Page 98 of Twisted Knight

“Chad and I, married?”

“Yeah. It would be a conflict of interest having a married couple in two of the top positions here. It wouldn’t look good. That was the plan.”

My laugh drips with sarcasm. “So nice to know you had a plan for me.”

He flashes a condescending smile and then riffles through more pages on the desk. “You know me, I’m always looking out for your best interest.”

“Prick,” I mutter under my breath.

“C’mon, Row. Chad’s an incredible guy. He’s always treated you great. He’s clearly in love with you. You wouldn’t have to worry about our families getting along. And…”

“And what?”

“And I don’t know. It just feels like the two of you were meant to be.”

“That’s comical.”

“Is it so bad that you marry Chadwick and take whatever it is that Gran left you and start something of your own?”

Ah, so that’s why you came in here. He’s desperate to know what Gran may or may not have left me since I’ve yet to say a word about it. My silence on the matter has to be killing him.

“Why would you say that?” I ask.

He shrugs, but the way he’s fidgeting with the paper in his hands tells me he is in fact dying to know. “Just an assumption. I want the best for you. Chad’s a good guy … and whatever with Gran.”

Whatever with Gran?

I’m about to make his fishing expedition even more painful than it already is.

“I don’t know what Gran left me yet,” I lie.

“What do you mean? The will. She specifically says in there that she left you a private letter to explain what she left you.”

“Huh.”

“Stop bullshitting me. What did the letter say?”

I shrug. “Not sure.”

“What do you mean you’re not sure? C’mon, Row.”

“I haven’t opened it yet. I don’t want to. Once I do, it means she’s not here anymore.”

“You can’t seriously believe that, can you? You know she’s not here. Open the damn letter.”

I shrug again and only because I know it pisses him off. “I’ll open her letter when I’m ready to open it. End of discussion.”

Rhett stares at me dumbfounded—eyes wide, jaw lax, shock evident in his posture. “You’re being fucking ridiculous.” He shifts on his feet, impatience emanating from him.

“You see it your way. I see it mine.” And if I’d put my head down and got back to work, I never would have caught the blood suddenly draining from his face. I glance down to the map that has his attention but it’s too far away for me to see what it is. “What’s wrong with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says and reshuffles the papers again before taking a quick step back like the table is lava. “It’s stress. That’s all. Stress’ll do that to you.”

“It will,” Holden says from the doorway. We both turn to look his way, and I swear to god my stomach flips when our eyes meet. The connection is brief and meaningless followed by a quick nod before he waltzes farther into the room, but it does stupid things to my insides.

Things I don’t want it to do.

Scratch that. Things I’m fine with it doing but that only serve to complicate a situation I spent the better part of the weekend telling myself I don’t want to happen when I actually do.