“He caught wind of our arrangement. Apparently, he knows Adeline is marrying into the Westwood family and the Weatherby lawyers have been blowing up my phone and Dad’s ever since they found out.” He sighed heavily on the other end of the line. “They’re threatening to take the involvement of both families to court, claiming Adeline signed under duress. They want the proceedings reopened.”
I genuinely couldn’t speak for a moment, looking back at the bedroom door with fury rising so fast, it made me dizzy. “This isn’t because Louis wants her or the girls back.”
“No,” Alex agreed wholeheartedly, even scoffing a little. “Everyone knows this is about money and control. Maybe even punishment. The man abandoned his wife and daughters, publicly humiliated them, drained her finances dry, and now, he’s suddenly claiming to care. No one buys it.”
“It’s only because we stepped in to protect her.” It made me sick, physically making my stomach roll so badly that Iconsidered dashing to the bathroom. “He doesn’t want them, Alex.”
“I know.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, but I doubted even the best masseuse in the world would’ve been able to work out the knots of tension suddenly forming there. Those girls deserved peace and so did Adeline, yet Louis Weatherby seemed intent on dragging them all through hell before allowing it.
“What’s the play?” I asked finally.
“The lawyers are handling it. Simon is already involved too. Dad and Clark, Sr. are both furious.”
“At least that’s promising news.”God help the man stupid enough to get my father and Clark Morris united against him.“Look, let Dad and Morris know that if it starts heating up, I’ll write him a check.”
Alex snorted. “It’s going to heat up.”
“Well, then figure out what number makes him disappear. I know how extortion works, Alex. This is the cleanest, fastest way out.”
“We’re not there yet.”
I leaned a shoulder against the wall, anger settling heavily into my bones. The thought of telling Adeline what was going on was already gnawing at the back of my mind, dread solidifying in my stomach when I imagined watching that stress creep back into her eyes after I’d finally gotten it to disappear.
“I’m not letting him do this to her again,” I said quietly. “Do whatever needs to be done.”
“We will,” he replied. “Our lawyers actually already have a solution that doesn’t involve paying him off. Do you want to hear it?”
Oh, this should be good. “Shoot. I’m listening.”
“Get married as soon as humanly possible,” he said as if it was the most logical thing in the world. “As it stands, Adeline is legally divorced and free to marry whoever she chooses.”
“Sure, okay, but is that really the best they can come up with?” I rolled my eyes. “For what we pay them, you’d think they’d be able to come up with a real solution and that isn’t one.”
“Why not?”
“Has it occurred to any of you that if Louis can’t come after Adeline, he’ll just go after the girls instead? He won’t stop just because she marries me, Alex.”
“We thought about it,” he said but almost off-handedly, like it didn’t really matter.
Which instantly put me on edge. “There’s more, isn’t there?”
“This arrangement might’ve become more than the company is willing to handle right now, Zach,” he said lightly. “Don’t get me wrong, the Morris Company is?—”
“Stop.” I had never blown my top with him before. Not ever. But these were extenuating circumstances and if I could’ve climbed through the fucking phone to throttle him, I would. “I’m going to stop you right there. I’m not letting her go again, Alex. If Louis pushes this too far, I’m going to become a problem forhim. Don’t put yourself right up there next to him.”
“You say that like you aren’t a problem already,” he said with a hint of amusement in his tone. Then he flat out chuckled. “You consummated the marriage prematurely, didn’t you?”
I hung up on him, then immediately put my phone on airplane mode and went back into the bedroom. Adeline hadn’t moved, still asleep in my bed, tangled in my sheets, and wearing the shirt I’d had on last night.
Okay, well, I suppose this is technicallyherroom for this visit, but it’s still mine.
She also looked more peaceful than I’d seen her in a long time. There was no tension lining her features and no furrow inher brow. Right now, she was just here, and she was mine. Mine to protect and maybe, if I was lucky, mine to love again.
If I didn’t screw this up.
I climbed back into bed with her carefully, pulling her against me and holding on tight. She made a sleepy sound, curling into my side and burrowing into me again. Turning my face into her hair, I buried my nose in the soft strands, and somehow, I managed to fall right back to sleep.
