Chapter 4
Chapter Four
GIDEON
“O h sweet, gummy bears.” Spencer goes for the bag I’m holding, but I jerk it closer to my chest, out of his reach.
“Get your own,” I tell him and scowl.
“Geez, what’s up your ass? Everything okay with the Gamer’s prenup?”
“No. I mean, yes. But no.” I stare off in the distance as I think about how to answer that question.
Since Emerson left, I’ve been in a fog of uncertainty wondering if I should go to see a doctor about my sudden medical issues. It’s probably exactly what I thought and I’m having a stroke. Or maybe I’ve got some kind of virus that is eating my brain, and I’m about to turn into a zombie.
“Gideon!” Spencer shouts my name, and I flinch.
“What?”
“Seriously, what’s going on? Did something happen?”
I reach in the bag of gummy bears and take out one of the green ones. “Do you know these are strawberry flavored?”
“What? No, and why does that matter? Did you hit your head?”
“I think I’m turning into a zombie,” I say mostly to myself, and then Landon walks in.
“Did you get the prenup signed?” he asks, but I’m too busy staring out the window and looking at the birds flying by. Have I ever noticed them before?
“I think he’s concussed,” Spencer tells Landon. “He’s acting weird.” He reaches for the gummy bears again, and I move them out of his grasp. “And he won’t share his candy.”
“When is the wedding?” I say, turning away from the window and looking up at Landon. “I need to know.”
“Oh shit.” Landon’s face pales as he looks me over.
“What is it?” Spencer stands beside Landon, and they stare at me like I’m an animal at the zoo.
“He’s in love,” Landon says right before he bursts into laughter.
“Am not.” I cut my eyes at him then shove the gummy bears in my jacket pocket.
“Oh shit,” Spencer echoes Landon’s words and then doubles over, joining in on the joke.
His accusation has snapped me out of my cloud of emotions, and I tell myself it’s a good thing. I can’t sit here and daydream about what could be, especially when it’s not a possibility.
“Come on, Gideon, don’t be mad.” Landon tries to stop laughing, but I can see it’s taking an effort. “I’m sorry, it’s just, Gamer’s fiancée? Really?”
“It’s not like that,” I say, but it sounds like bullshit even to my own ears. “She doesn’t want to marry him, and she didn’t want to sign the prenup. I think her mom is forcing her to do it.”
“Why would she do that?” Spencer sobers as he processes what I’m saying.
I open my laptop and turn it toward them. “After they left, I called Gamer’s family accountant and had them send me Emerson’s financials. I told them I wanted to include it with the prenup.”
“They had her financials?” Landon asks as he scans the screen.
“Sort of. Gamer’s dad has all kinds of connections. I knew he would have looked into her to cover his ass if anything went south. But from the looks of it, on paper, Emerson hardly exists. No bank accounts, no credit cards, not even a family trust in her name.”
“That’s fucking weird,” Spencer says, echoing my thoughts.
“And her family has money, lots of it. Her dad is Malcom Brown.”
“ The Malcomb Brown?” Landon asks. I nod.
“The guy who ran all those financial institutions that went bankrupt?” Spencer’s head snaps up.
“Not before he took a bailout from the government and used it to give himself a golden parachute into retirement.”
“He’s a real piece of shit.” Landon echoes my thoughts.
“I think he’s made a deal with Gamer’s dad, and the payment is his daughter.” I wait for them to say something, but Spencer and Landon only look at each other. Something in their expression irritates me. “What?”
“Lots of people have arranged marriages,” Spencer says gently.
“I know that.” My words come out harsh, but I don’t care. I reach over and slam the laptop closed. “I’m not an idiot. Wealthy families do this all the time.”
“Then what’s up?” Landon moves closer, but I’m already walking to the exit. “Gideon, talk to us.”
“That prenup was bullshit, and she knew it. She knew that she was being sold like cattle and signed it anyway.” The longer I think about it, the angrier I get. “Emerson doesn’t have a dollar to her name, and the only choice she’s been given is to marry a man who will treat her like shit.”
“I hear what you’re saying, but?—”
“It’s fine,” I say, cutting Spencer off. It’s far from fucking fine, but I can’t be here right now. “I’m taking the rest of the day off. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Gideon, don’t go,” Landon calls after me, but I’m already at the elevator slamming the side of my fist against the buttons.
“Everything okay, Mr. Bennet?” Scout asks from the reception desk.
The thought has me pausing as the doors to the elevator slide open. “Call Mrs. Brown’s assistant, the one who set up today’s appointment. I want you to find out what her schedule is for tomorrow.”
“Do you want to set up a meeting with her?” Scout looks skeptical but is writing it down.
“No, I’m trying to find out when she’s going to be out of the house.”
With so little information on Emerson, I have to imagine her mother keeps her on a tight leash. With the wedding only a few days away, I’m betting she’ll be glued to her hip. Getting her alone might be impossible, but I have to try.
As I step on the empty elevator, I imagine her walking down the aisle to Conner Merritt.
When the doors close, I scream at the top of my lungs.