Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 131651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 658(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 658(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
“The Hera— Dad, for real?” Steven blinks in disbelief before his eyes swivel to the egg. “Man, let me see.”
Beside me, I feel Holden bristle, watching their every movement like an eagle.
Dad’s doubts and venom come back to me as they mutter back and forth, examining the egg under that monster of a microscope for what feels like an hour.
What if this is some weird, sick game?
What if it’s a forgery?
But no, Gramps wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t.
He might be eccentric and a little heavy-handed, but he never gave my cousins false hope or left them empty-handed. There was always a method to his inheritance madness.
I’m sure it’s the same for me.
I’m so up in my head I’m startled when Holden’s big hand takes mine. I swallow a gasp and glance over.
His brown eyes blaze.
It’s easy to forget he’s a master at reading body language. He must see the agony on my face, the fear, the doubt, and he’s decided to do something about it.
He squeezes my hand fiercely, silently, as if to say, Nile, hold the line. I’m here, and you’ve fucking got this.
I shiver.
Meanwhile, the father-son duo powers on, inspecting the object in total detail.
“May we take it back to the lab for a quick scan, ma’am? We have a machine, very similar to an MRI. We’ll be able to see the entire structure.” Steven waits patiently.
“Sure. Go right ahead.” I nod.
Smiling, he puts the egg in a fabric-lined box and carries it to the lab with his father. They’re back about five minutes later.
I swallow thickly.
God, what if it is a hoax?
I’ll never live it down.
Not a hoax by Gramps, not deliberately. But if it turns out he’s been sitting on a scam all these years, I swear…
Ugh, I’ll also have to figure something out. Even the generous trust he left behind will run through my fingers like water in a few years with Boston rent.
My heart clenches at the thought.
Across the table, Fairfax murmurs sharply to his son in a way that makes me nervous.
I can’t take much more. Another five minutes and I’m going to barf.
Jasper Fairfax looks at me and smiles, then places the egg back in the box. He reaches for the stack of papers we left neatly on his desk, leafing through them and reading while Steven returns to the lab.
I’m so not cut out for this.
The papers might be just as important as the physical inspection. If they’re off, if there’s any hint of fraud, we’re cooked.
And it’s going to be awful if I lose it and break down into a crying fit in here, in front of this stranger and Holden Hardass.
I grit my teeth together and swallow.
Holden looks at me carefully.
The rest of the world dissolves into a blur. I notice the way he frowns, his mouth turned down at the corners.
He’s probably expecting an outburst like the annoying mind reader he is.
Only, he hasn’t let go of my hand. He squeezes my palm like he knows the sharpness will help break the trance.
His knuckles brush my thigh, which I realize is trembling.
I’m as jittery as a squirrel on her seventh coffee. Embarrassing.
I look at him sheepishly, and he shoots me another look.
We’re done, he mouths.
Right, right.
I’m secretly relieved he doesn’t let go until I take a deep, halting breath and exhale slowly. I close my eyes for a few seconds, pulling myself back together.
My shoulders fall. My leg stops bouncing in place.
Only then does he give me one last squeeze and let go.
When I open my eyes, I can still feel his stern fingers against my skin.
The heat of his knuckles against my thighs.
How does he make me so warm?
Again, I shiver for a reason that has nothing to do with fear.
Not something I ever expected with this man. Definitely not a sensation I expected to linger.
“Right,” Fairfax says bluntly, breaking the killing tension.
He sits back in his chair across from us and steeples his fingers.
“Right,” I echo.
“Your case looks hopeful, Miss Blackthorn, I’m pleased to say. We have good reason to investigate further. I’ll have to do some more referencing and verification with my contacts, of course,” he says, holding up a finger. “However, at first glance, this jeweled egg is exceptional. There’s truly no precedent.”
The air leaves my lungs.
“Wow. Okay. So what’s next?”
“If we can determine complete authenticity with high confidence, it will certainly command a pretty penny.” His smile almost looks smug. “Luckily, you came to the right place. My thanks to you for trusting my firm with the appraisal.”
Holden stiffens beside me. He’s probably just excited.
I can imagine what a find like this means for anyone whose whole universe revolves around breathtaking treasures.
“The right place, huh?” Holden prods.
“Certainly. I’ve staked my thirty-year career on taking risks with art, Mr. Verity,” Fairfax says. “The biggest rewards are always worth it.”