Page 53 of The Acquisition

My hands shook, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. "I need to talk to you," I managed to say.

"Obviously. Just spit it out already. You're starting to make me nervous."

"I married Jana three days ago," I blurted out.

"What the fuck? You couldn't have waited? I don't know how Evie is going to take the news, but now is not the time for her to find out."

I gripped the arms of the chair. "I know that. Why do you think I'm here telling you instead of her?"

"Then why now? I know the two of you have been dancing around something, but getting married? What is going on with you?" he demanded.

"You know her dad locked her out of her apartment and froze her accounts, right?" I asked him.

"Evie mentioned it. What does marrying her do for her?"

I'd spoken to Jana a few minutes ago, and she let me know about meeting with Caroline. The stipulations of the will were what we suspected. Now that they were in Caroline's hands, we could get the process of reclaiming her assets underway.

I rubbed my hand across my forehead. "Her father was the trustee on her accounts, but the terms of her trust say that if, before she turns thirty she—"

Beckett sighed. "Let me guess, if she's married, right?"

"Do you think there's a club or a newsletter where these old tycoons share ideas on how to force their progeny into wedlock?" I wondered aloud.

"Hell if I know. I'm surely not going to force my daughter to marry some guy to keep her inheritance," he grumbled. "Not that it didn't work out for me, but I want her to have a choice."

"You better. My granddaughter is going to be treated like a princess."

He shook his head. "Our lives are fucking weird, man. You were my best friend, now you're my father-in-law."

"And I'm married to your wife's best friend."

"Your daughter's best friend," he pointed out. "What is it you want me to do, Colt?"

"I don't know. I want to tell Evie, but not until she's ready to hear about it. I'm not giving Jana up," I insisted.

He cocked his eyebrow. "So this isn't just to help her get her trust fund back?"

I shrugged. "For her maybe. At least that's what got her to accept my offer of help. I think she has feelings for me though, and now I just have to convince her to give us a chance."

He shook his head. "Good luck to you. Jana is hard to get to know. She keeps so much inside. I doubt she'll make it easy on you."

I smirked at him. "I've had easy. I want real."

"Well, I'd say you've got it now." He sighed. "I'll let you know when the doctor says that Evie can handle the news."

I stood and moved away from the chair. "That's all I ask. Well, that and to help me if she gets pissed off."

He laughed then. "You're on your own there. I plan on staying on my wife's good side."

* * *

Just after five, Jana finally knocked on my office door. "Sorry I missed lunch. The day got away from me."

I narrowed my eyes at her. Something had changed from this morning to now. "What is going on with you?"

She looked away. "Nothing. It's just been a busy day. You know how it goes."

Everyday I learned something new about my wife. Like right now, I learned Jana was a shit liar. There was something wrong with her, but she didn't want to share it with me.

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