Page 129 of In Case You Didn't Know

Hudson nods. He, of all people, knows that I need her to be safe right now. And Liberty is the safest place I can think of. Plus, there are no security cameras at Hudson’s house. And we can monitor everybody that goes on and off the island.

And knowing the woman I care about is safe – at least for now – is everything.

“I still think you should tell her,” Hudson says. “Nothing good comes from hiding things.”

I lift a brow at him. “Pot meet kettle.” The man has more secrets than the Illuminati. “You didn’t exactly follow your own advice with Skyler.”

“And I’m trying to teach you from my mistakes,” he points out, but he looks resigned.

“She can’t find out. She’s got enough going on. She has to finish her book, she’s just reconciling with her brothers. I can’t endanger any of that.”

Neither of them says out loud what I know they’re both thinking. I already have.

“So that’s it, you’re just going to capitulate?” Hudson asks. “Give the shares to Annalise and Nathan?”

I swallow hard. “I don’t have another choice.”

“And what if they renege? What if she uploads them anyway out of spite?” West asks. “A woman scorned and all that…”

“My lawyer is already drawing up an ironclad agreement.”

“Like the last one?” Hudson lifts a brow. And he has a point. Nathan and I signed a legal contract.

But I’m still on the verge of losing everything.

I look my brother straight in the eye. He looks as messed up as I feel. But he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to. I can already hear the echo of my own thoughts bouncing off his skull.

I’m a fucking idiot. It’s not the first time I’ve hurt the people I love.

But it has to be the last. I can’t keep doing this.

“The contract will have contingencies,” I tell him. “It’ll be so tight they could strangle a lawyer.” I lift a brow at West. “Present company excluded.”

“I’ll check it over too,” he offers. “Make sure that if she releases anything she’ll go down with it. And she’ll know it. That’s the important thing.”

“You really think she cares about going down?” Hudson asks, leaning back in his chair. “She’s not stupid, she’s vindictive. That’s worse.”

For a moment none of us speak. Hudson knows all about vindictive exes. His daughter’s mother stole their child and took her to a different continent, after all.

He might have his daughter back now, but the scars remain. And the law did nothing to help him until it was too late.

“I have no fucking idea what else to do,” I admit. “She’s desperate. Her brother’s dying, her life’s imploding, and she wants someone to burn for it. If giving her the company keeps Francie safe, then that’s what I have to do. Let her burn me instead.”

“You’re giving her control over you,” West murmurs. “You’re going to lose everything. All the years you’ve worked on this. Your intellectual property. It’ll all be gone.”

I drain the last of the water in the glass on Hudson’s desk. And let out a long breath.

“What else can I do?” I ask them.

They exchange a glance.

“No. I’m not talking to Francie. You know how she’ll react. She’ll try to dissuade me. And I’m not going to let her do that. Annalise can destroy me, that’s fine. I’ve been destroyed before. But I won’t let them destroy Francie.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Hudson looks as resigned as I feel. “I’ll stand by you. Of course I will. No matter how this shakes out.”

“Thank you.” My voice is hoarse.

“Same.” West nods. “You’ll get through this.”