Page 29 of So I'll Know
I sigh. “He wants me to marry Sabrina Pine.”
“What?” John scoffs. “He can’t be serious.”
“Oh, he is. He blatantly threatened Sebastian and Charlie if I didn’t agree.” I run my hand through my hair, tugging at the strands. “I mean, he’s done that before, but this felt more . . . real.”
“Martin has always been a prick.” John’s voice is tight. “But I can’t believe he’s threatening his children like this. Ellen would have been appalled.”
My throat tightens at the mention of my stepmother. “He’s not who he was.”
My stepmom’s affair with John was the catalyst that broke our family a few years ago, but that’s all water under the bridge now. John’s son, Lincoln, is one of my sister’s boyfriends, and John has proven time and again that he’s a good person who made a poor decision because he was in love. I can’t really relate as I’ve never been in love, but I’m sympathetic, nonetheless. And now John’s using his sizable assets to help my family escape my father’s hold. Still, his motives aren’t completely selfless. On top of their personal shit, my father and John have a rocky business relationship.
John’s tone is heavy. “I know. Look, I’ll make a few calls to my private investigator. I’m sure we can accelerate the timeline, and the paperwork for the ownership transfer is easy enough, but we do have to make sure we have enough on the table to force Martin and Ryan to sign over the pub and back off your siblings.”
“There’s one other thing,” I say hesitantly.
“I’m listening.”
“Dad thinks that Ryan might put a tail on me. The guy is completely losing it. So going forward, we should be extra careful about where we talk and meet up. I don’t want him to get wind of all this.”
“Great.” He sounds annoyed. “Yeah, okay.”
“Sorry, John. I know this hasn’t been easy, but I appreciate what you’re doing.”
“You know you don’t have to convince me it’s worth it, Marcus. Charlie is pretty much my daughter-in-law at this point, and after what happened between me and your mother?—”
“We don’t hold that against you,” I cut in. “None of us blame you—or even her—for what happened. After the truth about my dad came out, it’s no wonder she wanted to leave.”
“It still wasn’t right.” The remorse in his voice is thick.
“No, but it’s forgiven.” My throat feels tight again.
“Let me know if you need anything. I’ll help however I can.”
I hang up and drop my phone into my lap. Despite how complicated everything has gotten, Martin Conner deserves everything that’s coming to him.
CHAPTER NINE
JEREMY
Istare at my small suitcase, then check the weather app for Cannon Beach for the tenth time.
I add another hoodie.
It’s Thanksgiving break, and Aunt Sophia is taking a cruise with her friends, so I decided this would be a good time to set up a meeting with my next potential client, Flash Montgomery. The guy is a B-list actor, often starring in campy horror movies, but he agreed to talk to me after I sent him my résumé and told him I was working with Martin Conner’s son on my current job. Skynet owns properties all over the country, including Cannon Beach, and the space Flash purchased was one of theirs, originally a quaint seaside motel. He bought it for the oceanfront land, leveled it, and built an over-the-top beach house, but now he needs a decorator.
Ireallywant to be that decorator.
Fingers crossed.
I was surprised he had time over the holiday weekend, but he assured me that his family aren’t big Thanksgiving people, a sentiment I understand well. My aunt and I didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving much when I was growing up. My parents diedon Black Friday when I was seven. I lost my mom and dad, and Aunt Sophia lost her sister, so not exactly our favorite time of year.
This trip is a bit last-minute, but after the encounter with Marcus at my apartment, followed by the weekend overthinking, and then three awkward days in the office with him afterward, I need space. I just need to stop by the pub to grab my work portfolio, which I left on Wednesday afternoon in my haste to avoid Marcus for the hundredth time.
I blow out a breath. I shouldn’t be avoiding my boss. Well, my client, whatever—the person who hired me. Honestly, I shouldn’t have spoken to him the way I did that night. I don’t know what came over me. Not that Marcus didn’t ask for it, but I could have just told him to get his hand off my throat and act like a fucking professional. I cringe when I think about my hand necklace comment.
I see a lot of my personal struggle in Marcus, fear and uncertainty in his eyes when he panics are painfully familiar. The first time Trey and I fooled around right after we started high school, I had a complete panic attack when his best friend, Lincoln, interrupted us, and if not for their kindness and understanding, I would have been permanently scarred after the incident. Link was a popular guy. He could have outed the queer kid and turned a lot of people against me, but he didn’t. When I finally came out a few months later, Trey and Link’s support meant everything.
What if that’s what Marcus needs to come to terms with his sexuality? Support. A friend.
