BAM-The Beginning (Vested Interest) Read online

  Also by Melanie Moreland

  Vested Interest Series

  Bentley (Vested Interest #1)

  Aiden (Vested Interest #2)

  Maddox (Vested Interest #3)

  Reid (Vested Interest #4)

  Van (Vested Interest #5)

  Halton (Vested Interest #6)

  Sandy (Vested Interest #7) Coming Soon

  Insta-Spark Collection

  It Started with a Kiss

  Christmas Sugar

  An Instant Connection

  An Unexpected Gift

  The Contract Series

  The Contract (The Contract #1)

  The Baby Clause (The Contract #2)

  The Amendment (The Contract #3)

  Standalones

  Into the Storm

  Beneath the Scars

  Over the Fence

  My Image of You (Random House/Loveswept)

  Contents

  Foreword

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  What happens the next morning?

  Bentley

  Also by Melanie Moreland

  About the Author

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for selecting this first look at the Vested Interest series.

  “This is a great idea.”

  Aiden had jumped up, fist punched the air, and yelled, “That’s how we do it! BAM!”

  It stuck. Our initials, our ideas, our brand. My brothers.

  Be sure to sign up for my newsletter for up to date information on new releases, exclusive content and sales.

  Always fun - never spam!

  xoxo,

  Melanie

  BAM-The Beginning by Melanie Moreland

  Copyright © 2019 Moreland Books Inc.

  Registration # 1164916

  ISBN # 978-1-988610-29-0

  All rights reserved

  Edited and Proofed by

  Lisa Hollett—Silently Correcting Your Grammar

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

  means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information

  storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are

  products of the author's imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any

  similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Created with Vellum

  Chapter 1

  Bentley

  I walked in the front door, inhaling deeply. The house smelled delicious, so I knew Maddox was cooking. We took turns, but Maddox was the best at it. When it was my turn, there was a lot of takeout. When Aiden cooked, there were vast quantities—and the primary ingredient was always meat. He was an endless vacuum and could out-eat both Maddox and me—even when the food was subpar.

  I could hear Maddox and Aiden talking, and I went upstairs to change and grab five minutes of peace. After they heard what I was going to tell them, there’d be no more peace for me tonight.

  I ran my hand over the smooth oak banister we had restored when I bought the house. The wood gleamed in the late afternoon sunshine that poured through one of the many stained-glass windows that graced the old Victorian house. My room was on the third floor—or the “penthouse,” as Aiden liked to tease me.

  “Only the best for Bent.” He grinned with a wink the day we moved in. “Top floor so he can look down on all us peons.”

  “Fucking right, Callaghan,” I returned with a smirk. “That’s why you’re on the first floor.”

  “Great,” Maddox groaned. “I’m the meat in the Bentley-Aiden sandwich.”

  Aiden pursed his lips. “Too scrawny. You’re more like the mayo on the bread.”

  We all laughed.

  That was the way we were with one another. Teasing, over-the-top comments, lots of banter—but we were tight. I would lay down my life for either of them, and they would do the same for me. They were the brothers I never had—my family.

  We met at the start of our first year. I met Aiden first, then Maddox became part of our small group. Three vastly different people, all from dysfunctional circumstances that gave us common ground. We recognized that disconnect with others. That feeling that we, somehow, were different. Aiden’s need for a roommate brought him to me. Maddox’s need for companionship gave him the bravery to jump into our conversation one day in line at the student center. It was their honest, simple offering of friendship that broke through my walls. Our shared hidden pain was the very basis of our friendship, which grew into more. We became our own clan, as Aiden liked to call us.

  “The BAM boys!” he’d yell and fist-punch the air.

  And we were.

  Which was why I needed them to understand the decision I was going to share with them tonight. I needed their support.

  I headed down the hall to the next staircase, passing Maddox’s bedroom. His room was large and faced the side of the house and the massive willow tree that grew beside it. He had his desk in front of the window and liked to look at the branches moving in the wind. It was one of his calming exercises. Everything in the room was neat and in its place. That was the way Maddox liked his space. Needed it to be. Order and calm was the atmosphere he thrived in.

  The rest of the floor held a large bathroom and a spare room. Mostly storage for us since we never had anyone stay. But there was an extra bed shoved in the corner in case. The room was tidy thanks to Maddox.

  Aiden’s room was on the main floor beside the kitchen. He liked the space because it opened to the sunporch on the back of the house where he kept his workout equipment. It too had a small bathroom attached, so it was private as well. The fact that the room was right off the kitchen was a bonus for him since he was perpetually hungry. I often wondered if his constant appetite was due to the fact that he had been underfed as a child and still felt the same fear that he’d go hungry again.

  My floor was divided in half. One side was a bedroom with a small bathroom, the other side wide open, and I used it for an office. Right now, there were plans and drawings hung on the wooden beams, stacks of notebooks with ideas on the edge of the desk. Various books and maps were piled on the floor. And in the middle of the desk, a folder containing legal documents, leases, agreements, and bank statements. All of which I was putting into action today.

