Accidental Knight: A Marriage Mistake Romance(31)

Fuck.

Molly gazes around the room, irritation in her eyes. “Then we’ll just have to get rid of this dump. Or we’ll leave it to you, if you’re adamant about taking on another of those projects.”

Avery Briar stands and holds out a hand. “Miss Reed. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Ignoring her ma, Bella steps forward, shaking his hand. “Mr. Briar. I appreciate your offer and will review it, but –”

“Oh, Christ. Don’t tell me.” Molly cuts them off with a hiss as she sees me. “You’re Drake Larkin?”

“Have you not met Mr. Larkin before?” Avery asks, a snide smile filling his face. “You’ll find he isn’t much of a talker, I’m afraid, but...a fine fellow. Very skilled at what he does.”

Keep going, fucknut, and you’ll see skilled.

I don’t even need to say it to smother the amusement in his eyes. One look does it just fine.

Nothing new. Our feelings toward each other are mutual, and far from affable, considering his history with Jonah.

Molly Reed lets out a harsh giggle. A false one. “Of course, we have! I just didn’t recognize him at first, it’s been a few years.”

Fucking liar.

My look shifts to her, but apparently, she’s got a bigger backbone than Briar.

It doesn’t end there. Molly rattles on about Avery’s incredibly generous offer for North Earhart Oil, and his guarantee that all employees will remain with the company, and don’t you know he won’t change a single thing with The Jonah Reed Foundation?

That’s the only part that disgusts her, the donations Jonah made. She tries to soften her contempt for Bella’s sake, but it’s as obvious as her overdone nose job.

Then Avery pipes in and hands Bella several sheets of paper. All copies of articles about how Jupiter Oil has brought life to several South Dakota towns.

Gary doesn’t say a lot. He just rubs his chin and follows the conversation with his eyes.

Jonah did that, too, but I don’t believe for a second his reasons were the same as his son's.

This man just looks defeated, exhausted with life. Nothing like the endless energy reserves Jonah Reed had till his dying day.

Bella doesn’t say a lot, but when she does, it’s friendly. Too diplomatic.

“Okay, okay, one thing at a time. I promise I’ll look it over,” she tells them several times.

That makes my spine tingle.

Is she that different of a person around her parents? I don’t see the bullish confidence she’d had while meeting with Roger.

“No need, Annabelle,” Molly snaps, this venom cheer in her voice. “We’ve thoroughly reviewed the offer and the early feedback from our own attorneys back home says 'sell, baby!' All you have to do, dear love, is sign.”

Annabelle.

It takes me a moment to remember that’s her real name. Jonah always just referred to her as Bella, but Annabelle is what was on the papers she’d signed.

Maybe that’s who she is under pressure, Annabelle.

But when her nose wrinkles – especially when Molly coughs up that fake as fuck dear love phrase – I see Bella underneath. Fighting to come out.

Come on, girl.

“Oh, give her a little time, honey. She doesn’t need to sign anything today,” her father says slowly, almost meticulously. “We’d do well to take our time. I haven’t even seen the company’s latest valuation reports.”

“She certainly doesn’t,” Briar says, almost too fast, still wearing a mannequin-like flash of white teeth. “This was just a friendly visit to get to know each other. We can arrange a more formal meeting later this week, if you’d like, whenever its convenient for everyone – including Mr. Larkin.”

I don’t even look at the scum.

I know better.

He wants to needle me, provoke some kind of bearish outburst so maybe I won’t be around when push comes to shove. Not happening.

“We’ll already be back in California by the weekend,” Molly says, her smile thinning. “Won’t we, Gary?”

Gary never answers, just gives the slightest bob of his head.

Then she saunters around the table and does the shit I can barely stand to look at.

She sits her royal, pampered, greedy ass down in Jonah Reed’s chair.

Goddamn, it makes her look small. Tiny, arrogant, and wrong.

I’m sure she’s getting off on it, thinking she’s landed herself a new throne, and with another little push or two, Bella will fall right into line and give away the farm.

She’s got no idea.

If she did, she’d know how ridiculous she looks in that seat, and not just because it once belonged to a man who fucking bled goodness. The kind all her filthy money can’t buy. Her in that chair just screams imposter.

Gary, who looks down at his shoes like they aren’t even his, slouches back in one of the chairs facing the desk. Avery takes the other chair, holding back a smug grin.

I can practically see the wheels turning, evil hamsters spinning in his skull, already tallying the loot he’ll make off picking Dallas to the bone.

Bella’s hands tremble when she lays the articles Avery gave her back on the desk.

Shit.

I want to tell them all to get out and leave her the fuck alone.