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Grandpop’s eyes narrow as the last name sinks in. The old bastard is a good fucking actor, I’ll give him that. “Kat… Stockton. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”
“Nice to meet you,” she says softly and gives her best smile. Her nerves are endearing, and I want to hold her hand and tell her everything will be okay, but I keep my eyes on the old man instead. No weakness. No softness.
Grandpop nods to her then looks at me. “I’m sorry to be rude, but, Ford, what’s this all about?”
“We spoke the other day about my future in this family.” I lift Kat’s hand up in the air so the ring catches the light. “I need a wife and Kat was looking for a husband.”
Grandpop’s eyes widen. He looks from Kat’s ring to me and back again before clearing his throat. “I’m sorry, this is—”
“I know it’s sudden,” Kat says, and I stare at her in surprise. She was supposed to stay quiet, but this sudden outburst is almost impressive considering how on edge she must feel. “But your grandson and I spoke about it, and we think this is going to be best for both of our families. I know there’s a feud and I’m very aware that you despise my grandfather, but Ford and I were hoping—”
I squeeze her wrist and she falls silent. Grandpop’s grinding his jaw and glaring at her like he’s about to have a heart attack, and I’m honestly not sure how much of that is feigned and how much is genuine disgust.
“Kat’s right, Grandpop,” I tell him. “I know this is sudden and surprising, but imagine what we can build together. Kat and I are going to bridge the gap between our families, and I’m hoping we can all start to move past the years and years of fighting.”
Grandpop slowly stands. He’s hunched over his desk and vibrating. I can’t tell if he’s laughing or if he really is pissed off, and some part of me starts wondering if this is one massive practical joke and not at all the mission I thought it was. Maybe my cousins got to Grandpop and they’re finally ruining me, or maybe Grandpop is testing me one final time—but no, I keep myself cool and collected. I can’t panic now. I tighten my grip on Kat as Grandpop shakes his head and meets my gaze.
“Absolutely not.” His voice is slow and solid like a rockslide.
“Grandpop—”
“No, Ford, you will listen to me. I have given you more leeway than you know, but this is too far. That girl—” He points at her like he’s gesturing toward a particularly vile lamp. “You will not marry that girl.”
I suck in a breath and slowly let it out. “I understand you feel that way, but this is happening, Grandpop. It’s happening and it’s going to be good for us.”
He slams his hands on the desk. Kat yelps and takes a step back. “I willnothave some Stocktonwhoremarried to the head of my family.” Grandpop’s practically growling and spittle splatters into the air.
Silence fills the room. I stare at Grandpop, and a sudden dark bolt of rage flows up through my middle. I release Kat and step forward until I’m staring into the old man’s eyes like I want to break the man in half. I understand this is part of the performance, that he called her a whore because that’s what he’s supposed to do, but my anger is real, it’s powerful, and it’s overwhelming.
He doesn’t know Kat, he doesn’t know her at all or know anything about her struggle, and to call her that to her face,my fucking fiancée—
I want to kill him. The fucking bastard. I want to kill himfor realand fuck any performance or deal or mission. He willnottalk about Kat like that. Nobody willevertalk about her like that again, not while she’s mine.
I speak as evenly as I can manage. “If you speak about her like that again, I will break your old fucking neck and take your family over your warm corpse. Do you understand me?”
Grandpop’s eyes widen in surprise. I’ve never spoken to him like that before, and a simmering heat rushes down into my fists. This isn’t fake—the rage is real. The anger is real. Some insane part of me wants to actually hurt my grandfather for talking to Kat like that but I don’t understand why. We both know this is all for show, all to convince Kat that this game is real, but some twisted piece of my brain hates the old piece of trash for hurting her more than necessary.
She doesn’t deserve this. And some portion of my mind understands that my rage toward my grandfather is also a rage toward myself.
“You should get out of my office and rethink this decision,” Grandpop says finally, straightening up and trying to look dignified. “Think long and hard.”
“There’s nothing to think about. I’m marrying Kat with or without your blessing.” I turn away. Kat’s standing by the door looking pale. I walk to her, take her arm, and pull her from the office. She says nothing as she stumbles out after me and I don’t stop until we’re back out front.
I’m seething. I’m actually fucking seething, and I don’t understand why. All of that was fake so why am I actually angry at the old man? Why am I acting like I really do want to marry Kat?
“That didn’t go great,” Kat ventures gently and moves closer to me. “Did you expect him to react like that?”
I shake my head and don’t reply. I’m too pissed to say anything. I take a deep breath to calm myself down and it only helps a little bit.
“Seriously, Ford,” she says and puts a hand on my arm. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I look at her, and it’s like I want to rip her to pieces or I want to fuck her into oblivion, and I don’t know which I need more. “I knew he wouldn’t be happy, I just didn’t like when he called you a—.” I stop myself before I say it. “It’s okay. It’ll be fine.”
She smiles slightly. “Honestly, it didn’t seem okay. It kind of seemed like the opposite of what we want, right? I’m supposed to help you take over, not make it harder.”
“It’s just a start. We’ll figure it out.” I turn away from her. I can’t keep doing this. Fucking hell, what is wrong with me? “Come on, I’ll have my driver take you home, and I’ll talk to him some more.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