  I grabbed a quick shower and donned fresh pants and a button-down, rolling up the sleeves and leaving the top button open. That was about as casual as I got. Although, on occasion I did wear a sweater. The only time I put on lounge pants was to go to bed. Aiden tried several times to coax me into wearing sweat pants the way he did most of the time, but I only wore those to work out—and they were always clean, neat, with no holes. Otherwise, I felt strange and out of place, as if my “uniform” were missing. My aunt and uncle had insisted on formal dress my entire life, and I was used to it. Maddox never commented on my clothing choices—he understood the need for me to dress formally the same way I understood his need for order.

  We each had our “thing.”

  Maddox was a control freak. I was uptight and formal. Aiden worked out like a fiend. We knew one another’s histories and pain, and our coping mechanisms to overcome them.

  And we somehow meshed, holding one another up, and allowing ourselves to be what we needed to be.

  Like a family was supposed to be.

  I picked up the folder and descended the stairs. In the kitchen, Aiden and Mad
dox were arguing about whose turn it was to do the dishes. I rolled my eyes as I listened and ended the argument as I walked in.

  “You’re both wrong. It’s my turn.”

  Aiden whooped, and Maddox grinned in relief. As if loading the dishwasher was such a huge effort. Especially when Maddox was cooking. He was so neat; he cleaned up as he went. When Aiden cooked, every bowl, pot, and pan we owned was used and left in the sink and on the counters for someone else to tidy up. I cheated with my takeout offerings since they often came prepackaged with nothing needed but cutlery.

  Even with Sandy helping out, it was a battle to keep us in line.

  “Hey, Bent.” Maddox smiled. “I thought I heard you come in.”

  “Yes, I grabbed a shower. I was covered in dust.”

  Aiden frowned. “Dust? Where were you today? I looked for you earlier, but you weren’t in your analytics class or economics. I checked.”

  “I was off campus.”

  “You missed classes again?” Maddox asked. “You were out two days last week too. You okay, Bent?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. I had other matters to attend to.”

  “More important than class? Bentley Ridge is skipping school?” Aiden mock-yelled. “My God, alert the media. What’s next? Drinking from the juice bottle? Wearing underwear two days in a row? Mismatched socks or, God forbid, a T-shirt? Mayhem, people! Total mayhem!” He flopped down on a chair, holding his chest.

  “Mad Dog, where did we go wrong? Bentley is turning into one of us. A schlep.” Aiden covered his eyes. “I don’t even know you anymore, Bentley.”

  There was a beat of silence, then Aiden peeked out between his fingers. I flipped him the bird, and we started to laugh.

  I sat down, wiping my eyes. I needed that laugh. It brought me back to the moment. To the reason for my decision.

  Maddox opened the oven door, the piquant aroma making my mouth water. I had been so busy, I hadn’t eaten today, despite Sandy trying to encourage me to do so.

  Aiden sat up, inhaling. “That smells awesome.”

  “It does,” I agreed.

  “Taco casserole. Two girls were talking about it in the cafeteria. I leaned over and asked for the recipe.”

  “You get anything else?” Aiden asked with a wink.

  “A phone number and a date for Friday.”

  Aiden high-fived Maddox. “Our boy is growing up, Bent.”

  I chuckled, not commenting. Aiden could carry on the conversation without me. Maddox set down the casserole, the hot cheese bubbling, the aromatic smell filling the air.

  “Dig in.” Maddox grinned.

  The room was silent aside from the scraping of knives and forks on the stoneware and the odd comment thrown out by Aiden.

  “This is good.”

  It was good. It was also hot. In fact, fiery.

  I cleared my throat. “What is in here?”

  Maddox shrugged. “It’s kinda like tacos but layered.”

  I swallowed, taking a long drink of water and dotting my forehead with a napkin. “It’s, ah, spicy.”

  Maddox nodded, his brow furrowing. “It’s building.”

  Aiden grunted around a mouthful. “Good,” he mumbled.

  “How much spice is in here?” I asked.

  Maddox rubbed his lips and took a drink of water. “Just the regular taco stuff. Maybe the jalapenos were really hot.”

  “How many did you put in?” I asked, glancing at Aiden. His cheeks were flushed and his forehead damp, but he kept eating.

  “Four.”

  I gaped at him. “Four?”

  “That’s what the recipe said!” he replied, waving his phone.

  I took it from him, glancing at the list. “It says one quarter of a jalapeno, you idiot. Not four whole ones! No wonder it’s so freaking spicy.”

  “Huh. I thought that meant one to four, and since we like things with a kick, four would work,” Maddox mused. “I guess I should have asked.”

  Aiden paused, a forkful partway to his mouth. “Well, that’s gonna hurt later. Down, down, down, there’s a burning ring of fire,” he intoned, and then he began to laugh.

  I looked down at my plate and started to chuckle. Maddox grumbled about unclear recipes, then started to laugh as well. He rose from the table and returned with a tub of sour cream. “Put that on. It’ll cool down your mouth.” He grinned. “Nothing I can do about your ass later.”

