Page 23 of Reign

I forced a laugh. I was pleased to see Drake, but I couldn’t get past the heavy feeling in my chest. I pulled back and looked directly at my sister, whose cheeks had gone from pale to bright red. She’d pulled the sleeve of her thin sweater further down one arm to cover his image. I grinned, unable to help it. “Drake, I’d like you to meet Sophie. She worked for Manivera in the past and showed me where his home was located.”

Drake glanced at Sophie. “Hey.” He smiled politely, nodded and looked back at me. It was a cursory greeting, and it was clear he had no idea who my sister was to him. Was that normal? She’d dreamed of him since she was young, but did it work the other way around? I honestly had no idea. I’d recognised Ember as my soulmate the moment Rawson had introduced us, but I’d been a hormonal teenager. Was it different with a grown male? Did it take time? I brushed it off. I had other things to think about. My sister’s love life was way down my list.

“You’ve found him then?” Drake’s face fell into a serious mask.

“Yeah, I know where he’s going to be tonight. And we have inside help.”

Drake ordered a beer from the waitress and folded his bulk down into a comfy chair. His gaze briefly flicked to Sophie again, who sipped her whisky quietly, pretending to watch the news on the wall-mounted T.V. Small lines appeared at the bridge of my brother’s nose, but ever polite, he smiled before he looked away again.

“Great. When we get him and Ember’s safe, it means I can fight to get my business back. I can get my lawyers to go after that agreement made under duress and ensure I don't have to marry his spoilt, ugly-assed daughter. That contract can be torn up. Man, I thought there was no way out of that for me. I’d resigned myself to a shitty marriage of convenience, but if I can prove he’s done underhanded deals, kidnapping and other illegal activities, it’ll work in my favour to get my company separated from his other assets.”

Shit! I’d forgotten about that contract. Stupid!

Sophie’s brows drew together, and before I could speak, she did. We had already decided not to tell anyone who she was to me, but before Drake could dig himself a bigger hole, I wanted to set him straight. It was Sophie that Rex had meant when he’d forced marriage to his daughter onto Drake; unless we had another sister, which wasn’t impossible.

“What makes you think once Rex is out of the picture that his legal assets won’t still go to his daughter? Maybe she will fight to keep her income from his legitimate businesses.”

Drake’s attention shot to Sophie, his expression dark. “It will take years to separate his legal from his illegal assets. The SBI will seize everything. She won’t get a thing for years unless she does a deal with whoever takes down her father. Either way, my company isn’t his. He paid Doherty to have me arrested for false embezzlement charges, then paid that bastard again to get his hands on my life’s work. But this isn’t just about that. He didn’t only steal my company; he stole four fucking years of my life. So no offence, but I’ll use every cent I have to make sure she doesn’t get my company or benefit from her father’s evil.”

“Maybe she’ll have no choice. Maybe his businesses will be her only income.”

Drake’s attention narrowed on Sophie and she glared right back. He appraised her. I gritted my teeth at the spark of interest I saw there. Damn! This was my sister. I should stand up for her, except... My gaze bounced from one to the other. No, this was their fight…I kept my mouth shut and sat back. Sophie could tell him who she was or not. I’d back her either way.

Drake chuckled a deep and resonant sound. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Rex is too much of a dick to allow his businesses to go to a female, daughter or not. He’ll have someone else lined up to take over, so my focus is on getting out of that contract before I have to take that male down, too.”

Sophie’s face dropped. That meant whoever took over Rex’s business interests would have a say in both Sophie’s and Drake’s future. My nostrils flared. It didn’t matter who was named in his will. If I took the fucker out, I’d claim everything.

“You think she’s just some spoiled rich bitch who couldn’t possibly have a mind of her own or the intelligence to run a business?” Sophie’s words were bitter and almost resigned, which I didn’t like.

Drake cocked his head and studied Sophie. She looked away. His glower changed and softened, and his eyes narrowed. I waited. Had he worked out who she was to him?

“I didn’t say she wouldn’t be capable, but I do think Rex is a misogynistic prick who would happily use his daughter as an asset, one he can manipulate, which is why he wanted me bound to him and his empire legitimately. He didn’t get my company by any above-board means, and I want it back. He knew it would take me years and shitloads of money that I don’t have to take him through the court system. He gave me a choice: sign a marriage contract with his daughter, and get a stake in running Drake Industries, or fight for it and not get the money and resources I needed at the time to help Connor and Ember.”

Sophie didn’t look at him, her words soft. “So you sold out for money?”

Drake’s expression darkened once again. “Yes, to help my Prime, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” He didn’t take his gaze from her face. “I do know you have no fucking right to judge me or why I do things, so no offence, but this is none of your business.” He dismissed her by looking back at me. Drake was never outright rude to a woman, I didn’t think it was in his DNA, but he could certainly be dismissive, as could any alpha with his amount of power. I glanced at her, and my brows raised a bit. My meaning was clear. Did she want me to intervene? She shook her head, her brows furrowed, and her mouth pressed into a tight line.

“No, you’re right. It isn’t my business. But if Rex’s daughter knows about your contract, maybe she’ll think you’re a shallow, money-grabbing prick, just like her father is, and she won’t want to marry you, either.”

Holding her sleeve over Drake’s image to make sure he didn’t see it, she stood. “Connor, just let me know when Owen is back, and you need me. I’ll leave you to catch up with Mr….”

Her glance at Drake was icy. Shit, maybe I should just tell him who she was. This hadn’t gone the way I’d wanted it to at all.

“Alexander.” Drake’s hard gaze wasn’t an expression I was used to seeing on his face.

“Right. Mr Alexander.”

“Yeah, see you later.” I caught her hand. “Get some rest, okay? It’s going to be a long night.”

She nodded. “It always is where Rex is concerned.”

I watched her walk away, as did Drake before he downed his beer in one long drink. “How the hell did you meet that cold-hearted she-devil?”

I couldn't help it. I smiled. “Oh, man, she’s as far from a she-devil as you can get.”

He glowered. “Didn’t seem like it to me.”

I kicked his foot with mine and smiled. “That's just because she called you a prick. Give her a chance. You don’t know her yet. Maybe she’ll grow on you.”

---