Page 165 of Brutal Vows

Declan lifts his brows.

Quinn warns, “Reyna.”

I smile at both of them and go right ahead with what I was going to say. “We need to remove the section in the contract about Stavros.”

Declan leans back in his chair and folds his hands over his stomach. He drawls, “Do we now.”

“Yes. And please don’t be patronizing. That’s literally my least favorite thing.”

He glances at Quinn, who looks like he’d rather be anywhere else than in this room, then looks back at me. “The contract has already been signed.”

“But it doesn’t take effect until my dear husband here and I have both signed a wedding license and filed it with the county clerk. Until then, it’s just a bunch of paper.”

When Declan draws down his dark brows and glowers at me, I say innocently, “Or am I incorrect?”

Quinn’s sigh is heavy.

Declan gazes at me with a calculated look in his icy blue eyes. I’m sure if I were a man, he’d be terribly frightening, but right now, all I’m feeling is determined.

I want that section out of the contract, and I want to negotiate some better terms for my side, and I’m not leaving this office until both of those things are done.

“Look. Either you take that section out, or I’ll tell Sloane it’s in there. Your choice.”

In a clipped tone, Declan says, “I could just cancel the whole bloody thing.”

So he wants to play dirty. Well, I’m up for that.

I sit back in my chair, cross my legs, and shrug. “Okay by me.”

Groaning, Quinn leans over and drops his head into his hands.

“Does your brother know you’re making demands on his behalf?”

Holding Declan’s freezing blue gaze, I say calmly, “I’m making demands on behalf of my family and my new friend Sloane, not Gianni. If he had half a brain, he would’ve negotiated a better contract himself, but since I’m the one sitting here with a wedding ring on my finger, I’m the one you’re dealing with.”

After a long moment of silence, Declan smiles.

“All right, lass. We’ll take out the Stavros section.”

“Thank you. Now, concerning section 24a. We’re going to need a better payment schedule on those overseas shipments.”

Into his hands, Quinn mutters, “Dear God in heaven.”

But Declan doesn’t seem at all surprised to hear I’m not finished making demands. He simply says, “Why don’t you put itall in writing and send it over? We’ll have the attorneys draw up a new draft and we can go over it then.”

Quinn lifts his head and stares at Declan as if he’s lost his mind.

“I’ll do that. Thank you.”

“Any other surprises you’d like to spring on me?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Can we get to the reason you’re here now?”

“There’s no need to be snippy.”

Declan looks at Quinn, who puts his hands in the air and shakes his head.