Page 158 of Failure to Match

I had so many questions. “What if I don’t want kids? What if I can’t have them?”

He shrugged like it was inconsequential. “She’s going to have to deal with it.”

“And what aboutyourjob? What about the company? Is she giving you the shares back?”

“No. Her original deal stands. If I don’t get married, I lose the shares and she’ll fire me.”

He said that way too casually.

“Jackson—”

“Go on a date with me. A real one.”

My stomach swooped. “You’re giving up? After all that? How?”

“I asked him the same thing.”

My attention snapped to Minerva as she walked back into the room; alone. She cocked her head, studying me as she sank back into her chair. “Shocking, isn’t it?”

Heat raced across my cheeks, my shoulders squaring. I, too, had a bone to pick with Minerva Sinclair. “Just so we’re clear, had I been made privy to the fact that Jackson was being blackmailed into a relationship he didn’t want—had I known even a morsel of what I do now—I would’ve never agreed to participate.”

The reaction I got wasn’t the one I’d steeled my spine for. Instead of taking offense to my statement, Minerva looked... pleased. “Good,” she said.

Clearly, she’d misunderstood my meaning. “I don’t agree with what you’re doing. I think it’s manipulative and outright cruel. Jackson deserves better.”

Her slow grin pushed at the corners of her eyes, made them sparkle. “What else? Be honest with me; no sugar-coating.”

Was she hearing the words coming out of my mouth? “You should be ashamed of yourself for putting him through all of this. He has every right to be angry, and I don’t blame him for trying to make my job impossible before you forced his handagain. I’d have reacted the same way.”

Minerva nodded with what could only be interpreted as delighted approval. “Agreed.”

What? “Then you’ll give him the shares?”

“Oh, no. That won’t happen unless he gets married by the end of next month.”

Exasperation gnawed at my upper back, pushing me forward in my chair. “Why? If you agree with me thenwhyare you still trying to force him into a marriage he doesn’t want?”

“This isn’t just about him, nor is it about me. I have a legacy to protect, Miss Paquin. And the cards were very clear with their message. Jacksonmustget married?—”

“And you believe them?! You’re playing with his life based on what one person interpreted as a spiritual message being relayed through a bunch of cards?”

I was really starting to understand Jackson’s aversion to Charmed using tarot in their program. It was what’d gotten him into this bullshit mess in the first place.

“Imogen has never been wrong when she’s read for me. I have no reason to doubt her in this.”

I eyed her carefully, thinking. “Is there anything I could say that would change your mind?”

“I’m afraid not.” Her tone left little room for argument. “However, if it makes you feel at all better, I’ve fired Charmed. He won’t be required to attend any more blind dates.”

“You didn’t have a choice,” Jackson interjected smoothly. “I wouldn’t have shown up to them anyhow.”

“It’s her, or it’s no one.”

The soft skin around Minerva’s eyes crinkled again, her mouth twitching. “Regardless,” she said, “I do also feel obligated to apologize to you, Miss Paquin. I understand the impact this experience has had on your career, and I’d like you to know that if things don’t work out with you at Charmed, Oscar Mijares is looking to expand his team and would love to talk to you about joining RUMI.” She slipped a pale blue business card out of her purse and got up to hand it to me. “Call him whenever you’re ready. I think you’ll like what he has to say.”

My jaw went appropriately slack. RUMI was small but growing rapidly. It probably topped the list of upcomingcompetitors for Charmed. Better yet, rumor had it that Oscar was big on company culture and a great boss. We’d lost a few really talented people to him over the last year, and we weren’t the only ones.

As far as a new job went... this was about as ideal as it could get. Still, I didn’t immediately reach for it. I didn’t want her to think this would earn my forgiveness. It wouldn’t.

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