Page 119 of Marrying the Billionaire Single Dad

"Get off my balls, man."

"No."

I glance around, curl my fingers at my sides. "I can’t do this. This was a bloody stupid idea. Fuck my career, fuck the next album, fuck everything. I’m leaving." I head for the exit.

He plants his body in my way. "I am not letting you sabotage the one good thing that’s come your way since the accident."

"You can’t stop me," I growl.

"But we can."

I glance past Arpad as Edward walks into the room.

Of course, he’s not alone. Sinner, Saint, Weston and Jace follow him. "Bloody hell, the only one missing is that joker Baron showing up, to complete this shit show."

"If that’s what it takes," Arpad growls.

"What do you mean?" I frown.

"No one told him yet?" Edward ambles over to the arm chair in the corner and drops into it.

"Do you want to, or should I?" Sinclair drawls.

Weston and Jace take a stance by the door. Clearly, they don’t trust my not making a break for it. Obviously, they know me too well. Shit. This is what happens when you have friends you’ve known since you were teens. They think they can take liberties with your life. Well, it is time to set them right. No one can make me do what I don’t want to do. No one.

I glower at them, "You wankers thought it would be a good idea to stage an intervention?"

"Just returning the favor, ol’ chap." Saint smirks.

He’s referring to how the rest of us had cornered him when he’d been in the middle of his courtship with Victoria. We’d been his sounding board as he’d explained all the justifications for why he wanted to fake-marry her… We’d goaded him along, steered him onto the right path, which was to put the ring on her finger, and well, hell, look at the two of them now. In happily wedded bliss, with a kid on the way.

"Oh, no, no," I shake my head, "this isn’t the same situation as you and Victoria."

"Oh, no?" He folds his arms over his chest. "Pray, tell me, what’s different here?"

"You married her to get to the Mafia," I point out.

"I married her because," he shuffles his feet, "because I love her."

"You barely knew her." I scowl at him. "No way, could you have fallen for her so quickly."

"Couldn’t I?" He draws in a breath. "I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her that she was the one for me. I kept fooling myself otherwise, but I knew." He slaps his chest, "Deep inside, I knew, brother. It took me long enough to admit it, after I put her and our child in danger. I don’t want the same to happen to you. It’s why I’m telling you—"

"What?" I growl, "Confess to feelings I don’t have and marry her?"

"Marry her because she’s the only thing standing between you and complete destruction. Besides," he looks me up and down, "you have feelings for her."

"I don’t," I growl. "She’s simply a means of accessing my muse."

"Didn’t Shakespeare marry his muse?" Arpad pipes up.

"What’s that got to do with anything?" I crack my neck, "And what was it that you guys were going to tell me before we were sidetracked?"

Arpad glances at the others, "Shall I?"

Sinclair nods, "Go ahead."

"Baron contacted me." Arpad declares.