“Maeve, you okay?” I ask in a lowered voice because there’re already too many people watching us. I don’t give a fuck about that, but she seems to be anxious by all this attention.
She gives a short nod without watching me.
“Let’s go. I’ll walk you to your room. You need to catch your breath.” Noah swoops in, walking toward Maeve and putting his arm around her shoulder in a protective gesture I don’t appreciate very much right now.
I watch his movements carefully, not blinking. Scared to miss a tiny indication that the Noah I know is after her. But I find none. He’s treating her like a sister. I want to go with them and talk to Maeve before she clamps down even moreor worse, like escape this fucking island. But I can’t. A heavy stare from my not-happening wife needs my immediate attention.
“I’ll come to you in a second,” Bea calls out to Maeve and switches her fairy attitude back to glaring at me with her arms crossed over her chest. “So, the groom.”
“Hello, Beatrice.” I can try being polite even if it’s the last thing I’m feeling right now—or ever—because I’m the asshole in this situation.
“You missed all the official announcements for obvious reasons, so now?—”
“What?”
She blinks. “What what?”
“The announcements were made?” I feel the blood draining from my body. “Who the fuck made them when I was missing? What if I was fucking dead? Who’d you marry then?”
She rears back at my outburst, but I don’t feel sorry. Or ashamed. All I feel is fucking rage.
“How about your board or whatever’s taking over the company? My father did you a huge favor, and you should be grateful.”
I lean back toward her. “Without me fucking agreeing to it.”
“Yeah?” She rises on her tippytoes. “Then why are you here?”
I don’t know why I’m so mad at her. Because she’s right. I knew her father would want to marry off his daughter to me. And this would be the only way I’d get the decision-making voting power. The majority of the shares would be back to me and Noah.
“When was it announced?” And why the fuck hasn’t anyone told me about that yet?
“The moment Noah texted my father,” she says quietly,visibly losing all of her anger. “He called the board and said that you were found and now he’s happy to announce that you’ll be marrying his daughter.”
I squeeze my jaw together so tight, my molars grind.
I wanted to talk to Beatrice and put everything on the line, but I need to speak to my brother first.
Without saying another word, I turn away and march to the reception where a smiling lady with a white flower behind her ear greets me while glancing between me and Beatrice. Curiosity on her face tells me that our conversations weren’t as quiet as I thought.
“Mr. King, I’ll get your room keys,” she announces, typing something on her computer. “You have an over-the-water bungalow with all the?—”
“The keys,” I bark, stopping her unnecessary explanations I don’t have patience for.
“Right!” She squints, nearly jumping. “Of course. Room one-oh-ten.” After quickly pushing the sleeve with the cards toward me over the counter, she jumps backward and tries to plaster the same friendly smile on her face.
I grunt and grab the keys, leaving the lobby as fast as I can. The instructions with arrows are pretty clear, and I find my bungalow without troubles. It’s the largest and furthest from the shore. I press the card to the scanner and go inside. A quick glance around is all I can do before heading to the fridge and grabbing a beer. After chugging it down, I change into clean sweats and a T-shirt I find in the closet and go outside. I don’t have time for a shower. I need to speak to her.
When I open the door, I’m met with Noah’s lifted fist he was about to knock on the door with.
“Going somewhere?” he asks with a raised brow.
“Yes,” I bark, angry at him ruining my life at the moment. “Move away.”
“Not yet. Go back. We need to talk.”
“Noah,” I growl a warning.
He levels me with a stare. “You wanna hear it first.”
