King's Treasure (Oil Kings Book 3) by Marie Johnston (great novels .TXT) 📗

the literal sense? I guess. I saw a chance to learn about the world firsthand and not from behind some desk and I took it. Could I go buy a house? Sure.” No. I couldn’t, not unless I asked Dad to loan me some money and then I’d have to tell him why I didn’t have any and what I’d been living off of since I’d left home. “I choose not to.”

That was a laugh. I couldn’t even afford to rent an apartment.

“Well, then,” Chief’s voice boomed. “You’re more than welcome to come out to our place for a while. Meet Sapphire’s mother and my other two daughters. They’re all named after jewels because they’re so precious.”

Savvy had said it was so he could leverage them for top dollar to be worn on some man’s arm. “Savvy’s told me a lot about them.”

“Just call your mother first.” Chief speared his steak. “She’s going to be surprised.”

He might be giddy that I connected him to King Oil, but he was having a hard time giving away his daughter to a stranger. If the arrogant bastard across the table weren’t his preferred option, I’d respect Chief a little more.

Then it sank in. I had to meet her mother. And her sisters, Em and Pearl. Were they anything like Chief or Lex? Were they going to ask the same questions so I could fail the son-in-law test with the same answers?

“I’ll be interested to see how your travels are affected.” Dad held his glass of brandy loosely, his other arm around Kendall. A fleeting moment of gratefulness hit me for having Chief around, even Lex. Without either of them, I’d be getting interrogated, and with Savvy, I couldn’t just leave on the first international flight out of Vegas.

“Time will tell. It’s early yet and we have to meet each other’s families.”

I looked at Savvy but I couldn’t read her expression. I hadn’t known her long, but I knew her well enough that if she didn’t want to bring me home, or meet my brothers, she wouldn’t say so around Chief, and definitely not Lex.

“Good to know you’ll be in the States for a while.” Dad’s smile was faint, hesitant. “Maybe we’ll actually get a chance to visit.”

“Maybe.” My chest burned. I’d love to sit around and shoot the shit with Dad, but I’d gotten really good at making sure we were never alone together, that there was always someone else so I could redirect the conversation if I needed to. And with Dad, I needed to.

A guy could have a lot less than a dad who gave a crap about him. But my dad had been married with a kid by nineteen. He’d gone to work for Mama’s parents. Grams and Grandpa DB had founded the oil company and built it from the ground up. When Mama had died, then DB, Dad had been made CEO, and Grams had been satisfied with controlling shares. That had been when Dad was only a few years older than I was now.

Talking with Dad made me feel like a useless fuck. A fraud. Lazy. Add in that he thought I’d only married for the trust fund money and not because I found Savvy enchanting and irresistible, and it was like dumping napalm on my inner fire of shame.

Kendall dove in for the save. I hadn’t been around her a lot, but she seemed to sense when Dad’s fatherliness was tapping me out. She peppered Chief with more questions about what he did and his time in the military.

I finished my food only because it’d look weird if I didn’t when Savvy was pushing her salad around and rearranging her croutons.

Before the rest of us were done eating, Dad set his napkin on the table. “I apologize for cutting out early, but I have more meetings in Billings.” He met my gaze. “I need to let the pilot know if you’re joining us.”

Savvy jerked her attention off her Caesar and met my questioning gaze. I wasn’t ready to go to Montana and get more knowing looks from my brothers. Two of them had married for the trust money, but their marriages had lasted more than a year. They were real. I had yet to prove mine was.

Nobody missed our moment of hesitation. Savvy and I had no idea what we were going to do or where we were going to go. Lex’s brows crept higher the longer it took us to answer.

I took the chance of speaking for us. Vaguely, because that was what I did best. “I’m afraid we’d only hold you up. Savvy’s coworker is still in town and we need to arrange our things.”

She nodded like a puppet was yanking her strings. “Yes. We’re not done in Vegas yet.”

I’d had a few more drinks than I should’ve last night, but I recalled her saying that she’d been looking for jobs in the city.

Did she still want that? Because if I was going to put down roots, it wasn’t going to be in Las Vegas. Montana was in my blood. It was where I always came back to. Even away from Montana, I always stayed away from cities, crowds, and the worst pollution.

“Don’t take too long,” Chief said. His eyes crinkled like he was smiling, but there was a measure of warning in his eyes. “I can’t do without my best assistant.”

Savvy’s lips pursed. She’d thought he’d let up after she was married. She must’ve thought it was a slam dunk after she’d found out who I was. But it was dawning on both of us that he’d be more tenacious than ever, because Dad couldn’t say no to a company his new daughter-in-law worked for.

I guess we were going to Washington, DC.

Chapter 5

Savvy

I needed a divorce.

We stood outside the restaurant, our dads and Lex gone. Xander faced me and I avoided looking at him. Chief had given Xander a hearty handshake before leaving. Lex had murmured, Call me if you need anything.