Russian Roulette: Family secrets [2021 version]

Ch. 24: Are you dumb or something?

He was bored out of his skull.

Sometimes, Gareth did not know why he bothered to sit through lengthy meetings, listening to self-important asshats tell him shit he already knew.

It was always the same. They would negotiate, thinking they had one hell of a deal on the table, and then Gareth would counter with outrageous demands of his own just to rile them up into a different deal. He could not care less if the other party walked away, thinking they had outsmarted him because, in the end, the meetings always finished exactly how he intended them to. Gareth knew how to play the game, and he played it to his advantage every time.

It was not rocket science.

Being in Switzerland for five days to endure these meetings was not his idea of fun, however, it was a necessary evil to expand his empire. Which meant he had to play ball and be patient. There were a few perks he had enjoyed during the tedious meetings. They had excellent coffee, and the chocolates were little, mouthwatering Swiss masterpieces. 

He noted he should bring some back for Mackenzie. She would love them and maybe give him that smile she made when she got overly excited about something.

Gareth missed that smile.

He had done any- and everything to get into her good graces after their little talk Saturday night. Had taken all her ranting shit with as much calm as he could muster.

It was natural; he understood she had needed to vent because the information was too much for her to handle. Finally, she knew why they had lost contact, and why he pursued her again. Deep inside, he believed she had let go and forgiven him for ghosting her, and she understood he was genuinely interested in a life with her. What she battled and had needed to rage on was the fact that he could have died, and she would not have known. Even if she could not be blamed, she hated herself for not being there for him. Hated that she had accepted his disappearance and not come to bust his balls for not answering her.

Then again, his balls had gotten busted more than they needed at that time.

So, he had granted her the liberty to act out.

The entire first half of Sunday, she had ranted at him and slapped him out of the blue. After the sixteenth time, Gareth had had enough. Sure, she was mad at him, but enough was enough. So, he had slapped her ass once, and hard at that. Mackenzie had grinned at him with a knowing nod. She knew just as well as him that he took no shit, and that he had taken more than his share from her before he had given back. His acceptance of her behavior had proved to her he was sorry.

That little grin had given him some hope. That she had told him she loved him had given him even more.

They had come to some sort of truce Sunday evening, because he told her he needed to go away on business. The trip Cracker had scheduled in Gareth's calender weeks prior, and Gareth had mentioned it to her, but neither of them really had remembered or given the trip much thought. Not until he had received a text from Cracker, asking if Nina had their travel schedule, had Gareth realized. And knowing Mackenzie, she would be able to stay mad for a week. Gareth did not want her mad for even a day.

Politely, he had asked if they could talk.

They had taken some time to discuss their situation and came to an agreement that she should go visit her mother and relax a little while he was away. And then, hopefully, they would both be in a better place after.

With a little time apart to think and clear the negative thoughts, maybe they stood a chance. Even Gareth admitted he had needed a few days to breathe without being constantly reminded of his own actions and seeing how Mackenzie struggled with the decisions he had made.