Page 102 of Married to Number 22
“You are?” I mutter.
He drops his hand to his side. “Yup.” A beat. “Because now it’s fuckingon.”
Thirty-Eight
Luna
“Did you have the board meeting?”
I smile at Bri as I walk into the common space. As usual, she has a book in her lap, but she is also more animated than I’ve ever seen her, her confidence growing daily since she showed up at the party for Aiden and me.
“We did,” I say, sitting down across from her and nudging her foot with mine.
She looks rested and calm—and I know it’s partly because she accepted the bakery job and the bed here at the shelter.
But I know the rest of it is Kathy.
And Smitty.
And Gray.
And Joel and Aiden and all the rest of the Blacks.
They’ve hovered, checking in, reminding her that she’s not alone, showing her that there are good people in the world—connection without pushing.
Well, there was Kathy offering Bri a spot in her guest bedroom.
But she didn’t protest—much—when Bri declined, something my little teenage sidekick also did of Aiden’s and my offer to stay with us at Gram’s place.
Myplace.
It still feels weird to say that.
Same as it feels weird to say I’m married.
And that I’m the majority shareholder of Smythe Industries.
I grin.
“Well?” she demands.
“Well…we had the meeting.”
“Yes”—she makes a hurry up sign with her hand—“and what happened at that meeting?”
I shrug, affecting casual when I’m anything but in this moment. “It turns out that joining a partnership with Genen-core”—Jace Henderson’s company—“and Titan Capital”—Jean-Michel’s firm—“calmed the board enough that they voted in favor of my insulin program.”
Her eyes light up. “Really?”
I nod. “Really.”
It was almost anticlimactic, how the pieces fell in place after Jean-Michel and Jace joined my side, and— if I’m being honest—I’m a little disappointed. I finally found the strength to fight…and then I didn’t need to.
Not much anyway.
Still, I’m sure that time will come eventually.
Because my brother and father have lost a battle, but they’re not the type to give up on the war.
