Page 34 of The Exception

I tried to ignore his comment, though it still irked me. Jasper shouldn’t be looking at Lily like that. She wasmyassistant. Former assistant. Whatever.

Get your shit together.

Or maybe I was pissed because he was right. She did look good. She always had, if I was honest. She was leaner, but her curves were still gorgeous. And the way her dress had clung to her after our fall into the pool had left little to the imagination. But the fact that Jasper had noticed… I took a bite of my eggs, but they went down like glass.

“When are we going to talk about the merger?” Sloan asked, and I was grateful for the subject change. “We need to find a way to regain the majority of the shares.”

“I’m handling it.”

“Thank fuck.” Jasper turned to Sloan, his shoulders relaxing. “See. I told you Graham would have a plan.” He brushed his shoulder against mine, lowering his voice. “You going to do some digging? Go after Donahue? Make it personal?”

“Mm,” I grunted, noncommittal. That was certainly one option. Hell, it’d be a lot easier than pretending to be married for the next two years. A lot cheaper too.

I typically preferred to use my hacking skills for good, though I had no hesitation in using them to scare off someone who dared to mess with my family. Even so, any leverage I found would only help in the short-term. Without permanent control of the board, it was an issue that could keep coming up again and again.

“Let me know how I can help,” Jackson said.

He was a former Navy SEAL who’d worked in private security for the past decade before becoming our chief of security. He certainly had the skills—or the contacts—to assist. Hell, if I said the word, he probably knew someone who could make Donahue disappear permanently without a trace. Not that I’d ever do that.

“I appreciate it,” I said to Jackson.

“Do you think you could find something on Donahue?” Sloan asked, worry creasing her brow. “Because without Steve in our corner, I’m afraid of what will happen if Fred forces this to a vote.”

As was I. He and Danika were growing too powerful. Too fucking cocky. The other board members were easily swayed by their fear tactics.

I hated being in a vulnerable position. And I hated seeing my siblings worry about our future. As the eldest, the one in charge, it was my job to protect them and our legacy. Not just our legacy, but my grandparents’ as well.

“You think Moretti’s got something on Fred?” Jackson asked, draping his arm over the back of Sloan’s chair. He skimmed her back with his fingers, gently reassuring her with his caress.

They were always touching.Always.

Is that what everyone would expect if I were married to Lily? Touching her didn’t seem like much of a hardship. Though, I’d never want her to do something she wasn’t comfortable with.

I wiped my mouth with my napkin and took a sip of my coffee, remembering that Jackson had asked me a question. “I’m wondering.”

Jasper let out a low whistle. “Shit. I certainly wouldn’t want to be on Moretti’s bad side.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Or yours.”

Satisfied, even though I knew he was teasing, I leaned back in my chair. “What do we know about him?”

“He’s shady AF,” Jasper said.

No shit.

“Keeps a low profile online,” Jackson said. “Never married. Had a rough childhood but made something of himself. Really skyrocketed in the hospitality industry about fifteen years ago.”

Damn.And this was why Jackson was so good at his job. He’d done some digging without even being asked.

My phone buzzed with a new text message from Pierce.

Pierce: Check your email. Moretti’s offer just came through.

I opened my email,but the offer only pissed me off even more. When I glanced up, Sloan and Jasper were just as absorbed in their phones. Jasper looked angry, and Sloan looked worried. It hardened my resolve.

“Find out everything you can about him,” I said to Jackson.

“Consider it done,” he said. “Though I’m surprised you’re not taking this on yourself.”

I’d kept tabs on Moretti in the past, but only the moves he made in the industry. As long as he’d stayed out of my business, I’d stayed out of his. But now that he’d made this personal, it was time to do some digging.

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