Page 26 of Harley
Harley left before I could argue another word.
Harley
Damn. Helping a damsel in distress was getting complicated. I’d not envisioned any of this when I had stopped and picked Oakley up. She’d made a foolish mistake of registering the phone. A rather stupid error on her part. Surely, most people realised a registered cell could be tracked nowadays.
It didn’t matter.
A wrench had been thrown into the mix, and now I had to take Oakley home. I could only imagine Mom’s response.This was going to set Mom off. Especially as it was on top of Christmas. I knew exactly where Mom’s mind would go.
Annoyed, I grabbed two suitcases from Winterfell’s and walked back to the hotel. By the time I returned, dinner arrived a few moments later, and after we’d eaten, I began packing Oakley’s stuff while she argued with me.
“Oakley! Do you want to stay out of the hands of your parents, Reverend Jeffery, and Bronson? If you do, then behave and let me help you. Yeah, no bullshit, Mom is going to read shit into this, but there’s nowhere else for you to go.”
“Then why are we doing this? Harley, I just need somewhere until I can walk, and then, if I stay free for eighteen months, I’ll be safe.”
“Why that long?”
“Because the terms of the will kick in. After I turn twenty-five or get married, they can’t touch anything,” Oakley blurted.
I paused. “This is about money?”
“More than that. A shit ton of money is at stake, which is what they desire. For me, it’s about a lot more—a legacy, in fact,” Oakley replied.
I continued packing. “And if you are married, then you’re safe?”
“Yeah, the will states that.”
“So, let’s get married,” I suggested and wondered what the hell had just left my mouth.
“What?”
“Yeah, I don’t believe I said that either,” I replied.
“You suggested we marry.” Oakey was stunned.
“Yes, I did.”
“Because I mentioned money?” Oakley asked.
“Hey, I’m no fuckin’ ponce. Oakley, I’ve got no idea how much is involved here, but I have my own trust fund. And my business is worth a lot and growing daily. Will that be at risk from you?”
“No! Of course not. But Harley, we don’t know each other,” Oakley argued.
For some reason, now it mattered that Oakley didn’t turn me down. It might be perverse, but it was a matter of honour.
“Luckily, I know a lawyer who can draw up a prenuptial agreement, and then we’ll head down the courthouse tomorrow. We can keep this secret, but if they do track you down, they can’t force you to marry Bronson. Plus, you can set this will thing in motion.”
Oakley suddenly looked interested. “And I would get power of attorney,” she whispered.
“Yes,” I said, nodding without knowing what I was agreeing to. But Oakley getting power of attorney seemed important to her.
“And you’ll sign a prenup?”
“I have a nine-figure trust fund to protect. There’ll be a prenup,” I insisted.
Honestly, even if Oakley took half of it in a divorce, I wouldn’t be hard done by. The damn fund continued growing as Mom’s investment broker kept making some blinding deals.
“Okay. How long for?”
