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“Interesting,” Jax replies, and when Billie heads in our direction, he waves him off before he sits on our side of the table.“We can handle this,” he says. “But can you stay close in case we need you?”
“Of course,” Billie replies quite formally.
“There’s a breakroom two doors down,” I offer.
Billie thanks me and then exits the room, sealing us in privacy before I glance at my brother. “Do you have an attorney coming?”
“I don’t,” he says. “I felt that going with what your man put together would show good faith. And my lucky suit is not about negotiating today, Emma. We’re past that point.”
“Tell me something,” Jax says, tapping the table, his mind proving to be elsewhere. “Does Randall get anything out of the merger?”
Chance waves that off. “Randall doesn’t know about the merger. And after he threatened Emma as he did, I don’t know that I’ll recommend he stay on with Bennett.”
“What about an inheritance if the castle is signed over?” Jax asks, and it’s becoming clear that he is still looking at Randall as the person who arranged my kidnapping.
“Nothing like that,” Chance confirms. “Nothing at all. Like I’ve said before, Randall’s motivated to protect me because it’s security for him. I can say with certainty that he felt doing so meant getting Emma away from you. That’s where his head was when he threatened Emma. Could he have gone off the deep end and hired someone to just bring her home? I don’t pretend to know. We can theorize all day long, but unless he confesses or we corner him with proof, we can only speculate.”
Jax shifts with obvious agitation. “Emma can’t walk around without protection if we don’t know. If he did this, then at least we know she’s not in danger.”
Now I shift uncomfortably in my chair. “He’s right. I can’t live my life with a bodyguard, and I don’t even want to know what that’s costing you, Jax.”
Jax dismisses the expense. “The money isn’t the issue. Your safety and quality of life, on the other hand, is.”
Chance thrums his fingers on the table. “He’s money motivated. I’ll offer him a fifty-thousand-dollar bonus for confessing with the promise of no recourse in writing. Are you willing to sign off on that, both of you, right along with me?”
Jax considers him several long beats. “You really think he’d confess?”
“It’s all we have right now,” Chance replies.
I catch Jax’s arm. “I say do it. He’s right. Randall is all about money.”
He cuts his stare in obvious thought and then nods. “Do it.”
Chance pulls his phone from his pocket and punches in a number. “John. I need you.”
“John is his attorney,” I whisper to Jax, and John is then put on speakerphone. A few minutes later, we’ve all agreed on a document John promises to send over in fifteen minutes.
Jax slides the first document in front of Chance. Chance reads over it and laughs. “You’re good, North. This makes anything else we sign worthless if you know this exists.”
“Which your attorney won’t,” Jax says.
“Brilliant,” Chance says, removing a pen from his jacket and signing before sliding it back to Jax.
Jax indicates additional documents. “These are two copies of the same castle deed. One I sign to you and one you sign to me. Timestamp yours for fifteen minutes from now.” Jax hands Chance one of the documents.
Chance doesn’t even blink. He does what Jax requests and returns the document to him. Jax then signs over the castle to Chance and hands him the deed that is now worthless. Chance shakes his head, a smile on his face. “All the stress I had over this could have ended this easily.” He reaches into his pocket andhands me an envelope. “That’s your inheritance document. John should approve the wire in the next few days, if not sooner.”
A knock sounds on the door and Becca walks in. “John said to give this to you right away.”
“Thanks, Becca,” Chance says, reviewing the document as she disappears out of the room. “Looks good.” He sets it in front of me and Jax. “If this doesn’t get a confession out of Randall, we won’t get one.”
Jax and I both read over the document and then hand it off to Chance. “When will you talk to him?” I ask.
“In about half an hour, sis. I know you’re eager to be safe and free. I’ll call you soon.”
We all stand up, and I stuff my inheritance document in my purse, watching as Jax and Chance shake hands. Chance then grabs me, and much like he always has, he forces me into an exaggerated hug. I love these hugs. “Thank you, Chance,” I whisper, holding onto him tightly.
“Anything for you, Bird Dog.” He pulls back to look at me. “You’re glowing. Jax makes you happy.”
