Page 50 of An Inevitable Marriage

More like drugs. Maybe if we did a random test, that would give me a reason to throw his ass out of my building. “Why are you here?”

“Really, cousin, we’re family. Surely you can at least try to be a little friendlier.”

Narrowing my eyes, I ground my back molars. “What the fuck do you want?”

Shane smacked a hand over the left side of his chest and pretended to be hurt. I wanted to hurt him for real. Ram my fists into his face until the features that somehow resembled my own weren’t recognizable anymore.

“I want a great many things.” He ran his fingers through his short blond hair. “But right now, you need to increase the budget for the year-end function.”

“No.” I shrugged out of my jacket, and after hanging it behind my door, I strode to my chair. Parking my ass on the plush leather, I fired up my computer and shuffled through the papers on my desk.

Shane hadn’t moved an inch.

“I have meetings to prepare for. Why are you still here?”

Something flashed in his eyes. It was the same expression I imagined I had every time I envisioned bringing him pain. “You didn’t even ask why I need the budget increased. But I’ll tell you anyway. The company we contracted hired a new planner, and she’s so much better than the previous one but also more expensive, and if we want—”

“Find a new company then.”

He blinked a few times. “We…can’t. We have a contractual obligation to—”

“Listen,” I growled. “Not that your thick head would understand this, but there are budgets for a reason. Stick to yours, or I’ll find someone else to do it.”

Shane jumped to his feet with a harrumph. “You can’t fire me, you—”

“No, but I can move you around the company as I see fit.” Leaning back, I balanced my ankle on my knee. “Pretty sure there’s a spot in the mailroom with your name on it.”

The asshole’s mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. I enjoyed it for about two seconds before he lifted his nose toward the ceiling in what I presumed he wanted to be a defiant manner.

To me, he just looked idiotic.

“I cannot wait for Grandfather to take you down,” he sneered.

I saw red.

Slamming my fists on the table, I jumped to my feet so fast, the pathetic piece of shit ducked as if I were about to hit him. Which I wanted to do desperately. And as satisfying as the feel of my fist connecting with his jaw would have been, it wasn’t worth the shitshow I’d have to face after.

“Get the fuck out of my office!” I snarled instead.

Shane’s hands came up in surrender, and he slowly walked backward toward the door. Almost like he was afraid to turn his back on me. Little did he know I wasn’t like him or our grandfather.

If I wanted to dig a knife in, I’d do it from the front so they knew it was me.

When he finally reached the door, I didn’t miss the slight wobble in his hand as he tried to turn the handle without taking his eyes off me.

“Grandfather will hear about this,” he muttered.

I didn’t answer him. I’d already wasted enough time on his sorry ass. Taking my seat once more, I pulled my computer closer and dove headfirst into the day’s tasks.

I didn’t get much done, as my thoughts constantly drifted back to Snow. First, that comment about her body, then the thing about her job and how it was my fault she didn’t have one anymore.

What the hell was she talking about?

Unlocking my drawers, I retrieved the file Tristan had sent over two weeks ago. I might have been desperate, but not enough to blindly marry a stranger without first looking into their background.

That’s where Tristan came in. Not only was he a brilliant attorney, but the man had a scary ability to dig into people’s pasts and find every single secret they wanted to stay hidden.

Less than a week after I’d met Snow, I’d held a folder containing all I needed to know about the woman.