Total pages in book: 224
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
“You know I’m having abandonment issues right now, don’t you?”
“Yes. I do. And I’m not ever leaving. That’s a promise.”
But we both know that’s not a promise anyone can make. People die. People fall out of love. People separate. Relationships end. I just don’t want ours to end.
Ever.
Chapter sixty-eight
Carrie
With one day until we leave for Japan, it’s early evening and Reid and I are both in the bedroom, packing our suitcases that are on the bed for a solid ten days away, and I glance over at him. “We really can’t have a cat and a dog, can we? What about when we’re gone?”
“A cat and a dog?”
“That’s perfect, right? We get what we both want, and they have each other as friends.”
“Or enemies. And we aren’t gone that often. Cat and Gabe, and even Connie, would help out.”
“So that’s a yes to a cat and a dog?”
“If it makes you happy, baby, yes. Let’s do it.”
I smile. “I love that we’re going to do this.”
He laughs. “I love that you love it.”
My cellphone rings and I glance at the number. “My brother. Is it bad that I dread seeing him in Japan?”
“Not from what I know of your brother.” The doorbell rings. “That’s our lunch,” Reid says. “I’ll grab it.” He takes off out of the room and I answer the line.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hey, little sis. I got my payday today. You rocked this deal.”
“Thanks. Reid and I are a good team.”
“Reid. That part of this grates on me, but the man owed us this deal. I can’t believe you’re living with him. I can’t believe dad hasn’t told you why you shouldn’t be living with him.”
Anger starts to churn in my belly. “What does that even mean?”
“The man forced a takeover. He took dad out. That should be enough for you.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“You’re kidding, right? He forced the takeover. Look. You made me big money so I’m going to save you and our family before he has a chance to somehow turn it around on us, and he’s going to. There’s a plan there. I promise you. I’m sending you proof. Watch for it.” He hangs up.
“Come down and eat!” Reid calls out.
“I’ll be right there!”
My phone beeps with a text and I walk into the extra room and sit on the sofa. I swallow hard and enlarge the document. I start reading and it’s all executed by Reid. “To satisfy the debt, and prevent the release of all negative documents, you will allow Maxwell to buy out your stock in the format of a hostile takeover.”
“Carrie.”
At the sound of Reid’s voice, I stand up and whirl around. “Did you force my father to give up his stock, or buy it out before someone else did, because the board was going to unseat him?”
He goes so very, very still. “I did not force your father to do anything. You know that. Where is this coming from? What did your brother say to you to make you question me again?”
I round the sofa and hand him my phone with the document on the screen. He barely looks at it and then hands my phone back to me. “That is not what it seems.”
“To satisfy a debt. Did you write this document?”
“Yes. It’s not what it seems.”
“I love you, Reid. I trust you. Please make me understand. I don’t want to jump to conclusions.”
His hands come down on my shoulders. “I am not able to do anything but own up to that document and the contents. I can’t explain it beyond telling you that it’s not what it looks like.”
“Why? Why can’t you explain?”
“Because not only will my family lose everything, my father will come at you, and he won’t stop. He’ll destroy you and us. We both will have nothing, including each other.”
“I won’t say anything. I won’t let anyone know I know.”
“Carrie, you will. It will upset you too badly. You will and, baby, I’m protecting you, too.”
“Does Royce know what you can’t tell me?” I ask.
“He’s trying to find out, but it’s buried deep,” he says. “He hasn’t found anything.”
“I just realized that he hasn’t given me anything on my father.”
“Because he was trying to find this first.”
“You wanted him to?”
“Yes. It’s killed me not to tell you this.”
“My father can tell me?”
“He won’t, Carrie. He won’t. I tried to get him to. That’s why I went to Montana.”
“He’s going to tell me.”
“Or finally convince you I’m the devil.”
“Have more faith in me and us than that.”
He tangles fingers in my hair. “Go to Montana. I’ll be on the plane to Japan tomorrow. If you’re there, I’ll know you see me, not the lies. If you’re not, we’ll end this.”
“End this? That easily?”
“I’ve given you parts of me I swore I’d give no one. I need to know you trust me, Carrie, or we have nothing. Go to Montana. I’ll make your reservations.” He turns away and walks into the bedroom as I press my hands to my face. What does he think I’ll find out in Montana that he dreads? Because he is too certain I won’t be on that plane with him to Japan, and that terrifies me.