Page 17 of Acquisition
Was it my imagination, or did he wrap his hand around my wrist, aiming my hand lower?
I frowned as I glowered at him. He shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying."
I snatched my hand back. "Better go to the bathroom and take care of that before it stains."
"Yeah, you're probably right. Hold on. I'll be right back."
And I would not be there. I scanned the pub for our waitress to pay the bill. Craig was not my type. He was nice-looking enough. Supposedly smart enough, but too much. Much too much. And he wasn't?—
I couldn't say it. I couldn't even allow myself to think it.
He's not Atticus.
* * *
Atticus
A date. A fucking date?
After what had happened on that subway platform? You mean after what happened with you two?
In the span of twenty-four hours, I’d been flying higher than I ever had before, then I’d crashed down to hell and had known terror like I’d never known in my life.
When Craig McIntyre, Director of Software Development stumbled into the bathroom, we were waiting for him. Generally, a good worker and currently, a pain in my ass. "Explain to me, McIntyre. What exactly are you doing with my fiancée?"
Craig's eyes went wide. "Um, Mr. Price. I don’t know… What do you—" He glanced around the men's loo. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm asking you a fucking question."
Micah stood by the door, still in his vest with his sleeves rolled up, looking ever the prim and proper dandy boy. Gavin, by contrast, was in all black. As he liked to say, black hid blood better. I was still in my suit because I'd just come from a meeting at the office.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about. You're engaged?"
"Yes, I'm fucking engaged. To the woman out there at your table. The one you apparently think you're on a date with."
He started stammering. "I—I?—"
"No, dickwad, start speaking. Tell me it's a work thing. Tell me you didn't slather on cologne in the hopes of getting some."
Micah, ever the instigator, leaned over slightly and took a whiff. "Yeah, smells like fresh cologne."
Gavin merely crossed his arms and shrugged, looking slightly bored. "Let's get this show on the road."
Craig chuckled nervously. "Look, she said yes. And if I'm being frank, she's been coming onto?—"
Honestly, I didn't think I hit him that hard, but the next thing I knew, there was blood everywhere. And he was howling, holding his hands over his nose, and cursing.
Micah groaned. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Atticus." He pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Craig, who was on the ground moaning. Micah's gaze lifted to mine. "Now we're going to have to deal with the thing where he signs an NDA and says he's not going to sue you."
I shrugged. "Let him try."
Craig tried to push to his feet. "I will sue you. Hah, all those fucking billions are going to be mine. And the board is going to hear all about this."
Before he could say anything else, Gavin was right there and had him in a headlock. And I have to say, it was satisfying watching his face go from red to blue to purple. "Leave him breathing. It's a pain in the ass to move a body in London when there are still people milling about."
McIntyre's eyes went wide then, and he tried to speak, but he just sounded like a croaking frog.
Gavin rolled his eyes and loosened his grip. "You're dead. You are a dead man."
