Page 128

I look across at my new brother-in-law, who’s standing on the other side of Jon, and shake my head slowly. Half an hour in Easton’s company this morning told me all I needed to know—neither he nor my wife inherited their parent’s asshole genes.

Thank Christ.

“Don’t encourage him.” I wave a hand at Jon and take a sip of my beer. “It’s easy investing and then running back overseas to leave us with his crazy ideas and non-stop bullshit.”

“Hey, do you mind?” Jon protests. He gathers the drinks onto a tray and then turns back to Easton. “And who’s to say I wouldn’t be in touch with him? I’d provide regular updates and at least twice monthly meetings, so he knows his money is being invested wisely.” He pats Easton on the shoulder.

The panic immediately rises on his face, like he hadn’t considered that, and I offer him a satisfied smirk.

As Jon walks away and with Jessie now on a call and walking toward the exit, I take what could be my only opportunity since he’s flying back to Dubai tomorrow morning.

“Have you got a couple of minutes?” I point to an empty table at the other end of the room.

Easton is a smart guy, just like his sister, and I can tell he knows exactly what I want to talk about.

He looks over at his daughter, who’s dancing with Kate on the dance floor, and then at his wife, who is busy talking with family, and nods his head slowly. “Sure thing.”

Taking a seat on the plush black velvet chairs, he surprises me when he speaks first. “First, I want to know what she’s told you. Don’t get me wrong, I like you and all, but I’m not about to divulge details that are hers to share.”

I nod. “Fair enough. I know they’re assholes, I know they want nothing to do with us or the babies when they arrive, and I know they don’t approve of this marriage.” I take another sip of my beer. “I also know they locked her in her bedroom for hours on end to prevent her from going out and to keep her studying in the final two years before she left for college. She said you’d already left home at that point.”

“Yeah, that’s right. I swear I didn’t know anything until maybe two years ago when Kate had too much to drink one New Year’s night and spilled her guts to me.” He winces. “They were kinder to me, but I wasn’t planning to go into law.”

“They’re trying to sabotage her career by cutting off referrals between Mark Preston and the family business,” I say.

You’d think I just told him it would get dark tonight by the unsurprised way Easton leans back in his chair. “Let me tell you something about my parents, Jensen. There is very little, if anything, they care about other than their firm and reputation, and they both go hand-in-hand. The circles they run in and the people they associate with are cold and calculating, just like them. You won’t ever change their minds once they’ve made a decision.” He points to me. “And they’ve decided you aren’t a good image for their daughter, and neither is having children good for her career. Total bullshit, obviously, but all I’m saying is this is the start of them cutting contact and association with their daughter.”

“Because my face doesn’t fit?”

“Yep. Tom was largely acceptable because he did fit the image they like to portray, not that they cared about him. But he was less likely to march into their study and give them some hard truths.”

“You know about that?”

He smirks. “Oh, yeah. Mom was livid.”

I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I’m close to drawing blood. “My turn now. Let me tell you something about me, Easton. Since I’ve known your sister, I’ve been gradually falling in love with her, whether I wanted to admit it or not. My obsession with her is real, and I will set the fucking world on fire to protect her at all costs. I’ll burn myself to ashes in the process if that’s the cost of safety for her and our children. So like hell am I going to allow them to drag Kate’s name through the mud. Whether they change their minds about me and our marriage or not, it really doesn’t matter. My wife will never shed another tear over them. Period.”

Easton runs a palm over his mouth. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to her.”

Clamping a hand on his shoulder, I leave my half-finished beer on the table and stand. “Cheers, bro, and welcome to the family. I’d love to stay and talk to you all night, but right now, I have something I need to take care of.”

He holds up a hand, clearly not wanting any more details on how I plan to slide inside his sister in the next five minutes.

KATE

JJ

Come next door.

Looking around the room filled with loved ones, I notice one absence: my husband.

Me

As in the room next door?

Yes, Princess. Just slip out and don’t tell anyone where you’re going.

Still fucking bossy, you know that?