“Forget it. Let’s circle back to Lakewood. He has to be dealt with.”

  “What’s the urgency?” Micah asked.

  "For starters, he's far too close to Gwen. He's going to jeopardize everything about this deal."

  He drained his smoothie. "She doesn't know why you agreed to the marriage, does she? She really thinks it's about the software?"

  Gwen thought I was bailing her company out, but I needed her as much as she needed me. She had no idea why though. And if she ever found out, she wouldn't like it. Matter of fact, she'd raise hell. "I told you before, I want the predictive algorithm. She serves our purpose in this case, so it works."

  "Yes, of course, the algorithm. I just didn't know a predictive software algorithm had such nice assets. And that little clause about your thirtieth birthday has nothing to do with it."

  "Shut your mouth," I growled.

  He inclined his head toward the door. "Look alive."

  "Showtime," I muttered under my breath.

  Richard Lions had been my father's VP of Operations. He'd known what my father was up to all that time, and he'd chosen to cover his own ass.

  Micah stood, but I didn't bother. As he approached, Lions seemed unfazed. "Micah, Atticus, thanks for seeing me."

  I ignored his outstretched hand and leaned back in the leather high-back chair. With my fingers steepled in front of my chest, I asked, "What is it you want, Lions? I've got plans. If you hurry up, I can still make it to lunch to see my fiancée."

  “Congratulations on the nuptials, by the way.” Lions shook Micah's hand, took a seat across from us, and cleared his throat. "You've got every right to be pissed off. I chose wrong. Not much I can do about it now."

  I eyed him and narrowed my gaze. "You chose wrong? Is that how you're going to play it?"

  Five years ago I discovered my father had been slowly siphoning my company out from under me. My grandfather had left Pendragon Tech to me, not my father, and I'd had to wrestle control from him and take the appropriate steps to protect my mother after he'd spent years gaslighting her. And Lions wanted to tell me he had ‘chosen wrong’?

  Micah tried to diffuse the building tension. "I think what Atticus means is that you need to tell us why you're here."

  I scowled at my brother. He had more diplomacy than I did, but in this case, it wasn't deserved.

  Lions nodded. "Yes, of course. I just want you to know, Atticus, back then you were known more for your playboy ways than your business acumen. I had to make a call about what I felt was best for Pendragon Tech at the time."

  I leaned forward then, fixing my gaze on him, staring him down. Everyone thought I was cold and calculating because they never saw the heated rage that lived right under the surface of my skin. "And you chose that psychotic geezer. But it's just business, right? Still, it makes me wonder why the fuck we're even meeting with you."

  It would be so easy to eviscerate him, to tear him to shreds, and energy pulsed through my body because I wanted to do it. I wanted to lay bare every sin that I knew he'd committed, the ones he didn't have a clue I knew about, and the ones the public certainly didn't know about. I wanted to do it right there in the middle of the restaurant. To lay them at his feet as I pummeled him.

  Micah, already reading my mood, leaned forward as well and plopped a hand on my chest. "Speak, Lions. You don't have long."

  Lions sputtered. "Your father and I don't speak anymore. Not since I realized what he'd done to your mother. Those of us who supported him didn't know. At least I didn't."

  "I don't give a fuck," I growled.

  Lions used a napkin to dab sweat from his brow. "He's coming for you. He's got a plan. He's been working with Jacobson for nearly a year. They have a partnership."

  I chuckled then. "That's not news. We knew that already."

  "Okay, then do you know he sent spies into Pendragon? I don't know who they are, but you've got a leak, and you need to plug it. He knows all about the Becks deal, and Jacobson is doing everything he can to get in on it, so you'll be stuck with him anyway."

  Micah shook his head. "He can't come back. The board themselves ousted him."

  Lions shrugged. "All I know is that he's making his moves. He's already got several board members on his side. Not me, though. My vote is still in play, and I won't vote for him. Not this time. But he has gotten some support, so you need to watch yourselves."

