Page 22 of The Forever Promise

“Back off, Jake,” a familiar voice rumbled. I breathed a sigh of relief as Bryce maneuvered through his brothers and came to my rescue. He bent down and kissed my cheek, very clearly marking his territory. “Chloe’s young, but she’s very mature. Unlike you two bozos.”

“Nice to see you, too.” But Jake grinned as he shook Bryce’s hand.

“Who’re you calling a bozo, Bozo?” Colby hugged Bryce and clapped him on the back. He eyed him up and down. “Damn, Bryce, you look good. Have you been lifting?”

Bryce’s nostrils flared. “I never stopped.”

“Then it can’t be that—there’s something different.” Colby’s merry gaze traveled over to me. “Maybe being a newlywed suits you!”

Bryce tugged at his collar. Was I imagining it, or was his face turning red? “Being a newlywed is great,” he said through gritted teeth. “Maybe someday when you’re mature enough to stop dating strippers, you’ll see what I mean.”

Colby shrugged. “What if I marry one of the strippers? That still counts, right?”

Bryce scowled. “I guess it depends on the stripper.”

“Right?” Colby laughed. “We’ll have to wait and see!”

Jake groaned. “As long as you didn’t marry the last one, you’ll be fine. I hope.”

“Briar? Aw c’mon, she was fine—”

“Enough about the strippers, boys,” Gene Windsor’s sour voice interrupted. “If I go to jail, there won’t be any more funds to make it rain. Whatever will you do?”

“Go visit my old man in jail?” Colby smiled at his father. “Hey, Dad.”

Gene surprised me by smiling back. “Hi, Son. Nice to see you.”

Colby hugged him. Both Bryce and Jake looked away.

Once Coby stepped back, Jake extended his hand. “Hey Dad. Sorry there’s been so much trouble.”

“Eh, it comes with the territory. Good to see you, Jake.” Gene turned to the rest of us. “These lawyers charge through the nose. Since my assets are about to be frozen, I suggest we get on with the meeting.”

Everyone took a seat. I was relieved that Bryce was right next to me; I was surprised when he put his hand firmly on my thigh. Once again, inconvenient heat spread through me. I shifted in my seat, and he moved closer, putting his mouth next to my ear. “Don’t make any plans for the rest of the day. We’ll need to discuss strategy.”

I nodded, but I was quivering inside. The whole day with my husband? Even though he was also my torturer, I had only one thought:yes, please!

The lawyers had set up their workstations and were about to begin when two women entered the room. One was short and voluptuous, with red hair and a fair complexion; the other was tall and lithe, with caramel-colored skin and dark hair pulled back into a high ponytail. They introduced themselves to the attorneys, nodded at Gene, and sat next to each other at the table.

Bryce put his mouth next to my ear once more, making me shiver. He gestured to the redhead. “That’s Olivia Jensen, our media strategist. The other woman is Romina Hernandez, our board liaison.”

There was no time to ask questions—the lead lawyer stood and cleared his throat. “Thank you all for joining us this morning. I know it was short notice.”

“They love short notice,” Gene whispered dryly, “because then they can bill me at the emergency rate.”

The lawyer smiled patiently. “That’s true, but our goal here today is to protect and preserve your assets during this difficult time. My assistant is coming around with a non-disclosure agreement. Everyone present needs to sign.”

Regina Hernandez raised her hand. “What about my duty to report to the board? What am I able to disclose?”

“Great question.” The lawyer nodded at her. “Your fiduciary duty to the board requires you to be honest with them about the direction of our strategy, but exact details are non-disclosable. You’re fully protected under this agreement. If the board has questions, have their counsel reach out to us.”

He turned to face us. “As for the rest of you, you are not allowed to give any statements to third parties, including the press, without running it by Ms. Jensen first. She will be in charge of the family’s public face moving forward. She’s running everything by both the board and legal first. So there’s to be no social media posts, no talking to friends,nothing.”

Daphne raised her hand. “But I run my business from my social media accounts. You don’t mean I have to stop—right?Gene?” She gave her husband a death glare, and he shrugged.

“I’m afraid your business will have to go on hiatus for the next few months as we prepare for a possible trial.” The lawyer noted Daphne’s reddening face. “I believe our client has an additional offer to make you, which should soften the blow.”

Daphne sat back a little, slightly mollified. “It better be generous. My business is doing very well.”

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