Page 20 of Jack's Devotion

"Worry about yourself, Drake Whitlock!" Madeline shouts back at him, earning a soft laugh from Madison.

"So, he's as bossy as his brother, huh?" Madison asks as they disappear into the house.

"Jack is bossy? Since when?"

"Excellent question," Drake asks, turning to look at me with one brow arched.

"Don't start with me, motherfucker."

He smirks. "Madison Laurent, huh?"

"Yeah." I scrub a hand through my hair. "Told you that you'd understand when we got here."

"She was squatting in your pool house?"

"Yep."

"Any idea why?"

"Yeah. Her father wants her company and her inheritance. He's holding a press conference on her birthday to announce that he's having her declared dead."

"Jesus Christ," Drake mutters, his eyes wide. "So he doesn't know she's alive?"

"Oh, I'm sure he knows. He's the reason she disappeared."

"Maybe I need wine."

"You don't even drink wine."

"Might start if you keep talking in riddles. Maybe it'll improve my blood pressure."

"You haven't had high blood pressure a goddamn day in your life."

"Uh, wrong." He scowls at me. "You've been my brother since I was born. I've had high blood pressure my entire life."

"Man, fuck you." I chuckle. "I do not give you that much stress."

"Says you." He eyes me sideways. "You going to tell me what the fuck is going on without the riddles or do I need to pull out a whiteboard and fucking guess like this is Charades?"

"I'm kinda liking option two, honestly. Might be fun."

He scowls daggers at me, snorting in disgust.

I throw my head back, laughing, before I quickly fill him in on the situation. His eyes widen as I talk, shock and anger filtering through his expression. By the time I'm done, he's growling softly…which I appreciate. He's a solid motherfucker. Always has been.

"What do you need, Jack? How can I help?"

"I need to get ahold of Asa Steele," I mutter. "I need someone watching her father for the next few days. I'd ask Cormac Carmichael, but he's busy. And then I need to put together a press conference. Quietly. I don't want anyone to know it's about her or tied to her in any way until it's showtime."

"Madeline is pregnant."

My eyes widen. "Shit. Seriously?" I pull him into a hug, pounding him on the back. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, brother. I didn't tell you for the congrats, though. I told you because you can use it as cover for the press conference. Float that we're calling the conference to announce changes to the company because my wife is pregnant."

"You're ready to tell everyone?"

"I was ready as soon as the test came back positive." He grins at me, happy in a way I don't think he's ever been. "She decided we needed to tell you first because you're family or some bullshit like that."

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