Lennox gets up and walks out of the room swiftly, and I chase after him. River and Beckett stay behind. I can faintly hear her discussing details of the wedding planning with Vincent as I leave the room. They’re most likely giving me some privacy to talk to Lennox.
Lennox makes it to the elevator before I do, and the doors nearly close before I put my hand in to stop them.
Panting heavily, I step inside, and the doors close immediately behind me.
Lennox looks straight ahead. He pretends not to notice me or be watching some invisible movie playing before his eyes.
“Will you talk to me? Tell me what deal you made with my father.” I don’t know why I need to know, just that I do. Call it a gut feeling.
“No.”
I frown. “Why not?”
“Because it’s none of your concern.”
“Except, it is. It’s my life we’re talking about! I deserve to know. What are you expected to do in exchange for marrying me and becoming my father’s heir?”
The doors open on the ground floor, and Lennox starts to step out but then stops, standing between the doors as he turns and looks back at me.
What are you up to, Lennox? And how do I beat you?
“Fine, don’t tell me. But I’m not giving up Kit, no matter what you or my father says,” I say.
“I’m not telling you to give him up. Keep Kit around as long as you want. Hurt him all you want. I don’t care.” He leans in close, his mouth hovering over my ear as he steps back into the elevator, abruptly invading my space. His breath is hot on my neck as he says, “But know that before our year together is up, you’ll be in my bed begging me to fuck you. And Kit will be nothing but a fleeting memory—an ex who couldn’t live up to the real deal.”
Then Lennox slams his hand between the closing elevator doors, catching them at the last minute, and steps out. I’m left gaping, hot and bothered, and completely confused about this enigma of a man and why I’m soaked between my legs.
Chapter11
Lennox
Two days.Only two more days until I’m married. Two days until I either make the best or worst decision of my life.
I open the door into Hayes and Gage’s apartment. They’re more social than me, enjoying living together, while I can’t stand sharing my space with anyone. I guess that’s about to change in two days. I cringe at that thought.
Their apartment is bigger than mine—two actual bedrooms, one shared bathroom, an open floorplan living and kitchen area, and a dining room converted into an office. Gage is in the makeshift office, sitting behind a dozen monitors at a large desk.
He turns in his chair when he hears me approach. Hayes takes a seat in a nearby chair next to Gage.
“Tell me you’ve dug up something on Kit Taylor,” I say, falling into one of the chairs.
“Kit grew up in Mississippi in foster care with very little money. He’s been best friends with Rialta since Corsi sent her away. They grew up next door to each other. He had the same foster parents from the time he was five, but they never adopted him. No evidence of abuse, but they didn’t have a lot of money. He graduated high school with decent grades but never attended college. Despite that, he’s done quite well for himself. He works for a sales firm, where he makes a great commission, but it seems like he spends all of his money on a flashy car and bachelor pad.”
“Is he a threat?” I ask.
“No, he’s just an ordinary guy. He knows very little of Rialta’s real life, except that she’s being forced into an arranged marriage and that her father is a dangerous man. I’m not even sure Kit realizes he’s mafia,” Hayes says.
Dammit, I really wanted an excuse to kill him. Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll find a reason eventually.
I stare off into space, contemplating a plan of how this is going to work.
Gage takes one look at me and knows that I’m rethinking everything. “Stick to the plan, Lennox. This will work. It has to.”
“I know. It will work. I had to change tactics slightly, but I know that it will.”
“What do you mean?”
I sigh, not having told them all of the details of the deal I made with Corsi yet, knowing they might try to talk me out of it if I told them how serious it is if I lose. But we are in this together, and they deserve to know.