled forward. “I’m one of the Norouzis from the mansion on the hill. Look, can I give you a ride?”

  She gazed at the puddle-filled road then back at me. “It’s not far. I work down the road.”

  I glanced at her waterlogged blue vest. “I recognize the uniform. I’m heading there myself.”

  She took a deep breath then slipped inside. Once she was in, my entire body buzzed with awareness. She jumped at the doors’ auto lock.

  I pointed to the seat heater so she might dry off. “Do you usually walk to work?”

  She shook her head and, for a second, closed her eyes. Then she let out a sigh. “No, my car was stolen earlier today.”

  “I’m sorry.” I pulled into the store parking lot.

  She reached for the door handle. “Don’t be. Your type knows nothing about life. Goodbye.” She jerked to open the door and leave, but the door didn’t budge.

  I unlocked it for her with the button, and she slid out.

  My plan to leave town meant I would never see her again.

  I parked the car and decided to check on her one more time, inside the store, as it sounded like she’d had a horrible day.

  2

  Ali

  Until the ride, I’d been sure I was cursed. My ex had tossed my stuff out and sold my damn car without my permission. I never should have let him keep his name on the registration and title.

  For the first time in my life, I was officially homeless. After my all-night shift, I would have to figure out a new place to live with my paycheck. After the breakup, I’d intended to get my paycheck and figure out how to hold out until Friday.

  The only good thing that came from the storm was riding in a Porsche. It was even prettier on the inside than I’d imagined. Other people who hadn’t had shit luck had cushy seats and no suspicious sounds coming from their engines.

  The manager pointed me to the side office, and I assumed it was about what my ex had done yesterday, as we both worked there. My boss droned on, and I didn’t pay attention until he said, “You’re fired.”

  I placed my hand on my hip. He had to be joking. I flipped my horribly dyed hair behind my ears. “What do you mean I’m fired? Why isn’t John?”

  The manager opened the door so others might hear. “He told us it was you.”

  I rubbed my forehead. That day was going in the books as the worst day of my life, probably topping my mother’s death. “You have me on camera at the time of the theft. I was working customer service returns.”

  He stepped outside. “Look, the decision was made about which one of you to keep, and it wasn’t you.”

  My brain wasn’t processing what had happened at all. It was like the logic of what I’d heard had jumbled with reality. My shoulders slumped. “What am I supposed to do now?”

  “Go back to wherever you came from,” he said quickly.

  My skin buzzed. Sure, I wasn’t born in Virgin Cove, but so what? I was still a person. I glared at him. “Fuck you.” Then I stormed past him and tossed my blue vest on the ground. I was done there.

  A tear escaped my eye, though no one would notice, as I was soaked.

  First, I needed to figure out where to go and wait for my damn paycheck. Then I would get on the bus and get out of the community that kept to themselves.

  As I stepped outside and gazed up at the dark clouds, I wanted to scream. I lowered my head and stepped into the parking lot to disappear, when I ran into Mr. Porsche again. I hugged my waist, unsure why he would stop in front of me.

  He asked, “Everything okay?”

  I swallowed hard, and lightning cracked in the distance. Adrenaline rushed through me, and I lifted my chin, not caring about the rain. “Are you following me?”

  He offered me his umbrella. “I wanted to make sure you were safe.”

  I stepped closer. He smelled good, clean, and that cologne of his was hypnotic. I would not let the rain ruin him, so I shared with him. “Well, I’m… fired. I have no car, no apartment. I’m pretty much fucked. You probably don’t want to be near this train wreck.”

  He guided me to the passenger side of his car. Tension rocketed through me, but I had no other options. He hadn’t killed me last time, so I went.

  Once he joined me in the driver’s seat, he asked, “How good are you at waitressing?”

  My eyes widened. It was an odd place for a job interview. I coughed. “What?”

  The lightning and thunder were so close together, like a snap, and the rain grew worse outside his car.

  He didn’t start the engine and instead said, “I’m heading out on my yacht the day after tomorrow, and I still need a waitress on board. The job comes with room and board, though we’ll be at sea for most of the year.”

  I narrowed my gaze and studied him. Either he was an angel or far worse than John had ever been. I hadn’t caught a break in years, but I couldn’t figure out why a rich guy like him would do that for me. Unless this was it, and he was truly depraved, though my heart whispered that I was fine.

  I froze in the seat as I asked, “A year of work? Or is this your way of picking me up?”

  He shrugged, and he might have blushed for a second. Then he said, “Maybe both, but if you’re truly stuck and don’t want the job, I can get you a room at my parents’ for the
night.”

  Classy guys had nothing in common with girls like me.

  I rolled my eyes, waiting for what would happen next. “Right. Your parents’?”

  He started the car. “It’s not far. I’m in town for my brother’s engagement party tomorrow, then I hoist off.”

  At the last rich man’s party I’d worked, the caterers had ended up being prostitutes. That man had not had his parents there, though.

  This man smelled like money. If he didn’t intend to murder me, I would have to drop my usual defensive shell and accept his job offer. He would likely pay more than the store’s minimum wage.

  I sighed and wished this wasn’t my life as I nodded. “I don’t normally take handouts.”

  As he drove, he said, “A job isn’t a handout.”

  I wrinkled my nose and stared at him. He was muscular and could have any woman, especially with that intensity that clung to him like cologne. Yet I felt safe, which was funny. I’d never thought that about John. When I’d slept right next to him, every night for the past year, I’d half expected what had ended up happening.

  I tensed my body as he drove to the nicer part of town.

  I swallowed. “How do you even know I’d be good at waitressing?”

  He gave me a sideways glance. I swear it was like he saw right into me, when no one ever blinked twice at me, even when I worked the register. My skin buzzed.