"No idea." I clenched my jaw. "But she works for the Benton Girls Revue."
"That's all my guy needs," Lobo assured me. "I'll get back to you."
Getting back to me took longer than I thought it would. Six weeks. Over which Nora sent me increasingly threatening texts.
How about Realtin,if it's a girl? It means little star. Nice proper Irish name that will keep with the girl's naming convention on Sunny's side!
I spoke to Kelsey Weitman about your upcoming nuptials, and she thinks we should put on two weddings. One in the Benton Wedding Salon for the press release and a small private ceremony at my place for friends and family. Let me know what you think BEFORE the March board meeting!
Max finally called me back.He's in Greece. He says he'd be HAPPY to marry Sunny!!! Abe says it will take a while to transfer all my shares, tho, so let your nan know how you plan to play this hand I've dealt you.
As if herlooking up baby names, consulting with the Benton Grand's wedding director, and conspiring with Max weren't enough, her most egregious act of extortion arrived by courier in late January.
A small leather box with a handwritten note attached.
Here's the wee bauble your grandad gave me when he asked me to marry him. Of course I made him upgrade me within a year of the ceremony, but I think it would be perfect for Sunny! She's not flash, like me. Too bad. She's so pretty, flash would look good on her. Almost as good as a Benton baby bump! Make it happen, Coley. OR MAX WILL!!!
I opened the box to find a simple emerald engagement ring with a gold band.
And pondered whether I should run the grandmatricide idea by Lobo again. Surely, he'd reverse his stance on killing old ladies once I explained the extreme lengths Nora was going to in order to make me fall in line with her blackmail marriage scheme.
Fortunately for Nora's chances of surviving the year, when I came home from work that night, I found the burner flip phone lit up with a new text from its only contact:"Got something for you."
"Lo sientofor how long this took," Lobo said when I called him back. "Your girl was squeaky-clean. Good girl through and through as far as we could see at first. Went to nice private schools before getting her degree in dance at UNLV. Drives a used car she paid for in cash. Doesn’t even have a student loan.”
No, doubt because of my grandmother. If Nora was fond enough of this woman’s grandmother to force her granddaughter on me, I was sure Nora wouldn’t hesitate to pay this Sunny’s private school tuition and college bills.
“I thought I was actually going to have to tell you we couldn't find anything,” Lobo admitted. “But then I told my guy to check her bank accounts one last time before I gave you the bad news, and...well, check the text message I just sent you."
I hung up and forwarded the text with the Dropbox link Lobo had sent me to an account I could access from my laptop—but it officially belonged to an unnamed employee at the shell I used to cover up some of my less ethical business moves.
"Gotcha," I whispered to myself when I discovered the bank statement. It revealed a six-figure transfer from the Glo Johnson Charity Fund into Sunny's savings account, followed by a complete withdrawal before she shut it down, leaving behind just her personal checking, where she received her Benton Girl paychecks. I wasn't an Asian tourist, but Happy Lunar New Year. To me.
CHAPTER4
Cole
Yet,less than a week after receiving the information I'd needed to take Sunny down—and put an end to my meddling grandmother's marriage plans—I found myself proposing to her with the vintage wedding ring I'd tossed into my desk without much thought.
"Agree to marry me, no questions asked, and I'll make all of your problems go away."
Sunny gaped at the ring. Then raised her large brown eyes to look up at me."Why are you doing this?"
I narrowed my eyes at her. "That's a question."
"You're damn right it's a question! One I need answered!' She stood up and shook her head at me. "Istolefrom your grandma. Why would you want us to pretend to be married?”
That's a good question—too good, actually. I was still trying to figure out what the hell I was doing myself.
I decided to go with a mild version of the truth as my less-than-a-minute-old plan continued to form in my head.
"The thing is, my grandmother is very fond of you." I gritted my teeth, remembering Nora's inane argument for giving me an ultimatum that would ruin my AudioNation deal. "She thinks I work too much, and apparently, it's her dying wish that I settle down and marry you.You,specifically."
At first, Sunny simply stared at me, her expression uncomprehending. Then her face fell. "Oh God! Nora's dying?"
She sank back into the white metal seat I privately called my pawn chair. "And her dying wish is to see you married?"
A strange, foreign emotion flickered inside my chest. Was it guilt, attempting to access my long-dormant and iced-over sense of right and wrong?
