Page 36 of The Acquisition

Sabrina tipped her head to the side. "We are, mostly. Things got weird when she decided to date my friend. I mean, it's partly his fault too, because he pursued her, but it was bad from start to finish. As weird as you think it would be for you to be around Mal, amplify that by a thousand and that's what it's going to be like when they are in the same room." She dropped into the chair in front of my desk. "You're going to end up having sex with my stepbrother."

I coughed. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Come on. You're both hot. He's a bit of a manwhore. Or at least he used to be. If you sleep with him, you better marry him. He's not as jaded as he wants the world to believe, and he seems different with you."

"Are you asking me what my intentions are with your brother?"

"Huh, I guess I am."

"This is so not how I saw this conversation going when I thought about how I was going to tell you I was going to move in with Colt."

"What about Evie?"

"What about her?" I asked.

"Are we all going to pretend you aren't hooking up with her dad? How are we playing this?"

I shook my head. "I'm not hooking up with Colt." Technically. Marriage isn't considered hooking up, at least I don't think it is.

"Fine, whatever. Actually, yeah, don't tell me. So if she asks me if something is going on with you and her dad I can tell her no and not be lying."

"If something happens between Colt and I, we'll tell her. When she can handle it. She was in the hospital last night with Braxton Hicks contractions, and Beckett nearly lost his mind."

Sabrina's brow scrunched up. "I thought those were normal for the third trimester?"

I shrugged. How would I know? I was an only child, and my experience with babies was nonexistent. "The doctor was concerned about her stress level and wanted her to rest for a week. The contractions were a bit stronger than he'd like to see at this stage of her pregnancy."

She thought about what I said, but the look of concern didn't go away. "Don't wait too long. I know it would be weird for her at first, but you know, if something happens it's better she finds out from you than finding out on her own."

* * *

My phone buzzed across my desk. Evie's name flashed across the screen.

"You are supposed to be resting, so this better not be a work call," I greeted.

"Turn on the news," she demanded.

"I'm still at work."

She sighed. "Then get on the internet."

"Fine, give me a minute. I was on my way out the door." Booting up my computer I open it to the local paper. "What am I looking for?"

I scrolled down and my hand froze on the mouse.

The Easton Corporation is under investigation for fraud and tax evasion. In a statement from Agent Carter with the FBI, it is alleged CEO Maxwell Easton falsely inflated profits to encourage investment. According to inside information, Maxwell Easton was counting on the successful launch of Easton Vodka to bring the failing company back into the black before investors caught on to the full extent of the financial problems.

"Oh my god," I whispered.

"Looks like you found it," Evie replied. "I thought you should know, because I'm guessing this is the real reason your father froze your assets."

"He was going to try and use my money to boost the company and thought I wouldn't notice."

"I'm sorry."

I shook my head, but then I remembered she couldn't see me. "Don't be. I've got to go and call Colt. He hired someone to look into this."

"You don't have to call me," he announced himself from my office doorway. "Beck saw the news and told me to get over here."

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