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“She okay?”Fletch asked as I walked through the door.
“Yeah, just a few cuts.”
“You were gone a long time for cleaning up a few cuts.”
He wasn’t angry, but I sensed something off in his voice. “Look, I didn’t mean to leave you here alone.”
“It’s not that,” he said sharply. Finally looking up at me, I could tell something was on his mind.
“Then what is it?”
A beat passed before he answered. “I heard about your brother.”
“Fuck,” I sighed, knowing exactly where this was going.
“I know about your wife. My dad told me.”
Laughing humorlessly, I leaned against the wall. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the news would spread.”
“Only in the right circles. Look, you know I don’t play by their rules. Fuck them, that’s the way I feel about it. But you played their game. You have people relying on you because of the choices you made.”
“I know that,” I bit out.
“Then what the fuck are you doing with this chick?”
“Thatchickhas a name.”
“I like her,” he hurried on. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s fucking perfect for you…in another life. What exactly did you sign for your father?”
I bowed my head, staring at the floor. “Five years. A divorce results in a loss of shares for the family filing.”
I heard his audible sigh. Disappointment, anger, frustration…they were all feelings I knew too well.
“Why the fuck would you tie yourself up for five years? Is this because your brother died? Because you shouldn’t feel guilty about that. The decision to marry into that family was his choice.”
“How do you know so much about my family’s dealings?” I asked, hoping he wasn’t acting as some kind of spy. As he narrowed his eyes at me, it was clear he understood my meaning.
“Fuck you. You know I would never do something like that to you. I hate this life just as much as you do. That’s why I got away. What I don’t understand is why you went along with it.”
“Because if I didn’t, the board would vote for Jerry Wright to take over as CEO. My family would be out. And while I don’t give a shit about the company, the last thing I want is for my mother to be hurt.”
“She’s not exactly a saint,” he muttered.
“No, but she’s my family. Could you walk away knowing it would eventually ruin your family? This is what Jerry’s wanted for years. He’s just been waiting for his opportunity to pounce, and if I didn’t step in, that fucker would take over my family’s business. I don’t have to tell you what that would do to me.”
“No, you don’t have to,” he said quietly. Though we weren’t really in touch at the time, he knew about what happened with Melanie, Jerry’s daughter. It was the gossip that fueled the society section for months.
“So, I married Kimberley, knowing that I would have to deal with this for the next five years.”
“And what happens after that?”
“As long as we have two kids, I get to walk away.”
He scoffed at that. “Is that all they’re asking?”
I shrugged.
