Page 93 of The Arrangement

But the most exciting thing in all of Las Vegas is the man sitting beside me, driving a car with the same finesse that he uses to fly planes.

I lie back against the seat and feel the engine rumbling around us. The sound lulls me into a peaceful haze, and I think about all the things Jason has said to me tonight.

I’m not alone anymore.

He’s not going anywhere.

He’ll cover all of his bases to ensure I have what I want and need.

A smile ghosts my lips as a warmth spreads through me like wildfire.

Maybe Mimi is right. Maybe Jason is crazy about me.

Is that really possible?

I look across my shoulder at him just as he looks over at me and gives me the sweetest, shyest, yet most confident smile I’ve ever seen.

My heart wobbles, and my head spins.

In my wildest dreams, Jason is the hero of the story. Gorgeous. Kind. Brilliant. And he looks at me in a way that makes me feel like the only person in the room.

Mimi might be right. He might be crazy about me.

And I might be crazy about him, too.

Jason winks and downshifts, the engine roaring as we speed down the road to our hotel.

Chapter 22

Jason

“Iwould’ve been much happier had we not walked out of there with a threat still hanging over our heads,” I say into the phone.

Towlin sighs.

I gaze across the desert, as the hot morning sun hits me through the windows. Sunshine usually lifts my spirits. But not today. Not about this.

“We’re confident we can navigate this situation, Jason. And, if it does become a legal issue, we’re prepared to pull out all the stops to stop it in its tracks.”

“That’s good. That’s very good. Because if I’m left to explain to Gannon that our father is pinning fraud and extortion charges on the two of us, I’m going to be fucking pissed.”

My jaw pulses, clenching so hard it hurts. The pain is welcome, though, because it takes an ounce of focus off my problems at hand. Namely, Reid Brewer.

Towlin babbles on about strategy and how Discovery should help us in the long run, and the claimant knows that. He assures me that they’re probably aware it was Dad, but we're targets since Gannon and I are the major controllers of the Brewerfinances. And with Dad pointing his finger our way, they’re all too happy to agree.

“If you don’t mind me saying this,” Towlin says, meaning I’m absolutely going to mind what he’s about to say. I brace myself. “But you should tell Gannon and take the air out of the argument. Let him know.”

“And you should mind your business.”

“Jason …”

“Reid Brewer has torn our family apart,” I say, the words hot as they pour from my mouth. “He has gone out of his way to try to dismantle our businesses, our relationships, and each of us individually.”

“I know that.”

I chuckle angrily. He’s known on paper what my father has done. But he doesn’t fully comprehend the emotional toll this has taken.

The stress and angst we’ve had to live with daily. The pain his lies deliver. The brutality of the betrayal.