Page 22 of Lethal Salvation

Gideon ran a hand through his hair, and she could see the stress he was feeling in the slope of his shoulders, and how much the visit had affected him.

“He threatened you again, didn’t he?”

Her eyes swung to Damon. “What?”

He wasn’t looking at her though, he was spearing his brother with a worried gaze.

“Yes.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him to do his worst, but he’ll follow through this time, I could see in his eyes.”

Duchess moved closer, placing herself between them as she held her hand up to Damon and looked at Gideon. “What did he threaten you with?” It didn’t sit right with her that while she’d been outside the door, Gideon had been threatened.

Gideon sighed and sat heavily on the couch. “He said he’d go to the board and force a vote of no confidence in me and have me stripped of my title and therefore any power.”

“Can he do that?”

“Yes.”

“Why is your father such a dick to you two?”

Damon sat down beside his older brother in a show of support who, at that second, looked defeated and exhausted. “He isn’t pulling his own strings anymore. He hasn’t been since he met Marsha.”

“Even so.”

Gideon looked up at her. “That’s not all. He says he owes money to some bad people, and they’re going to kill him unless he can pull this off.” He glanced at Damon. “He was scared.”

“Fuck him. He’s never given us anything but headaches, not since the day they laid Mum in the ground.”

“If we say yes, this deal with Macey’s will sink us. Carter will see to it. He has an agenda here. He has enough money from his illegal shit to keep him happy, so money isn’t it.”

Gideon got up and paced, grasping the back of his neck as he did, looking more dishevelled by the second, and yet still sexy as hell. “I can start again. I have an offer from Chelsea Bank to go and work for them.”

“No.” Damon slashed his hand through the air as if to finalise his thoughts. “No. You worked yourself to the bone to save this company after he almost bankrupted us and I won’t see you forced out because of that little prick.”

“What other choice do we have? If I say no, he forces me out. If I say yes, we lose anyway.”

“Not necessarily.” Both men turned to her when she spoke, and it was striking to see the differences and yet the similarities between them side by side.

“If you have a plan, then now is a good time to voice it,” Gideon demanded, but with slightly less asshole than his usual flavour.

“The bugs in your apartment prove they suspect you. I think they’re banking on you saying no and being forced out. That way someone else, likely Carter, will step in and have free rein to do as he pleases.”

“Wait, what?” Damon jumped to his feet as he watched her.

“We found bugs all over this place. Not sure how long they’ve been there but someone with access planted them.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Yes, exactly. I propose we say yes, but you counter and tell your Dad you’ll only agree if Carter cuts you into the deal. Tell him you know he has a contact at Macey’s and you want in on it. He’ll believe you’re coming around, especially as you’ve been running the underground casinos for him.”

Gideon blanched. “Excuse me? I’ve been doing no such thing.”

Duchess rolled her lips. “According to every paper trail we have, you are, and there’s footage of you going in and out too.”

“Bullshit.”