Page 85 of Nothing to Lose: Lost Trilogy: Part 1
“First of all,” Devereux interrupts me with his snobby tone. “Do not ever call medude. Whatever that is, it is not in your vocabulary when you address me. Are we clear?”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes at him. Instead, I just nod in agreement.
“Second of all, you dead would be of no use to me. At all.”
“What good am I to you alive?” I snort.
Devereaux finally gives me a sincere smile. It’s faint and fades fast, but I saw it.
“My daughter seems to think that she has great affection for you. I respect that.”
“You do?” I really thought he was going to tell me that I’d get cut up in minuscule pieces and fed to the birds if I didn’t stay away from Emily Stewart.
“I have always respected who my daughter chose to date,” he sounds almost offended. “Even when I disapproved with every fiber in my being.”
“Ah, I knew there was a catch.”
“Surprisingly,” Devereaux continues like I never said a word, “I actually like you. And I think you’re a good match for my daughter.”
“A good match?” I turn around in my chair and start looking around in exaggerated moves. “Am I being punked?”
“I’m pretty sure the wordpunkedis not hip with the kids nowadays, Mr. Puck,” he teases me, and it sounds so odd.
“Well, neither is agood match,” I deadpan.
“Fair enough,” Devereaux concedes.
“Why do you need me?” I finally ask when I see he’s not saying anything anymore.
“Two things.”
He leans forward and rests his elbows on the desk in front of him, fingers interlaced, looking every bit as the successful businessman that he is known to be in the polite society.
“Emily’s former… suitor, shall we say, has been sniffing around.”
That definitely gets my attention. I try not to react, but Devereaux notices my distress at hearing that, and he smirks. He knows he’s got me now.
“Steve Proctor dated my daughter for roughly two years,” he explains.
His words remind me of what Emily told me when we first got together. I didn’t pay attention much at the time. I was in lust, and I didn’t think I’d care about any former boyfriends.
“She thought they’d be getting married and have children.”
The disappointment I feel at hearing those words threaten to cut me at the knees.
“Fortunately,” Devereaux chuckles, “she walked in on him screwing his assistant. It was a blessing. I hated seeing her heartbroken like that, but it was for the better. Still is.”
“How long ago was that?” I am scared to find out, but since I am a glutton for punishment, I need to.
“They broke up six months ago,” Devereaux confirms my fears.
She came to Texas six months ago. She was all over me almost from the second she laid eyes on me. She asked me to fuck her in the hallway of the hotel, and then again in the room…
I was a rebound.
“Steve found out about the money Emily inherited from her mother’s estate. He wants it,” Devereaux informs me in his cold voice.
“Who cares?” I shrug. “Not like she’s just going to hand it over to him.”