  Micah sighed and adjusted his tie. "You've wasted our time, Lions."

  The older man sat forward, pinning me with a direct stare. "I fucked up, okay? I backed the wrong horse, and that's on me. But it's in good faith that I come to you now. Your mother and my wife were very good friends. And after my wife died, your mother was there for me. She was kind. I didn't know what your father was doing to her. Maybe I've come to you out of loyalty or revenge, I don't know. But you have my vote. I suggest you gather others. It's going to be a fight."

  "Is that all?" I asked through clenched teeth.

  “All I know for certain is that he knows about the Becks deal, and that's not public knowledge yet. He’s got something planned about your mother. You need something to fight back with. Something good. If she’s not hidden and safe, make sure."

  He pushed away from the table and stood, striding out without a backward glance.

  Micah turned to me. "Well, what do you think?"

  "I think Lions is a disloyal fool. And I think he deserves whatever happens to him."

  When I glanced over at my brother, he was pinching the bridge of his nose.

  "But I think he's right,” I conceded. “Dad is coming for us. But I say, let him come.”

  Chapter 17

  Gwen

  If there’d been a way to avoid this conversation and make sure that I didn't have to go through with this, I would have done it.

  But the die was cast. I had to talk to my father.

  I went to my office to drop off my bags first, and Carrie, my assistant, gave me my messages. I gave her a warm smile and said, "Hey, can you get an all-hands meeting on the books for today? Whatever time is the least harrowing for most people."

  "Okay, I'll see what I can do."

  "Thanks."

  She gave me a nod, and I took the elevator to the top floor to see my father.

  His assistant, Teresa, wasn't at her desk, so I let myself in, much to his surprise.

  "Gwenyth, what are you doing here?"

  "We need to talk, dad."

  "I thought I was clear about my expectations Friday night."

  "Dad, you can't decree something as insane as this and expect me not to have questions, or thoughts, or problems."

  "I can. R&D has been a drain on us. This solves the problem. I don't have to sell off Becks. I don't have to cover up for the company. I just have to parcel you off."

  "The point is I have a whole team I need to address. What do I tell them?"

  "Tell them the truth. Honestly, Gwenyth, do I have to explain how to run a business to you?"

  "As if I would take advice from you. It's your over expansion that got us into this mess. When I came on board four years ago, you swore to me you wouldn't do this. So why? Do you hate me that much?"

  "I do not hate you. I'm trying to teach you something, Gwen. The world is not all sunshine and roses. Sometimes you'd have to make tough decisions. If you don't know that by now, then you don't deserve to run your own company. I made the best decision that got me what I needed for my people."

  "I'm one of your people, Dad."

  "Not entirely. You are part of Pendragon now. And I got the best of both worlds. That's called a compromise. Now, I have a meeting this morning. You're dismissed."

  "Absolutely not."

  My father's brows popped. I never argued with him. "I beg your pardon?"

  "Yes, you should beg my pardon. I could make this messy and loud. I could make myself a giant pain in the ass. I do not have to go quietly into the night."

  "Didn't you sign off that you would?"

  I swallowed hard. "Fine. But until Pendragon takes over fully, you still have the little business of running the company and getting us ready for the merger. Payroll sent me frantic emails that we are off their books, but we’re not on Pendragon's yet. So how am I supposed to get anyone paid?"

  My father looked me straight in the eye. "Well, Gwen, that sounds like your problem, not mine."

  Chapter 18

  Atticus

  After leaving the restaurant, I climbed in the car, and Gavin flicked his gaze to mine in the rearview mirror. "Are you all right, boss?"

  I ignored the sarcasm dripping from his words. I wasn’t taking any shit right now. "Yep, I'm fine. Let's head to Becks Incorporated. I just found out that my fiancée is not where I told her to be, so I guess I have a lunch date at Becks."

  He studied me in the mirror. "So you're really doing this?"

  "You know, I like it better when you just drive."

  He chuckled softly. "Who did you piss off now?"

  "I didn't piss anyone off. Richard Lions did the pissing off."

