Yeah.
“Tell me you didn’t give her the details.”
“I didn’t. But she paid someone to dig into it.”
After all, it involved an obscene amount of money, so it only made sense that Monica would take an interest. Especially in her current financial situation. It wouldn’t do well for the world to discover that she was flat broke. It wasn’t easy for a woman who raked in millions to make movies to end up damn near penniless with very little to show for it.
“And...?”
“At the very least, I think she knows the terms. Jeremiah either knew who he was dealing with, or he was a paranoid bastard because he set up a blind trust. I assume to avoid a potential conflict of interest with her brother. On top of that, he made it so Laikyn couldn’t access it until she was twenty-five. Oraftershe turned twenty-twoandhad been married for at least ninety days.”
“Thorough. You think he did it because he thought Monica would try to get her hands on it?”
“No idea.” And that much was the truth. I had no idea about the former relationship between Monica and Jeremiah Montgomery. And up until recent years, Monica hadn’t been hurting for money. At the moment, I wouldn’t put anything past the woman.
“What about the brother? You think Knox knows?”
“No.” I was certain of that. “It was set up so that it wouldn’t come to light if something happened to Laikyn before the stipulations were met. Only Jeremiah’s lawyer knows the details.”
Never mind that I’d been paying Jinx to conceal the information for the past six years. He was a hacker with unrivaled skills, but that didn’t mean the details were impossible to find. However, Knox Montgomery would have no reason to go digging, so it was safe to say he was oblivious.
“You think Monica knows the stipulations?”
“I’d be surprised if she didn’t. She’s set Laikyn up with three guys this year.”
“You think it was to get one of them to marry her?”
I shrugged. “More than likely. I’m not sure she knows everything, but I think she’s aware of that clause.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Why else would she set Laikyn up with a creep like Wes Carver?”
Rhyan’s chin jutted outward. “I didn’t realize he was a creep. Seems relatively harmless to me.”
“Not so much.” I took a deep breath. “Jinx found a payment Monica made to him. Ten K. If I had to guess, it was part of her plan to get him to seal the deal so they could get their hands on Laikyn’s money.”
“She really is a conniving bitch, huh?”
She was something, all right.
“If she’s financially strapped, that means she’s stuck,” Rhyan mused. “Now that you married the girl, she has nothing.”
“This is Monica Quinn we’re talking about. She’ll find a way.”
Which was why I wanted to get everything squared away as soon as possible. I didn’t want to leave Laikyn in the dark for a minute longer than I had to. As soon as I told her I’d married her so she could access the trust, she would likely demand an annulment.
I just needed to find a way to keep my hands off the woman and get everything lined up before she found out. She wasn’t going to forgive me for manipulating her, and I couldn’t blame her. But at least she wouldn’t think I was a selfish bastard on top of it.
Maybe.
* * *
Laikyn
Frustrating.
Infuriating.
