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“Oh... Okay.”
“Where do you live, Bernadette?” Ashton takes out his phone.
I bite my lip, embarrassed to open up.
“I have this situation with my ex-boyfriend.” I glance from Emery to Ashton.
“We heard, sweetheart.” Emery squeezes my hand.
Relieved to not repeat the ugly events, I simply add, “After he got arrested, it kind of left me stranded.”
“Jesus, if you tell me she’s homeless, and you let her sleep on the street, Ford,” Ashton bites out.
“No.” I place my hand on his thigh, the hard muscle jumping at my touch. “I’m in a cheap motel outside the city.”
“No more,” Ford announces. “You’re coming home with me tonight.”
My sight goes hazy. “What?”
“No, she can live with me,” Ashton offers. “Makes more sense since we’ll be getting home late from my events.”
“No.” Ford puts down his drink, his chunky watch hitting the table with a clatter. “She comes home with me. We had a deal. Neither of you own her.” His eyes penetrate me, and I get chills.
“It won’t be a problem to live with you?” I’m shocked at his suggestion.
“No.”
“Mr. Austin?” A woman in a powder-blue suit comes to our table. “I’ll need your payment for Miss Armstrong.”
A quiet comes over the table, and I feel like a whore.
Fidgeting, Ashton’s hand feathers against my knee under the table.
God, what is happening?
Emery scrolls through his phone without looking at me, then rattles off numbers that pay for my expensive bid.
He’s paying for Ford, really, who quirks a smile.
That’s what this is all about. Covering his legal fees.
I can’t get the wrong idea that any of these men actually care about me. Despite the alpha contest, andFord insisting I live with him.
Honestly, I can’t take that motel for much longer.
Emery finishes, and the woman touches my arm.
“Miss Armstrong, this has been deposited into the account information you provided earlier less our commission.” She shows me a screen on her phone:
$400,000.00.
They took a twenty percent cut. But still... Wow.
Ford said the case might cost around three hundred grand. That leaves over one hundred K for me. But what if the case costs more? What if Michael drags this out?
I’d happily give Michael the money to get my designs back.
I exchange cell phone numbers with Emery and Ashton. He didn’t pay for me, but I’m his this month, too.
