Anger flashed through Rory’s system. Good spirits? Callum wouldn’t be after a thorough throttling. The prick was headed for Tori’s office. Callum might be six foot six inches and almost sixteen stone of pure-muscled imbecile, but Rory could hold his own in a fight.
“He won’t be for long,” he mumbled under his breath as he jogged down the hall to intercept Callum before he reached Tori. He couldn’t let his brother botch everything.
According to Claire, Oliver was following their lovely publicist around. That likely meant their eldest brother finally intended to do something about his obvious infatuation with her. If not, that meant Oliver was stalking her. While Rory wondered if his big brother had turned predator, he also had to believe the warm, giving sibling who had practically raised him still lurked inside, waiting for the right woman to free him.
Damn Yasmin. If she weren’t already dead, Rory would cheerfully murder the bitch himself.
And damn Tori for being so fucking lovable that she was going to break at least two Thurston-Hughes’s hearts. If he couldn’t have her himself, Rory intended to make damn sure she didn’t hurt Oliver. He’d been through enough.
He turned the corner and found Callum in front of the lifts, impatiently pressing the button that would take him down a level to Tori’s office. Thankfully, he was alone.
“You bastard.”
Callum turned, his jawline taut and stubborn. “I’m not talking about this any longer. Oliver won’t have her, so I intend to. That’s all that needs to be said.”
They’d been through this before. What would it take to get through his brother’s thick skull? “He can’t admit it yet, but I finally think he’s close. Damn it, Callum. I want her, too, but I want Ollie to live more. We have to step back and let him have his chance. We owe him that.”
“I know we do, but I’m not convinced he’ll pick himself up by the balls enough to take her. If that’s the case, I don’t owe him my happiness. Or hers. If he has his way, she’ll be alone forever.”
“You forget her fiancé.”
Callum flushed slightly. “What sort of man leaves her all alone in a foreign country? As far as I’m concerned, after six months he’s given up his rights to her. And Tori doesn’t seem to miss him. She might still wear that pitiful nothing of a ring, but I keep her company. I make sure she’s not alone at night.”
A red mist descended over Rory, shocking him with a fury that made his whole body shake. He’d heard some people talk about losing control when their anger took hold, but he’d never been that man. Callum’s words pushed him to the breaking point, and he fought to repress the crimson haze. “Exactly how are you keeping her company at night, brother?”
Callum raised his hands as if in surrender. “Not sexually. I haven’t touched her beyond a friendly hug.”
One of the things Rory loved about Torrance was her genuine, frequent affection. He’d loved his parents, but their open shows of fondness had been few and far between. Now he craved the way she hugged him when she thought he needed it. At first, he’d been put off by it. Now he wouldn’t let a day go by without her embrace. “Explain it to me then.”
“I call her. I sometimes convince her to let me buy her dinner so we can talk about the fundraiser, but we spend hours talking about all sorts of things. We click, she and I. I’ve never met anyone like her and I’m not willing to give her up because Oliver won’t pull his head from his sphincter.”
“He’s gun-shy. Can’t you see that? Don’t you think I feel the same way about her you do?”
“Then may the best man win.” He turned back to the lift doors and reached out to press the button to call the car again.
They weren’t done yet. He slapped his brother’s hand away and lunged in front of the doors. “No. We’re not playing it that way. We had an agreement.”
“That was months ago, and Oliver has shown no signs of coming out of his shell. I’m not certain he’ll ever be ready.” Callum’s eyes softened. “Rory, I know you feel terribly guilty that you introduced him to Yasmin. You think she got to him through you, but this mess isn’t your fault any more than it’s his. Yasmin is to blame and she’s dead. I’ll be honest, I don’t understand this desperate need he seems to have to punish himself for something that wasn’t his fault.”
“I think he blames himself most for the two children she aborted. He didn’t even know she was pregnant.”
“How could he have known if she didn’t tell him? And given what we know about her now, how can he be certain the babies were even his? I feel for Ollie. He can mourn his lost children, but he doesn’t honor them by dying as well. I feel the loss of my career every day but do you know why I didn’t go immediately into coaching or broadcasting?”
“No. I have wondered. I know you’ve had offers.”
“Because that part of my life is over. I don’t want to be some pathetic, middle-aged, washed-up former pro. I don’t want to be a former anything. I was an athlete. I can’t do that anymore so I’m going to take all of my energy and put it into something new, something worthwhile. I’ve got one life and I won’t live it in the past. I won’t wallow in misery. And I’m through helping Oliver do it. I love Tori. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. I won’t let her go because Oliver might someday wake up and want her. If he truly cares for her, then he’d better be ready to fight. She deserves that.”