  Gavin navigated in the traffic easily. I swear to God, the man knew no fear. He'd probably honed that skill during his years driving Formula One, but he'd had a nasty crash, and it had almost killed him. He had gotten into private security after that.

  "What did Lions want?"

  "Apparently, to warn me that the old man was coming for me. But I knew that."

  "Did he give you anything actionable?” he asked. “We can get Pierce on it."

  "Micah is already on it."

  "Good. Since he’s got your flank covered, are we going to talk about the wife thing?"

  I rubbed at my jaw. "Don't you start, too." The bunch of them were the worst gossips.

  "I like her. I'm just saying it's complicated. And right now, do we really need complicated?"

  "I have it under control."

  Liar.

  "Sure you do, boss."

  Once we arrived at Becks, I signed myself in like some kind of visitor. But this time, instead of getting off on the top floor, I got off on the sixth. Corporate R&D, previously known as Rebel Tech, it had been rolled into Becks Incorporated four years ago. And that was the beginning of James Becker's expansion plans.

  Those plans had not gone so well for him. Too much too fast. Story of his life.

  The woman at the desk pushed to her feet when she saw me. "Can I help you?"

  "Yes. I'm Atticus Price. I'm here to see my fiancée."

  Her eyes went wide. "Um, who-who is your fiancée?"

  I lifted a brow. The announcement had gone out to all media outlets today. Either she hadn't seen it, or Gwen had instructed her staff to pretend it wasn't happening. For now, I'd assume the former. "That's our Gwen. Always keeping secrets. Can you let her know I'm here for our lunch date?"

  She nervously tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth. "Um, I-I'm not sure she's still able to meet. She's got the whole team in an all-hands meeting at the moment. I'm the executive assistant for the finance team. I'm just helping out. I'll, uh… I’ll let someone know you're here."

  "No, don't bother. Just point me in the direction of the meeting."

  The phone rang and she sighed. "Okay, down that hall to the right, and then all the way down. It's the largest conference room we have."

  "Thank you."

  I strolled down the halls, taking in all the bright puffs of color and the little alcoves with comfy seating. Hell, were those napping pods? Their whole R&D department looked and felt like a startup. I followed the assistant’s directions and found the conference room just in time to see Gwen finishing up. I let myself into the back of the room, watching her as she presented to her team.

  "In closing, I'll say that this move to Pendragon is exciting. We'll have the funds and the support. Everyone keeps their jobs and their salaries. I know that's always a point of contention and worry, and Pendragon has been so kind as to offer retention bonuses and their standard benefits. It's a good deal, and I hope that you all trust that I fought for you. So why don't we let this news settle for a bit. Think about it overnight. If you have any questions or concerns, I will do my best to clear my calendar and make time for each of you for the rest of the week."

  And then she dismissed her team. Some people stayed, looking dazed in their seats as they turned to stare and whisper at each other quietly. Others ran out immediately, calling people on their phones. Probably their spouses. And all through it, there was Lakewood, right by Gwen's side.

  He ushered her out the rear entrance, and I had to fight against the crowd in order to follow. When I caught up to them, Lakewood's hand was on the small of her back, ushering her down a hall into a corner office. I reached them just before Lakewood could close the door, and I said, "I hope I'm not interrupting you two."

  Lakewood's expression fell, and his genial mask slipped just a little. "Price, why are you here?"

  From inside the office, Gwen's soft voice came through. "Atticus?"

  She peered around the corner, and I could see the tension lines around her mouth and the worry in her eyes.

  "I came to meet you for lunch, remember?"

  She blinked once and then stuttered, "We don't… I don't have a lunch on the calendar."

  "We made a plan this morning, love."

  The moment I said love, Lakewood looked like he wanted to hit me. And for that matter, so did Gwen. "Well, I can't right now. We need to meet and⁠—"

  "Do you mind if we have this conversation privately?" I turned to Lakewood. "You'll give us a few, won’t you?"

