Surrender 01 - Surrender

slowly, making faces at him the whole way.
    No matter how old they grew, it seemed his sisters would forever act like teenagers. What surprised him was that he hoped they never stopped. He would forever picture them with pigtails in their hair, running into the house to tell him about their latest adventure at school. And yet Lia was now twenty-six and Rachel was twenty-three. Time flew by so quickly.
    “So, Rafe, what is this new toy you’ve acquired?”
    “I think you’ll be the most excited, Dad. We need to drive to the marina.”
    “Ah, you got a new boat. Didn’t you just buy one last year?”
    “Yes, and she’ll always be precious to me, but I’ve got a new love. The latest way to entertain clients is on private yachts, so I decided to make an investment. The IRS is a little stingy, of course, about some deductions, but the new boat will still do more than pay for itself. But ultimately, she’s really just an overpriced toy,” he admitted.
    “Ooh, Rafe, I can’t wait. Are we going out today?” Lia asked as her eyes lit up.
    “I’ve cleared my schedule and called the crew. We can take her for a spin — have dinner on the water.”
    “Have I told you lately that you’re the absolute best brother ever?” Rachel said as she snuggled up to his side.
    “Only every time you want something from me,” he responded with a chuckle.
    “Big brothers are supposed to spoil their sisters. It’s in the rule book.”
    “Yeah, the rule book that you wrote when you were five.”
    The family climbed into Rafe’s Porsche Cayenne and he cut quickly through traffic, eager to see his family’s reaction to his newest pride and joy.
    “Why do you always buy all of these expensive items?” his mother asked.
    “I work incredibly hard, and therefore reward myself. It makes me happy.”
    The thought of what made him happy brought Ari to the forefront of his mind. The longer it took for her to realize their inevitable affair would happen, the more irritated he became.
    “You’ve always wanted things instantly, Rafe. You know that poster that says ‘he who has the most toys when he dies — wins’ isn’t true, right?”
    “This from the girl who owns at least a hundred pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes, Rachel?” Rafe remarked with a raise of his brow.
    “You can never own too many shoes.”
    The ride went silently as Rafe’s thoughts returned to Ari. It had been a week since Mario had taken her home; Rafe hadn’t spoken to her since. He’d allowed some time to pass for her to see reason, or for his interest to wane. But neither was happening, which meant it was about time for him to hunt her down.
    They pulled into the exclusive marina, and he moved around to the back, where his vessel was parked at a huge dock. The gleaming white vessel was two hundred and fifty feet long and put every other liner then in the marina to shame.
    Rafe took pride in owning only the best. Yes, there were other boats out there bigger and more luxurious, but this baby was exactly what he wanted. Not too large to keep him from going where he wanted near to home, but large enough to offer all the comforts for longer adventures.
    “Is that it?” Lia asked in awe.
    “Yes. That’s my girl,” he answered with pride.
    “You sure you couldn’t have gotten one a bit bigger?” his father asked with sarcasm. The smile on his face eliminated the sting of his words.
    “Ha, Father , I think that’s a little like calling the kettle black. Your personal jet puts my own to shame. Who do you think taught me to like only the best?”
    His father winked at him before returning his attention to the boat.
    Rafe’s father had always been a very wealthy man, but his mother had insisted on not spoiling the children. When they spent their time in Italy, they lived in a modest home, one that was very comfortable, but not grand or showy. In the States, however, they’d had a mansion. When it had burned down a few years ago, his father had been devastated. Now, he was rebuilding, but even having all the money in the world didn’t make it an easy task to recreate a hundred-year-old home.
    His father had inherited it from his parents before his marriage, and that was the only reason Rafe’s mother had allowed them to live in such luxury. She often said a wealthy man was a conceited man — she just made an exception for Martin. She loved him particularly because of his generous heart, his incredible charity to the poor.
    As Rafe reflected on his