“You texted me. Meet Mrs. Greyson. Do you even know who this woman is? How to get in touch with her?”
“Yeah.” I grimace. Arlo is going to have a fucking fit. “She’s, uh . . . she’s the sister to one of my colleagues.”
“Wait, your colleague’s sister is a prostitute?”
“She’s not a prostitute. Why do you keep saying that?”
“Because that’s what you said on FaceTime.”
I chuckle. “I FaceTimed you?”
“I hardly see how this is funny, Pike.”
“I’m sorry, I’m just . . . fuck, I’m trying to understand this.”
“So, you know this girl, then?”
“Yeah. I see her quite often. She’s always coming into school to have lunch with her brother, and her friends are all teachers, as well.”
“Is she a teacher?”
“No, she’s . . . uh . . . ” I think about it. What does Cora do? “Not quite sure what she does.”
“Why does this not surprise me?” Killian lets out an exhausted breath. “Well, at least you know her. This will be an easy annulment. As long as Pa doesn’t find out, we’re good.”
“How would he find out?”
“I don’t know—” His voice cuts off and he grows silent.
“Kill, you there?”
“Pike.” His voice comes out harsh, as if he truly is ready to murder me.
“Yeah?”
“Who else did you tell?”
“What do you mean? I didn’t even know I told you. Hell, I didn’t even know it happened until you told me this morning. Why?”
“Cleat Burgess just texted the picture you sent me.”
“What?” I nearly shout, drawing attention from the people around me. Turning away from them, I repeat, “What the fuck are you talking about? What did the text say?”
I hear him fumble around with his mobile and then more silence.
“Kill, what the hell did he say?”
Killian clears his throat and then . . . “Pa knows.”
“Fuck.”
“Pike, your order is ready,” the barista says, setting my sandwich on the counter.
“Are you sure?” I ask as I walk up to the counter and grab my sandwich. I pick up a few napkins and turn around, only to be stopped cold in my tracks.
Standing in front of me, a smug expression across his weathered face, is my pa.
“Shit,” I mutter.
“What?” Killian’s voice sounds panicked. It should be. I think we’re in a whole lot of fucking trouble.
“Pa is here. Call you back.”
Before I can hear Killian’s frightened verbiage, I hang up.
There’s something you might not know about me. I didn’t just grow up in England, in a rich family. My pa is part of the elite in the country. He’s been known to bribe politicians, to be mixed up with some bad blood, and he certainly didn’t get to where he is by always doing the right and fair thing. There’s nothing fair about his business practices. And because of the environment I grew up in, I took it upon myself to not give a shit about what I did. The only things I cared about were my freedom and the foundation Killian and I built. My teenage years were wild. My twenties, even wilder. Iris was the one thing that my pa asked of me, to marry her.
And I refused to go through with it.
Unluckily, when Killian and I started our foundation, Pa assisted us with finding and securing a board of directors. At the time, we were na?ve, we didn’t know Pa snuck some of his friends onto the board, friends he has control over. When I told him I wasn’t going to marry Iris, he took it upon himself to tell the board of directors that I was unhinged and needed to be removed from the foundation. If I’m removed, then my position would need to be replaced. And the next in line for my position . . . my pa, unless someone else stepped up.
If he got ahold of the charity, he’d dismantle it in seconds.
Luckily, Killian and I were able to perform damage control then, but I’m not so sure we’re going to be able to do the same this time.
“Well, if it isn’t the groom.”
Fuck.
A part of me was hoping he didn’t know, but who am I kidding? He’s been waiting . . . waiting for me to fuck up. Certain I would. He knows how important this foundation is to me. And from the evil gleam in his eyes, I know he thinks he has me.
Which he does.
Unless I can think quick on my feet.
That leaves me with two options: act as if I don’t see him, or act as if his presence doesn’t affect me in the least.