  Lakewood's gaze slid from me to her and back again, and he looked like he was going to dig in his heels. But Gwen sighed as she walked over. "Lance, give me ten. I'll meet you in your office, okay?"

  He nodded and gave me a sharp nod before sauntering out. As he walked, I watched several of the women, and a couple of the men, look after him. That was interesting. He obviously had no problem garnering attention. So why was he sniffing around Gwen?

  For the same reason you are.

  "Atticus, I'm sorry," Gwen said as she closed her office door. "I am swamped. I thought I told you that this morning."

  "And I told you I would see you at noon. It’s twelve on the dot. So, are you ready?"

  She ran a hand through her curls, and I realized that her hair was straighter and sleeker than yesterday but with big, bouncy curls added in. I wanted to touch the softness, but I kept my hands to myself.

  "Atticus, I get it. The announcement has been all over the media. Half the team asked me about it before we had our meeting. Now I'm being called by media outlets and society pages. For fuck's sake, Atticus, I cannot deal with you, or this wedding, or anything else right now. I have employees to take care of."

  "I understand that, but you still need to eat.”

  "So you think that I'm just going to drop everything?" she asked, clearly frustrated.

  "To be fair, I told you to be ready on time. And you aren't. When we plan to be somewhere, I expect you to be there."

  Her brows furrowed for just a moment. And then she gave me a stunningly sweet smile. One I should have recognized as the warning it was. She sat on the edge of her desk, and all I wanted to do was tug up that pencil skirt and run my hand over her ass.

  Fucking hell. The blood drained straight to my cock, and it was hard trying to get my brain back online to focus.

  "I'm sorry, Atticus, but I'm baffled. Did you just essentially tell me to be where you say when you want me to be there?"

  "That's harsher than I said it, but I just like things a certain way."

  "Well, prepare to be disappointed. Because I do not heed instructions. I do not do as I'm told, and contrary to your belief, I do not work for you."

  "Don't you?"

  "No, I don't. I did read that contract that you sent over. We, as far as this new arm of Pendragon goes, are partners. My entire team reports to me, and I do not report to you. Do you understand what that means, Atticus Price?"

  A warning skipped up my spine, telling me to back off. But instead, I only stepped forward, drawn in like a moth to a very, very bright flame.

  "I have a feeling you're about to tell me."

  "Oh yes, I am about to tell you."

  She planted her hands to the side of her desk, shoving up her tits and arching her back. Fuuuck. My gaze drifted to the rigid tips of her nipples enticing me through silk.

  All I wanted to do was bury my face between them. Would she come if I just sucked on them? Jesus. I shook my head to try and clear it.

  "While this is a partnership, Gwen, I still run Pendragon. And that algorithm will be available to all teams as we see necessary and fit."

  "Yes, but sometimes that algorithm just doesn't work the way you want it to. It needs to be customized to each use. Constantly improved upon, and that is my team. You'll notice, if you bother checking your email, that I had some changes and addenda added to the contract."

  Fuck. I'd been with Micah half the morning, and I hadn't seen that the contract had been returned.

  "So one of the clauses you put in there was that you will not stay where I put you?" I asked.

  Her chuckle was soft and sweet. “One of those addenda was that you not be a prick."

  I flashed a grin at her, and her gaze skittered to my lips.

  Yeah, she was just as attracted as I was.

  I stood in front of her, planting my hands just shy of hers so I could lean over her body.

  "What is it you want, my little Lioness?" I smiled down at her.

  She lifted her chin, and my gaze was on her lips again, thinking about the kiss this morning and the dream last night. The one that had seemed so real, like she was close enough to touch. Like if I had just put my hand on her ass a certain way, she would have ridden me, just the way that I liked.

  "Is there something else you need, Atticus? Because if not, I have a job to do. Employees who are wondering where the hell their next paychecks are coming from."

  I couldn’t take my eyes off her mouth. Her lips were expressive, transforming her whole face. She was saying something. Something important. And then it clicked, and I pulled back several inches.