“Making sure I’m awake.” My voice came out thin and disbelieving. “Because you arenotmakinganysense right now.”
His expression didn’t change. If anything, it collapsed further in on itself, like something inside him was caving under pressure. Nate took a step closer to me, those blue eyes so intently fixed on mine that there could be no mistaking how serious he was.
“You and I have to get married, Kate,” he said softly. “That’s what Abram wants.”
I laughed. It burst out of me, incredulous and borderline hysterical. The sound echoed off the glass walls of the office, much too loud and too unhinged for my liking. I waited for him to crack, to smirk, or to roll his eyes before he told me this was some elaborate power play or intimidation tactic, but the laughter died in my throat when the look on his face didn’t change.
He wore a devastated expression, absolutely heartbroken—and still completely serious.
“What the hell is wrong with you people?” I whispered.
“Abram wants us to get married,” he repeated, his voice rougher than I’d ever heard it, like it physically hurt him to push the words out. “If we want the deal to go through, we have to do it.”
The room tilted slightly and I gripped the back of the chair beside me, my stomach tumbling straight to my shoes. He dragged a hand over his mouth, then lowered it, very clearly forcing himself to continue.
“The entire bid is riding on this. Hinds will sign off on the sale to Westwood and Sons, keeping the acquisition intact, but only if you marry one of the brothers.”
The words thudded through me, heavy and suffocating. He gave me a little shrug as he pointed at his own chest. “Since I’m next in line, I’m the chosen one.”
I blinked at him, my brain struggling to catch up with reality. “Why?”
The question came out small. I’d never sounded so fragile in my life, but to be fair, I’d also never been told I would be marrying the hot, but insufferable guy in front of me.
Nate’s jaw tightened and he looked away for a moment like he couldn’t stand the weight of my stare. “Blood is thicker than water, remember?” He seemed utterly crestfallen, but he managed to explain. “Hinds wants blood ties. Westwood andSons and Vanderhaul and Marksmith have been rivals for decades, especially in New York. He wants to ensure neither party can back out of what they’re promising.”
A hollow laugh scraped up my throat. “So we’re the sacrificial lambs?”
His eyes flicked back to mine, full of dark resignation as he nodded. My chest tightened so much, it hurt to breathe. “What happens if we refuse? IfIrefuse?”
Nate’s gaze dropped to the floor and he chewed the inside of his cheek, his shoulders drawing inward like he was bracing for impact. “Hinds has other offers. Better offers. My company can survive losing this acquisition, but your dad’s firm cannot.”
It would’ve hurt less if he’d dumped me off the side of a cliff, but he wasn’t even done yet. “Alex wants this acquisition. He’s been pushing for it and he’s willing to take any risk necessary, but it’s different for your dad. He doesn’t just want it. The way I understand it, Hinds’ account is vital. Youneedit.”
“And my parents are okay with this?” I asked, my voice cracking despite my best effort to keep it steady.
“It sounds like the deal was cut between your dad, mine, Alex, and Hinds. But by all means, ask them. I wasn’t involved in any of the decision-making.”
The ringing in my ears muted all other sound. Suddenly, I couldn’t feel my fingers, my toes, or my lungs, like my soul had been ripped from my body. My dad? My very own father had pushed this forward, and Abram, my godfather, had thrown me into the line of fire to begin with.
A sharp, splintering ache cracked open inside my chest, spreading fast and painfully to my extremities, which were now the opposite of numb. My whole body felt like it was filled with flames. I swallowed hard, blinking against the burn stinging behind my eyes.
“Kate—” Nate started.
I shook my head, stepping back from him like he’d just threatened to marry me.Oh, right.
If he said anything else, I might shatter right here on the polished office floor and I refused to give anyone that kind of show.
“I need air,” I muttered, not waiting for him to respond before I was brushing past him, my shoulder grazing his chest. Even now, even in the middle of all this, the heat of him burned through the thin fabric of my blouse, but right now, none of that was important. None of the confusion I’d been feeling or the conflict within that shifted one way or another from one day to the next.
I yanked the door open and strode down the hallway, ignoring the curious looks from assistants and analysts who quickly pretended to be very interested in their screens. The elevator ride felt endless, the mirrored walls reflecting a woman I barely recognized, wide-eyed, pale, and visibly unraveling.
By the time I reached the street, my pulse was roaring in my ears. I lifted my hand and waved down the first cab I saw, climbing inside before the driver had even fully stopped.
“Where to?” he asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Where was I supposed to go when it felt like my entire life was crashing down around me in a city I didn’t know? I had absolutely no clue, so I just shrugged and sank back into the seat.
“It doesn’t matter. Just drive for a minute,” I finally muttered. “Take me anywhere. I just need to get away from here.”