  “That’s what she said,” Aiden added.

  The laughter started all over again.

  I pushed back the bowl of ice cream I had inhaled. My mouth was cooler, but my lips still burned from Maddox’s dinner. Even Aiden stopped after two plates. I swallowed the last of my water and set down my glass.

  Maddox leaned back in his chair, eyeing me speculatively. “So, Bent, you gonna tell us what that file you brought to the table with you is all about? Why you’re skipping classes?”

  Aiden hunched forward. “You’re not kicking us out, are you?”

  It didn’t surprise me that was Aiden’s first question. His history made him disbelieve his own self-worth. He believed himself to be disposable. He had gotten better, but I wondered if he would ever truly believe in his strength and what he meant to people who really cared about him.

  “No, but I am making a change. A big one.”

  “More renovations?” Aiden queried, then groaned. “Oh God, you bought another house to flip?”

  “I bought a building.”

  “A building? What the hell for?”

  I drew in a deep breath. “Because my company is going to need office space.”

  “Your company?” Maddox asked. “When you’re done school? Isn’t it a little early to be purchasing a building?”

  I shook my head. “I’m leaving university. I quit today. I’m opening my own company.” At their stunned looks, I kept going. “When you two have graduated, I want you to come on board. Work for me. With me, actually. I want the three of us to work together.”

  “Bent—” Maddox began, and I held up my hand, interrupting him.

  “It’s a done deal, Mad Dog.”

  “Have you thought this through?” he asked. “Financially? The risk you’re taking? Leaving university to chase a dream? Bent, it’s one thing to flip a few houses and make some extra money, but to totally change your course?”

  I shook my head. “I’m not changing courses. I’ve known what I wanted to do for a while now. I don’t need the MBA. I’m bored out of my mind in class. I spend more time doing research on properties than I do listening to the profs. I’m wasting my time. Time I could be spending building my future.”

  Aiden frowned. “Flipping houses? That’s what you want to do?”

  “No. Well, I think I’ll always want to keep doing that as well, but on a bigger scale.”

  “I don’t get it,” Aiden argued. “You don’t just leave school and start a business, Bent. Without an MBA under your belt? How are you going to afford to live? What if you fail and have to sell this place? Where are we going to go? Have you thought of that?” He smacked his hand on the table. “Talk to him, Maddox. Tell him.”

  I held my temper in check, knowing Aiden was upset over the personal ramifications, not my decision per se. We were his nucleus, this house the first real home he’d ever had, and his fear of losing it and us was strong.

  We had all started our university careers later in life. When my aunt died unexpectedly, I had helped my uncle put her affairs in order. When he had passed not long after, it took me a while to figure everything out and decide on my future. My uncle had pushed me toward a career in law like him, but after he died, I was free to choose my own path. Business was where I wanted to be, and getting an MBA was the route I had chosen after much thought. Both Aiden and Maddox had to work before they went to university in order to afford the cost, so their journey was different from mine. But I was ready for a new path. One I forged.

  I leaned forward, earnest.

  “Listen to me, Aiden. I have this al
l mapped out. I’ve thought it over carefully and listed the pros and cons. I’ve spoken with people I trust and listened to their advice. I know what I want to do with my future and I’m not taking any risks I can’t afford.” I blew out a long breath. “I know I don’t discuss my finances with you, but I’m wealthy.”

  “Already knew you were well-off, Bentley,” Aiden replied. “You never kept that a secret. But—”

  I held up my hand, stopping him. “I’m not well-off—I’m rich. Between my trust fund from my parents and the inheritance from my aunt and uncle, well—” I pulled a sheet of paper from the file and slid it toward him “—that’s my net worth.”

  He studied the paper, his mouth forming the numbers slowly. I had made sure to print everything in the font Maddox had discovered helped Aiden cope with his dyslexia so he could read the documents himself. It was important to let him do so—telling him didn’t help him absorb the information. Reading it, however slowly, did.

  His eyebrows shot up, and he glanced at Maddox. “Did you know?”

  Maddox shrugged and glanced at the number. “I guessed, but frankly, I was way off. You don’t even need to work, Bentley. Like ever.”

  “I know, but I would hate that. I have this vision, and I want to make it a reality.” I paused. “I want us to make it a reality.”

  “You want us to quit school too?” Aiden asked.

  “No. I want you to finish your education. Both of you. Get your degrees. If this doesn’t work, you will need them to get jobs. If this does work, your place will be with me.”

  “Tell us,” Maddox urged.

  “I want to build an empire. Land development, investment opportunities, condo towers, resorts—all of it. But I want to keep it all in-house. I want my own team of experts. The best of the best. Builders, designers, architects, construction crews. I plan to change the landscape of Toronto. I want our name associated with excellence. I want investors clamoring to be part of the next condo tower or high-end mall we build. We’ll have our own management team that oversees the properties we build and maintain.”