She releases a shaky breath, which doesn’t give me any confidence. We walk toward the front door, which has a guard standing beside it. I smile at the man, who’s wearing a black suit and has a stern face. “Hey, man,” I say to him. He doesn’t answer or even crack a smile, just opens the door and greets Sophie.Dick!
We walk through the mansion. It’s decorated with fancy furniture and fancy artwork, which makes me laugh inappropriately. This is like day and night compared to our clubhouse. Don’t get me wrong, ours is nice, but this place… this place reeks of money.
We pass through the hallways and into a living room with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out on the lake. As I said…fancy… Garrett, dressed in a white collared shirt and black dress pants, stands tall. His body is rigid. Tension radiates off him in waves.
“Hey, Dad,” Sophie says. She leans up and kisses his cheek, before giving him a brief hug. She turns to me. “This is Viper… I mean Brayden.”
I hold out my hand. His scrutinizing eyes skim my face and then flick to my motorcycle vest. He shakes my hand with a firm, painful grip, though I don’t show weakness. Instead, I paint on one of my charming smiles. “Nice to meet you.”
“Can’t say I feel the same.” His harsh voice and the hatred in his eyes say this isn’t going to be a friendly chat. Garrett is known as the cutthroat businessman who has police officers, judges, and other powerful people in his pocket.
“Have you two met?” Sophie asks, glancing between the two of us.
“No,” Garrett answers her bluntly. He gestures toward the lounges, so we take a seat. He sits across from us. The awkward silence is deafening. Sophie crosses her legs, then uncrosses them.
Garrett peers at Sophie. “How’s your business doing since you’ve been”—he glares at me—“gallivantingaround.”
She flinches, then clears her throat. “My focus is still on my business.”
Garrett looks down at her hand where her wedding ring is and grunts. “It’s clear that’s not the case. Businesses don’t run themselves. They require dedication, and it seems you’ve lost sight of that.”
That was a low blow, but I see straight through Garrett. He’s making her feel bad for being with me.
“She’s managing her business from her laptop. Hell… I’m proud of her,” I tell the dick. Sophie looks at me with a smile that lights up her beautiful face.
A sneer curves his lips. “In talking about careers, have you told yourwifewhat you do?”
I sit up straighter. “It’s club business… so no, I haven’t told her. If you choose to tell her, that’s your choice, but I can’t.”
Garrett’s lips spread into a smile. His eyes dart back to Sophie. “They grow, distribute, and sell large quantities of marijuana.”
“Oh, is that all…” Sophie responds, making some of the tension in my body loosen.
“I allow their cargo”—his head turns to me and his eyes narrow—“to havesafe passagethrough Crown Village.”
He wanted me here to remind his daughter that I’m not good enough and to threaten me at the same time.Message received.
“The MC also hosts illegal fighting and gambling,” he’s quick to point out.
I raise a brow at the self-satisfaction in his tone. Fuck this… and fuck him, so I add, “Then you also must know how the MC helps Misty’s Safe Haven.” We aren’t the pieces of shit that he’s suggesting we are. We do good too. His flinch and the twist of his face makes me inwardly smile.
His eyes cut to Sophie. “I can’t believe you got married to a biker. I thought I brought you up better than that.”
“Excuse me?” I ask. It’s my turn to glare at him.
Sophie rests her hand on my leg. When I glance at her, she shakes her head at me.
I’m not shutting up. “Look, I came here to meet you for Sophie’s sake. We got married. You can’t change the past; it is what it is. And you don’t need to tell me I’m not good enough for Sophie… I already know that.” I peek at Sophie, whose face softens.
Garrett chuckles, but his laugh is deadly cold. “You just happen to marry the wealthiest woman you’ve ever met and expect me to what… bless the marriage?” He huffs. “It’s the worst decision Sophie’s ever made.”
Sophie lets out a heavy sigh. I look at her closely. She’s usually full of sass and comebacks.
“And don’t even think you’re getting a cent in the divorce.”
Annoyance flares. “She can keep her money. I don’t want it. It’s not why I married her. She’s motivated, hardworking, and successful. Hell, have a contract set up now that says I get nothing from her, and I’ll sign it.”
He chuckles again and slowly raises a brow. “I’ll entertain the fact that you’ll sign a contract. I’ll have the contract to you by the end of the day.”
