Page 124 of My Big, Fat, Accidental Billionaire Husband

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “About what?”

“About our deal. About the resort. About yourwife.” The way he emphasizes “wife” makes my skin crawl. “I’ve been patient, Dom. The deal closes soon, doesn’t it? Which means you’re going to be paying me?”

I clench my jaw so hard it hurts. “I’m too busy.”

“Sorry, that’s not going to cut it today.” I can hear the threat in his voice.

“Where and when?” I growl.

“Same as last time. One hour.”

“Fine,” I say, and hang up before he can respond.

I stand in the kitchen, gripping the counter until my knuckles turn white. The last thing I want to do is face him this morning, especially after last night with Tatiana.

But I don’t have a choice. I never have, really, when it comes to Nico.

I quickly shower and dress, leaving a brief note for Tatiana saying I had an early meeting. I don’t mention Nico. I don’t tell her where I’m going. Another lie of omission to add to the growing pile between us.

I call Jake as I ride the elevator down. “I need to meet my brother privately. Book a private room at Per Se.”

“I’ll see to it.”

I leavemy security detail out front and enter the restaurant. Nico is already there when I arrive, waiting in the private room.

His scars catch the overhead lights, the twisted tissue along his right cheek and jaw a permanent reminder of my failure.

He smiles when he sees me, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Dom. Right on time as always.”

I slide into the seat across from him. “You said it was urgent.”

“Coffee first,” he insists. On cue, the waitress enters. “Black for me. And my brother will have a macchiato, extra shot.”

The fact that he still remembers how I take my coffee shouldn’t affect me, but it does. Little reminders of who we used to be to each other always hit harder than they should.

Once the waitress leaves, Nico leans forward. “I had an interesting lunch the other day.”

“With Morgan Weiss,” I say flatly. “I know.”

Surprise flickers across his face before he masks it. “Your security team is thorough.”

“Why are you meeting with him, Nico? He’s trying to sabotage the resort deal.”

Nico shrugs, a casual gesture that doesn’t match the calculation in his eyes. “He approached me. Said we might have common interests. He seems to think your marriage is some kind of sham.”

My blood runs cold. “And what did you tell him?”

“Nothingyet.” He emphasizes the “yet,” letting the implication hang between us. “But I’m wondering if I should. After all, knowing your little Vegas wedding is set to end as soon as the deal closes would be valuable information to someone like Weiss, wouldn’t it?”

The waitress returns with our coffees, giving me a moment to collect myself.

When she leaves, I fix Nico with a hard stare. “What exactly are you trying to do here?”

His eyes narrow. “I’m trying to understand if our agreement still stands.”

I take a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “Nico. If you want any money at all, you have to let this deal close. Everything hinges on it. Don’t leak anything to Weiss.Stop talking to him entirely.”

He grins, and for a moment I see the mischievous little brother from before the scars, before the bitterness. “I’ll think about it.”

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