Page 89 of Counterfeit Connection

If he hadn’t spent the evening inside of me, worshipping me, and telling me how much he loved me, the word obligation may have stung.

“Eager as ever to take control.” Lachlan laughs. “We’ll get to that, but first, I’d like to know why I received an email from Brandon Finch, saying he was going to be working with Jackson Properties moving forward.”

“Brandon Finch?” Griffin questions. “The last we spoke; he had given Tobias every reason to believe he’d be doing business with us. If that changed, I had no idea or inclination.”

“Ah, there’s my answer,” Lachlan seethes. “Passing the buck to Tobias, like always.”

“Tobias is my partner at Orion in every sense and will continue to be. I have every confidence in his abilities and negotiation skills. If this deal went wrong, and that’s still an if for me, then I will go over the details with him.”

“If? Are you saying I’m lying?” his father growls.

I immediately jump to his defense. “He didn’t say that. Don’t put words in his mouth.”

“I don’t believe this is a conversation that involves you, girl.”

I can feel Griffin about ready to jump out of his skin and about ten feet in the air. I quickly wrap my wrist around his forearm. “In case you hadn’t heard, I too now work on the legal team for Orion, so any deal pretty much is my deal. If Finch bailed, I say good riddance. He was going to leave us with a property that would have had more maintenance done instead of a revamp and resell. Orion would have spent more money than it made.

“If you’d bothered to look at the architect’s report, you’d know that. Or better yet, you could have an architect on staff who would also save the money on contracting it out for review every time. But you seem to only like the sound of your own voice, so I’m certain no one was willing to tell you the total truth. It’s all about what you want to hear and what’s best for you. Griffin is one of the best negotiators out there. That’s how I know Tobias is too. They work efficiently and as a unit. Yet another thing you seem to know nothing about.”

I expect Griffin to step in, to try to protect me, like he always does, but instead, he allows me to protect him.

“I see you picked a mouthy one, Griffy,” he says and the use of his mother’s pet name for him makes me see red and I bolt to my feet.

“No,” I say sternly. “I know that you don’t know me, Mr. Shaw, but I refuse to sit here and allow you to speak to him that way. We may not have been together long or what some might consider any time at all, but I know he’s a good, decent, smart human being. He’s damn good at his job and despite not having a stellar example growing up, he’s an incredibleman.” I’m nearly shaking, but I don’t stop. If I stop, I’ll start crying in anger and I refuse to let him see that. “As an attorney, I looked over this sham of a contract you presented to him, and while he’d have a damn good fight to prove it not enforceable, we won’t be doing that. We are together. Period. Consider his portion of thecontract completed. We’ll expect the final paperwork to be sent within the next few days. Griffin, if you’re finished, I know I am.”

My dark knight rises from the chair beside me, staring down at his father. “Finished doesn’t even begin to cover it.” His hand reaches across to me. I slide my one shaking inside his. When we turn to leave together, his father decides to get one more jab in. “This little acting job you both just presented to me won’t fool anyone. I see right through you, and I’ll make sure it’s known who you are and what you’re after, girl.”

“Get a good look, Father. The next time you see us will be in a courtroom. After that, you’ll be here alone with your house. That will be all that’s left.”

“Is that a threat, boy?”

Griffin turns back to him, shielding my body with his. “No, Mr. Shaw. That’s a promise for the ages.”

Griffin

I’m not sure I’ve been more angry, proud, and turned on all at once before. Seeing her jump to my defense thawed a piece of my heart I didn’t even know was frozen.

We nearly bumped into Greta when we exited the office.

“Oh!” she says, startled. “Leaving already?”

“Yes, Greta. Prickly was an understatement.” I lean in and give her a quick hug. “If you ever get sick of his shit, please come to the U.S., I’d be happy to have you. Call me if you need anything at all, all right?”

“You know I will. It was lovely meeting you, again, Ms. Logan,” she says, nodding to Kaitlyn.

“You too. And, it’s Kaitlyn, please,” she replies in a shaky voice. Her adrenaline must still be high.

I whisk her as quickly as I can down the stairs and out to my car, and as soon as we are alone inside, she begins to cry.

“What… an… asshole…” she says between sobs.

“That’s an insult to the word asshole.” I’ll say anything to get her to smile. “Sweetheart, are you going to be okay?”

“I…will be…eventually.”

I want to leave this place, but I don’t want to take my eyes off of her. I have so many things I need to say before I leave here and never come back. “Kaitlyn, will you look at me?” She turns her tear-stained cheeks toward me as an answer to my request. “I know I’ve said it before and I meant it then, but I need you to know it now. I truly love you. I don’t just love you for your body. Any man would be an idiot not to. I love you for your fire, your willingness to defend what’s right. I love you for the way you spoke to him.

“You went at him with your sharpest axe, your words. You wove them like a fine thread. You let Lachlan Shaw see the woman you are, the woman I fell in love with. The woman I hope to have by my side forever.”

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