Fairytale Come Alive (Ghosts and Reincarnation #4)(125)

“It. Is. Not.”

He dipped his head and nuzzled her ear with his nose before he said there, “It is.”

“You’re impossible,” she clipped.

“I’m in love with you,” he replied and lifted his head when he felt her body grow still and he saw her eyes had gone soft and the tears had disappeared. “No’ because I’m blinded by guilt which is ludicrous. I knew I loved you before I read your journals. I’m in love with you because I just am.”

“Excuse me,” Carver bit out from behind them and Prentice turned.

He did so while sliding his arm around Elle’s shoulders and pulling her close to his side, saying, “Fuck, I forgot you were here.”

“I’ll ask you to mind your mouth when you’re around me and my daughter.”

Prentice grinned. “Elle likes it when I talk dirty.” He looked down at her and asked softly, “Don’t you, baby?”

Elle’s eyes rounded in horror then they grew warm and she looked like she was trying hard not to laugh.

Yes, he hadn’t lost her. Standing at his side was his Elle.

Prentice nearly laughed.

Again, he did not.

“Isabella –” Carver started but Elle’s humor faded and her eyes turned to her father.

“I thought we’d said what we had to say.”

“We did but that was before you decided again to throw away your life on this man,” Carver replied.

“Finally, something I’d like to talk about,” Prentice announced and he felt Elle’s body twitch at his side while Carver’s angry eyes slid to him. “Twenty years ago, for no reason other than to be an ass**le, you took away the woman I loved. I’ll expect an apology before you leave.”

“I… you –” Carver spluttered.

“And one for Elle too,” Prentice went on.

“I can’t…” Carver started then finished on a hiss, “You must be joking.”

“Don’t feel like apologizing?” Prentice asked then concluded, “That’s fine, then. You can just leave.”

“Isabella –” Carver started yet again but it was Elle who cut him off.

“Prentice asked you to leave, Dad.”

“You can’t tell me –” Carver began.

Prentice looked down at Elle and interrupted him by asking her, “Does he have keys?”

“I changed the locks after our last conversation and asked security to change the code for the front door,” she replied.

Prentice smiled and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Excellent.”

Carver butted into their discussion, “Cameron, I’ll remind you about my offer. I’m willing to negotiate.”

Prentice looked to the man. “You’re saying you’re willing to pay me more than twelve million dollars to get out of Elle’s life?”

He knew Elle had heard that part because she showed no reaction to his words.

“Yes,” Carver bit out.

“How much more?” Prentice asked, Elle went tight at his side and he gave her shoulder another squeeze.

“Name it,” Carver snapped.

“All right, Carver, since this doesn’t seem to be sinking in, I’ll explain it to you. I love your daughter. I’ve loved her for decades. My children love her. We’re happy, finally, f**king happy. You don’t have enough money to make me walk away from that. There isn’t enough money to make me walk away from that.”

“You’re only saying that because Elle has more than four times that amount in her trust,” Carver shot back.

At his words, it was Prentice’s body that went tight.

Then he looked down at Elle and asked, his voice sounding stunned because he f**king well was. “You have over forty-eight million dollars?”

She licked her lips, the nerves acute and visible and she nodded. “At my last meeting with my accountants, it was around fifty-three.”

Prentice couldn’t wrap his mind around fifty-three million dollars.

Carver cut into this endeavor and declared, “I’ll give you fifty-four.”

Elle sucked in breath.

Prentice’s surprised eyes sliced to the man and he muttered the first thing that came to his mind.

“You’re mad.”

“Fifty-four million dollars, you’ll have it tomorrow. No strings,” Carver confirmed. “We’ll find a way around red tape, taxes, everything. You’ll have it mid-morning. Tomorrow afternoon, you walk away.”

“Mad,” Prentice repeated.

“I’m not mad, I’m deadly serious,” Carver returned.

“You’re mad,” Prentice stated again.

“I have it and Isabella knows it,” Carver’s eyes moved to his daughter. “Don’t you?” he demanded and, when she didn’t answer, he leaned forward. “Look at her, Cameron. She knows it and she knows you’re going to take it.”

“Definitely mad,” Prentice muttered yet again.

“Stop saying that!” Carver snapped.

“Carver, if you think I’m going to take that money, you are definitely mad.”

Elle’s body jolted violently at his side but Prentice ignored it and ignored Carver’s mouth dropping open. He didn’t, however, ignore just how f**king satisfied witnessing the bastard’s angry astonishment made him feel.