“All of it,” he said, like he was talking about picking up milk on the way home. “Thayer. Every share. I don’t care how much it costs. I’ll sell my condo. My cars. My watches. Hell, I’ll live in a shoebox if I have to, but I will fix this.”
My head shook on its own. “Why?”
It was the question that scared me most, but he didn’t even try to dodge it. His deep green eyes were intent on mine and the words came out so easily, it was like he thought it was obvious. “Because I’m in love with you.”
My heart skipped, tripping over itself repeatedly while my eyelids went on the fritz.He… Wait, what now?
“I married you for votes,” he went on as if he hadn’t already turned my world upside down, his voice steady and those eyes still locked firmly on mine. “That was the plan, but I fell in love with you the day we met and I’ve been the luckiest man alive ever since. This isn’t about business anymore. It hasn’t been for a while. Not for me.”
My throat closed and I glanced to the side, swearing the walls were moving toward me. Everything felt too big. Too loud. Too fast. Too completely out of control.
And none of it felt real.
“I can’t.” I pressed a hand to my forehead, my head spinning faster and faster with every breath I tried to take. “Alex, I?—”
A knock sounded at the door, the knob wiggling a moment before Colin’s voice filtered through it. “Jane? Can I come in? Why is your door locked?”
I didn’t look away from Alex. “I have to go. I need to talk to my mother.”
The corners of Alex’s mouth tightened. “Killer.”
“I can’t fix this with you right now,” I said, hating how true it was. “I’m being pulled in too many directions.”
Another knock. Harder this time. I unlocked the door before Alex could stop me and came face to face with my brother, his expression thunderous. “What the hell just happened in there?”
“Where the fuck is Mom?” I asked.
He hesitated. “She left, muttering something about a headache. The best bet is that she went home.”
Of course. Of course, she fucking went home. She came in here, blew the life I’ve been trying to build for myself, to rebuild for us all, to smithereens, and then went home to take a nap.
I grabbed my bag. Alex reached for me, his fingers brushing my wrist. “Jane. Please. Let me handle this.”
I looked at him, and for one terrifying moment, I almost stayed, but that wasn’t who I was. Sure, handing over the reins to him in the bedroom was hot. Letting him deal with things on my behalf from time to time had been liberating, but this was mymotherwe were talking about.
My family’s company. My grandfather’s legacy.
“I can’t,” I said, my voice coming out strangled, but my mind was made up. “I’m sorry. We’ll talk later. All of us.”
I directed the last sentence to my brother, then strode past both of them, leaving them alone in my office to do whatever the hell men did when all their plans had gone up in flames.Golf, probably. God, does Alex even play golf? How do I not know something like that about my very own husband?
Nora was in the kitchen when I got home, humming softly as she rearranged flowers in a vase. She looked up when I walked in, a disturbingly serene smile on her lips. “You’re home early.”
“You voted yes,” I said, my feet refusing to carry me any further into the room than the doorway.
The slightest frown creased her brow, as if she truly didn’t understand my curt tone. “Well, yes, honey.”
“You. Voted. Yes,” I repeated, punctuating each word without meaning to. “Why?”
She sighed. “The money is good for the family, Janey. We’ll be rid of your father once and for all and we can finally move on.”
“Do you know who’s buying Thayer?” I asked.
She frowned. “Some overseas group. Why does that matter?”
“It’s Mallory,” I said. “Mallory Foundry. Her new husband.”
Mom’s face fell before her expression went blank, but that just fueled my rage, my voice shaking as I felt my features contort. “She convinced Dad to funnel money. To commit fraud. She ran when it all fell apart and now she’s back and you just handed hereverything.”
