Finders Keepers Edie Baylis (phonics readers .TXT) 📖

The smirk fell from Saul’s face as he glared at his brother. ‘Seriously though, what the fuck were you thinking?’

Jonah knocked back his whisky. His third so far since Saul had broached this subject. His brows furrowed. Lena had been blunt in her wish not to breathe a word about her pregnancy until she was past the twelve week mark, yet she’d opened her trap? And to Saul of all people? Now, because of her, he was getting earache.

The stupid bloody woman. Was there no end to her talents? Or rather, lack of them.

Saul waved his hand in front of Jonah’s face. ‘Hello? Calling Planet Zog! Are you receiving me? Or are you too busy dreaming of fluffy babygros, musical mobiles and happy ever fucking afters?’

‘Shut your mouth!’ Jonah roared.

‘Answer me then!’ Storming over, Saul refilled his own glass. ‘Can’t you see what she’s doing? She’s trapping you. What the hell do you want to marry something like that for? Yeah, great for a shag, but this? Even let her pop the kid out if she insists on keeping the fucking thing, like they invariably do if there’s a few quid in it for them, but marrying it? Have a day off! Christ, you can’t marry her, I won’t let you!’

Jonah laughed loudly, then slammed his glass down on the desk. ‘You won’t let me? What the hell has who I marry got to do with you? What makes you think you can dictate my personal life?’

Saul tipped the whisky into his mouth, then smacked his lips together loudly. ‘What you do affects me where the business is concerned. If you think I’ll stand back and allow you to think with your dick and be blindsided by big tits whilst the company wallet is being emptied by that gold-digging tart, then you’ve got another think coming!’

He pointed his finger level with his brother’s eyes. ‘Because that’s what Lena is - a fucking gold-digger and you know it, yet you’re all loved up with a constant hard-on for the bitch!’

Jonah smacked Saul’s hand away. ‘Get the fuck out of my face! How dare you stand there and say th...’

‘Ah, look! Immediately jumping to your darling’s defence! Wise up, brother, for Christ’s sake. She’s laughing all the way to the bank.’ Saul’s mouth twisted into an ugly sneer. ‘I never thought you’d be so saft as to do the love thing.’

Jonah almost choked on his tongue. ‘Love? Love’s got fuck all to do with it!’

Saul threw his hands in the air. ‘Then chuck her some money every so often and leave it at that! She’s taking you for a sucker and everyone knows it! You’re such a fool! I’m only telling you what Dad would have said. He wouldn’t have stood for this shit. He’d have told you t...’

‘Our father would have insisted I did exactly what I’m doing,’ Jonah raged, white anger pumping through his veins, his nails digging into the palms of his hands. ‘I take it you conveniently forget when you go around impregnating hosts of women, adding them on to your fucking tally sheet, that Dad didn’t appreciate that sort of thing. He was more against shirking responsibility than anyone else I know.’

‘That was different!’ Saul muttered, puffing his chest out. ‘Mum was special. Besides, I expect he had a few on the go regardless.’

Jonah’s eyes flashed with malice. ‘No he did not. Our father never looked at any woman besides our mother, so fuck off. I’m doing what is expected of me whether you like it or not.’

Saul shook his head. ‘Then get yourself a pre-nup sorted sharpish, you prick. And if you don’t, then I promise you there will be no wedding. Lena will not get her grasping hands on any of the firm’s money.’

WHITE-FACED, GWEN SCUTTLED AWAY from the door of Jonah’s office just in time, retreating into her own office just as Saul stormed out.

She’d been about to tap the door to speak about the phone call she’d received from the press regarding tonight’s function. There were some additional details she’d wanted to check about the extra security needed for a high profile football team on the premises when she’d frozen, unable to ignore the raised voices from inside the office.

She’d also been unable to ignore the subject being discussed, which starkly reminded her that there was no way she could risk either of the Powell boys, but especially Jonah, finding out about what had happed in the past between her and Jacky.

A deep wave of nausea entombed her. For once she wholeheartedly agreed with Saul. Jonah shouldn’t and couldn’t marry Lena. But her reasons for that were entirely different. It was imperative Jonah was made to realise that of his own accord without too much interference. If she pissed him off it would leave her wide open for Lena to spill her guts as a means of payback.

HEATH SCROLLED MINDLESSLY through the newsfeed on Facebook and checked his Messenger inbox once again in the hope that he had inadvertently missed a message from Teagan, but there was nothing.

The last one was thanking him for a nice afternoon – and that was way back when they’d first met up. All other messages since then had been via text and he knew he hadn’t got any new ones there, because he’d just double checked them too.

He ran his hand over his chin. This was silly. He had to do something. Since discovering Teagan was staying at Dulcie’s son’s place he’d been unable to locate where the man lived, despite his best effort. This was surprising because being a dab hand with computers he didn’t normally have issues locating people, but this time he’d drawn a blank where Robert Adams was concerned. It was so frustrating.

Heath glanced at the desk opposite, his father’s chin resting in one hand as he aimlessly leafed through a pile of paperwork. The man was becoming more morose by the minute. He’d lost