Page 55 of The Elusive Billionaire

God, these two revert into derelict teenagers whenever they’re in the same room. Pops doesn’t surprise me a bit, but Grey? Never in a million years did I think I’d see the day that someone goaded him into childish behavior.

I honestly didn’t think Grey had it in him. From everything I’ve heard, he’s never behaved like a child, not even when he was one.

“What the hell is happening?” I say with my arms raised. Someone has to be the adult here and defuse these two, it mightas well be me. “We’re not placing bets or daring anyone into marriage. Especially not when it’s me you’re talking about.”

“You’ve been lurking around here, fixing everyone and everything ’xcept yourself since you arrived.” Pops steps closer to Grey. “Ace said it was ’cause you were hiding.”

Oh, shit. Pops causes enough trouble on his own—Madi has the receipts to prove it—but Pops and Ace together was like kicking a hornet’s nest and expecting not to get stung.

Grey flexes, strength rippling through him as though he’s one corded muscle. “Don’t push me, old man.”

Freaking Pops holds out one bony finger and does just that—he pushes Grey in the shoulder with enough strength to move his arm if only an inch, but it’s the action that pushes Grey into motion.

He stalks me slowly in full predator mode. Even Madi takes a step away from him. His arm wraps around my waist, he bends his knees, then his warm breath hits my ear.

“We’re in a shitty predicament here,sweetheart.” His words are barely audible, but I feel them everywhere. “Do you want to explain your past or focus on the smoke screen a fake wedding would provide? The choice is yours, but it’s my world that’s put you on display, so I’ll be the one to protect you.” I shudder involuntarily against him. “The choice is yours, past or future?”

“What kind of choice is that?” My words aren’t whispered, and it has all our family staring at me like I have twelve heads.

“Yours, Monroe. The choice is always yours. Past or future sounds a hell of a lot better than secrets or lies, don’t you think?”

If only I truly had a choice.

“Past or future,” he repeats, this time loudly enough for the room to hear.

“I don’t like being backed into a corner, Grey.” The steel of my conviction is finally forcing the wobble out of my tone.

“I’m not the one who backed you in,sweetheart. But now I’ll be the one to pull you out. It’s up to you how we go about that.”

“What happened to you hating me?”

A slow, methodical smile tugs at the corner of his lips.

Then, his mouth is at my ear—it’s a seduction all its own. “What happened to Patch Daddy?”

“Not going to happen.”

“Oh, but it will. And I don’t hate the way we make up.” Did he just…moan into my ear? “But I do hate that you’re in a scandal because of me, and I will correct that. With or without you.”

Pressing both hands to his chest, I attempt to shove him away, but he’s like a flipping mountain, and the frustration of his strength seeps into my tone. “It’s not because of you, you egotistical narcissistic twat-goblin.”

“Twat-goblin. That’s a favorite of mine.” Cian chuckles.

Grey releases me so suddenly, my limbs fall to my sides as though he dipped them in cement.

“We’re getting fucking married,” Grey announces as though he’s the dang mayor, then slams the door on his way out, while I stand in a complete stupor with everyone looking to me for answers I don’t have and can’t begin to know where to find them.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

GREYSON

“Say that again?”Quinn says.

She’s sitting across from my desk, tapping a stylus against her laptop, but her pinched voice is grating on my nerves, so I stare out my office window.

“Savannah and I are getting married. Put out a press release.” My flat tone is at odds with every emotion I possess—they’re firing on all cylinders inside my mind.

The moment Savvy fainted, I knew, in my gut that she was hiding more than a past—she’s hiding a demon she can’t fight on her own.