Page 97 of Married to Lies

43 Jude

“You got a time-controlled safe,” I deadpanned, staring at the suitcase-sized hunk of metal in the middle of the dining room table.

Aaric shrugged, unbothered. “It was the only way to be fair.”

Quentin undid his smartwatch, putting it in the safe, followed by his laptop, tablet, and cell phone. His jaw flexed as he released the phone like he had to force himself to let it go.

Cruz easily gave up his devices, saying, “Do you think the TVs here have pay-per-view?”

Aaric arched an eyebrow. “Asking for a friend?”

Cruz gestured at his lap. “My best friend.”

Bryce snorted out a laugh.

My teeth ground together. “This isn’t the time for fucking jokes.” I roughly put my devices in the safe and hissed, “We’re on the verge of losing a majority stake in the company to the dying man upstairs, and the daughter he wants to give it to is up there with him!” I raked a hand through my hair. “Do any of you take this seriously?”

Quentin narrowed his gaze, drawing up to his full, intimidating height. “You’re not the one who just walked down the aisle to save the company.”

Most guys would have shied away, but his response only made me want to punch a hole through the wall. “Great, so while you and Bryce play house, the rest of us have to figure out what to do if Simon dies before his will’s updated. And while we’re at it, we’ll figure out what that scheming woman is doing upstairs. Aleyna may act stupid on TV, but that’s not reality.”

Quentin’s jaw flexed, and Bryce balled his hands. Aaric and Cruz exchanged uncomfortable glances.

Finally, Bryce said, “What do you expect Q and me to do, oh mighty one? Be miserable fuckers until the one man who believed in us dies?”

“Whoa,” Aaric cut in. “No one’s saying that.”

Bryce didn’t back down. “Really, Jude. Let’s get it all out there, huh? You think I’m bad at my job? That I’m distracted?” He beat his chest, nostrils flaring. “Lay it on me.”

I sneered at him, refusing to back down. “Blame your goddamned self. You haven’t had much to contribute since meeting Jada.”

Bryce sneered, “Get my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”

“Make me,” I hissed.

Bryce scrambled up from his seat, ready to round the table, but Cruz cut him off, holding him back. Cruz bit over his shoulder at me, “What the fuck is wrong with you? You’re instigating him at every corner.” He turned his gaze on Bryce and shoved him back. “You two used to be best friends!”

Quentin spoke up, voice low but firm. “They don’t need to be friends to act like adults.” He gave both of us a hard, threatening look. “Sit your asses down.” His lip curled like he’d make us if we didn’t obey.

Bryce and I glared at each other, and he walked back to his chair. I followed suit.

Quentin swung his gaze between us. “Now, show up to the table like the C-level execs you are or get the fuck out of this room.”

Silence washed over us five again, broken only by the sound of Aaric shutting the safe and pressing the digital buttons to seal it for the next three days.

Just when I was about to speak, I heard the squeak of a wheelchair and Aleyna’s high-pitched laugh from the hall nearby. “You are so funny, Daddy.”

Cruz’s face contorted like he’d smelled something bad.

With Aleyna pushing his chair, they rounded the corner into the open area. Aleyna stopped and gasped, gaze swinging around. “It is so pretty here in the daytime. Ugh, I wish my filming crew was here.”

“I have two good filming hands,” he said.

She laughed and pushed Simon to the table to join us. Ignoring the tension in the room, she walked away with her phone, filming all around.

“Delete that,” I grunted. “No phones.”

Aaric nodded. “It’s a device-free retreat.”