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I nod, blowing out a breath on entering. Kellen doesn’t smile, he looks serious. And that always means trouble.
Chapter
Forty-Three
Marcus
My fucking heart rate is going ten to the dozen. When she stood up looking flushed and red in that fucking tight fitted dress that leaves nothing to the imagination… Well, definitely not mine, in terms of her shape and how fantastic her tits are. I want to rip the fucking thing off.
And now my cock is hard, again. What the fuck is wrong with me? Been there, done that, next…Oh yeah, right, who am I kidding. The dress is just the finishing touches. It’s fucking her, she pulls me in. It’s as if she turns up the magnetic force and I’m powerless to resist. Drawn in. Beguiled.
She clearly doesn’t want to spend any time with me, and was intending on leaving as the meeting was done just at the time I magically arrived. She’s been ducking and diving for a couple of weeks. Ever since the card night.
I spoke to Jonno, and I’m not on my own. She’s been doing it to all of us. They’re ready to storm the ramparts and get her back, but I told them not to. She’ll retreat further and they’ll be worse off. They actually listened for once.
Jude rang after his meeting this morning. Said all ok, agreed for him to go at the weekend, but left before he could ask for tonight. She’d done that on purpose, he said. Fuck. I feel like she’s smoke in the wind again—full on there one minute, up and gone the next. Well I don’t have time for that. I need her to sit and listen.
“Evie, I need to tell you some facts. I’ve asked Pat to be here for the legal stuff, and so you know I am not making this up.”
“Will I think you are?”
“Definitely. It’s the biggest crock of shit ever.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “Let’s hear it then.” She sits in the chair opposite Patrick, next to me, turning towards me as I start to talk.
“You know my family.” Her eyebrows go up. I’m sure she did not expect that opening gambit. “Well, recently, and I’m sure I’ve said, I’ve had claims on the estate. Bits of this and that—money, bits of land. Then, around Christmas, they came for the title. Before James, I’d have given them the damn thing. But since I have James, I don’t want to.” I stop to see what her face is doing. It's doing nothing, it's blank, so I go on. “All the claims have been coming out of Ireland and I was suspicious of my mother’s new husband, Giles. I asked Jackson to check him out and, sure enough, he’s the architect of the whole shit show.”
“What’s this to do with me? Sue him, or better yet, cut him off. They hardly work for a living. You cover all the debts and keep the whole sham on the road.”
I ignore the last jibe and carry on. “Well, I would do that, but unfortunately he’s married to my mother. And he has potentially found a legal loophole which may stand. If I don’t shut it down, that is. I’ve had Pat looking at the contracts and all things Russell, right back to Henry VIII. I think I’ve got a solution, but I need?—”
“This better not hurt James,” she hisses at me. “We don’t give a shit about your title, give it to them?—”
“No. I won’t do that. They can fuck off,” I snap back. “I’m sick of Giles. I want them to back off once and for all. And I want James to have the choice if he wants the title or not. I’ve seen his trust paperwork and I know you’ve tied his money so he can’t give it to any Russell. Well played on that, by the way.”
She’s flabbergasted. “He showed you that?”
“Yeah, he did. But listen, I don’t want his money. I don’t want him to have to spend your money, or his, on the house in the future. But I do want him to have the title if he wants it. So, Evie, I need you to marry me.”
Sitting back in my chair, I don’t say anything else, waiting, I suppose, for the explosion. It doesn’t come.
She sits and looks at me then looks at Patrick, then she looks back at me, starts to smile, and then starts to laugh. Full on, crying with laughter. And the weird thing is, Patrick and I join in. She’s literally wiping the tears from her eyes.
“Kellen, just when I think you can’t surprise me anymore, you come up with that load of crap. Priceless.” She stands as if she’s walking out. Like that’s an answer.
I stand in front of her. ”Where are you going? Is that a yes? Are you crying tears of joy?” I’m jokingly sarcastic, as well as frustrated, she clearly thinks I’m a joke.
“You’re off your head! It’s a big fat no chance, no way, no, no, no. Oh and errr NO. Get real, Kellen. Why on earth would I do that? Why would I do something for your family? I don’t care if the whole of your house falls down. In fact, I’d be the first to swing the wrecking ball.” She’s shaking her head in disbelief. “You didn’t think I would say yes, did you?” She looks at me incredulously.
“I hoped you’d help me out. And James.”
“Are you actually telling me James wants that title? Because, to be honest, I don’t believe you. Why would he? You didn’t even want it. In fact, you’ve virtually given it away to Anthony. Even when we were young you wanted out, you just had no siblings to give it to.”
”You’re right. I didn’t want it when I was younger. And I’ve done what I wanted. My dad allowed that for me, just as I will do for James. He won’t have to have it and take the responsibility until he’s ready to do so.”
“You can’t guarantee that. You don’t know when he’ll have to take it. You were lucky, and you had Anthony. Why, anyway? What’s the issue? Maybe I can think of something.”
“Well, Jackson and Jonno couldn't, so…”
