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“What test? Whattest,Jax?”
I don’t answer that question, not yet. Not until she sees just how completely Chance is keeping her in the dark. “He’s merging with Bennett, or trying to, and giving up the Knight name as well. I predict he gets out completely.”
“I heard you talking to Eric about that. That can’t be right.”
“It is, baby. I’m part of a financial consortium Grayson and Eric run. Your brother applied to join, in order to diversify his personal portfolio, but as an extension of that, he suggested a partnership with Bennett that has now become a merger.”
“I don’t get it. Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know. But he wants an escape from the attention and control.”
“You mean he’s planning to hide under Bennett’s brand?”
“Yes.”
“You think my father left him more than he bargained for?” she asks.
“That’s exactly what I think, and I’ll be honest, Emma, when I first went to Eric, we were not a couple. I went with the intent to destroy your brother. I wanted to convince Bennett to back out and then mastermind a hostile takeover. I wanted revenge. I wanted it so badly that I would have connected him to York had I known about York back then and ruined him. But thenyou happened.”
“Don’t play with me,” she warns. “I heard you say you were setting him up.”
“He plans to come after me. You know I have to be ready. We talked about this.”
“That doesn’t make it okay to take our company. That’s not protecting yourself.”
“Listen to me.” I step toward her and reach for her, only to catch myself before I break my promise and drop my hand. “I talked to Grayson and Eric about a way to protect you and me. If Chance turns out to be dirty, or if he comes after me, that plan ensures that your company is secure but he’s out. You’re in. The merger could work for you. You don’t have to run the entire company, but you would be a key player. And Grayson agreedthe brand could stay intact. A Bennett-Knight property would be how they would be listed. If it came to that.”
“And what do you get out of this?”
“Nothing from the hotel deal. I’d have no interest and no control.”
“Whatdo you get out of this?” she repeats.
“Protecting what is left of my family and getting you what you deserve. That’s all.” I hold out my hands. “That’s all, Emma.”
“What kind of setup? I heard you talking about setting him up. And don’t say York. You will not connect him to York.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“You said—”
“I haveopenlyadmitted to being consumed by my need for revenge before I met you. The only reason I didn’t tell you about this sooner was that I wanted to come to you with the facts first. And I knew you’d be pissed when you found out about the merger. I didn’t want you to charge at your brother right now.”
“Not until you could set him up?”
“Holy hell, Emma.” I scrub my jaw. “Is that where we’re at? Because I didn’t think it was.”
“Neither did I.”
“I was thinking about the threats Randall made. My brother is dead, and yes, I’ve considered your brother a suspect. I don’t want you to end up dead, too. I need a damn drink, but not as much as I need this.” I step to her, pulling her close, one hand between her shoulder blades and the other at the back of her head. “I know I promised not to touch you, but I’m just a bastard, right? Why would I keep a promise?” My mouth closes down on hers, hot and heavy, and I kiss her. A deep, taking kiss. I kiss her like I will never kiss her again because I might not. She resists at first, but then she’s kissing me, too.
An angry kiss. I taste her anger. I taste my own. We’re both angry at me. And what do I do? Touch her. Kiss her. When I saidI wouldn’t. I tear my mouth from hers. “I guess I just proved your point right.” I release her and turn.
She catches my arm. “Exactly what point did you just prove?”
“That you can’t trust me to keep my word. And that the idea of not touching you again is un-fucking-bearable.”
“I’m confused,” she whispers.
