Page 37 of Lethal Salvation

“Whatever, it’s not like I have a choice.”

Nadia rolled her lips between her teeth, and it took everything in him not to lean in and take a taste for himself.

“You have a choice, Gideon. We can find another way.”

He ran his fingers along her arm, needing to touch her more than air. “Is this the best way?”

Her nod was slight, but he saw it and heard the sigh she let out. “Then let’s do it. I want this over so I can start living my life again.” A tiny frown appeared between her brows and the urge to kiss it away filled him. “It’ll be okay, Nadia.”

It should feel strange for him to be reassuring the woman who’d thrown her body over his to protect him from a bullet. A memory that made his gut roil with nausea. Not because he was almost shot but because she could have been hurt protecting him and he’d never have forgiven himself.

“Set up the call, Reaper.”

The moment between them was gone as everyone sprang into action, all of them knowing the role they had to play. Gideon sat at the large oak kitchen table where everything was set up so the call wouldn’t be traced and felt her hand on his shoulder.

“You got this.”

Gideon nodded and listened as the call rang through to his father.

“Son.”

“Dad, I’m calling to say I accept your deal. Have Carter come to my office at noon tomorrow.”

“He will want you to go to him.”

Gideon could hear the hesitancy in his old man’s voice and hated him for what he was forcing him to do, and yet he’d always love the father he’d been before Marsha had come on the scene.

“If he wants this, he’ll come to me at noon tomorrow and you can tell him to come alone. I won’t have my office and staff intimidated by his fucking entourage. Am I clear?”

“Carter doesn’t travel without a guard. You know how important he is, he needs protection.”

“The only thing he needs protection from is that viper you call a wife. You heard the terms. Meet them or I’ll let you sink this company and me with it. The difference is I’ll survive, will you?”

Silence met his outburst, and he felt a smidgen of guilt for his words but when he glanced at Damon, his brother nodded in agreement. Gideon needed to remember it wasn’t just him they had hurt, it was Damon too.

“I’ll make sure it happens, son.”

“Dad?”

“Yes, son?”

“That’s the last time you call me that. I’ll do this but after this, I’m dead to you. Do you understand? I’ll play nice in public, but I want nothing to do with a man who’d threaten one son for another.”

“You don’t understand.”

“No, I don’t, and I don’t care to.”

Gideon hung up and felt wrung out by the short conversation.

“You okay?”

He covered the hand Nadia had placed on his shoulder with his own and leaned his head toward her. “Yeah, it was past time.”

The room was buzzing with conversation and plans being made and whether it was the after-effects of the drugs or the fact he’d been forced to face so much, he needed some space. “Can I go outside and get some fresh air?”

“Yes, of course. There’s a beautiful pond at the bottom of the garden that looks out onto the fields. At this time of the morning it will be chilly though, so take a coat.”

“God, is it morning already?”