Bedmates Soulmates
CHAPTER 199

He Still Has A Trump Card

Liam steepled his fingers and looked straight at Gideon. 'So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?'

Gideon fixed his gaze on Liam.

After a while, he broke into a smile. "You're right. There's no personal beef between you and me. I don't have to give you a hard time when you have something I want. It's a deal.' Liam returned the smile. 'I'm glad we're on the same page. You're a decisive man, Mr Garner."

'Enough with the pleasantries. Tell me, where is Kira?'

"You got a pen 20

Liam directed the question at Martin, who offered him a black fountain pen.

Liam scribbled something on a serviette and handed it to Gideon. "This is the address of Stamford General. You'll see Kira there.!

Gideon frowned. 'How about her home address?'

Liam shrugged. 'Sorry, I don't have that information, but you're sure to find her at the hospital.'

Gideon checked the address, carefully folded the serviette and put it in his left breast pocket.

He pushed back the chair and stood up. 'In that case, I should get going."

'Good luck."

Gideon left with Martin.

Liam toyed with his Hasselback tomato caprese.

Charles closed the door. 'Young Master, why did you give him Miss Hewitt's info?"

Liam had not given up on getting close to Kira.

Gideon would be an unnecessary complication, especially when the man had his own designs on Kira.

'It's a trade. I give him the info he wants, he leaves me alone.

"Then shouldn't you have told him everything? Let him know that Miss Hewitt has married Austyn McCarthy. Better yet, give him Austyn's home address. Won't that make Gideon beholden to you?* Liam chuckled and shook his head at the same time. 'Charles, it's a good thing you don't gamble. If you show your entire hand the moment the game begins, you're going to lose the shirt off your back' Charles tried to process his young master's words. 'So you're playing the long game.'

Liam just smiled and said nothing.

The Garner family was a problem he didn't need at the moment, so the trade was worth it just to get Gideon to call off the dogs.

But that didn't mean he had to play the trump card right out of the gate.

"The food here is awful.' Liam tossed the fork back onto the plate. 'But coming here today has been worth it. Tsk-tsk, Gideon Garner and Kira Hewitt, who would've thought?'

His eyes glinted with anticipation. "The game's getting more interesting.

He wondered what Gideon would think once he knew Kira was a married woman now.

Martin drove.

His hands were on the steering wheel but his eyes kept flicking to Gideon in the rearview mirror. Before he became Gideon's right-hand man, Martin was the Garner family's majordomo. He knew Liam Cane back then, and he was seething now.

Young Master, Liam Cane caused the deaths of your mother and your sister. Why did you let him go? Why did you. agree to his deal?

Gideon smoothed out the serviette on his lap. 'Who told you I was going to let him go?"

'But, back at the restaurant..."

"This is Stamford, not our turf. Before I find Kira, it's best to keep a low profile. Besides, Cane is useful to me at the moment. I'll let him live. For now.'

Martin nodded. 'I see. Are you sure we can trust him, though? What if he gives us false intel?'

Gideon fingered the serviette. 'He's not that stupid. How long till we're at the hospital?"

Martin checked the map on the digital dashboard. 'About forty minutes.'

'Step on it.'

"Yes, Young Master."

An Old Pal From Her Past

Kira kept one eye on the TV and the other on her phone.

It was five pm.

Austyn had not come back yet.

She sighed and returned to watching the period drama with a brainless plot.

The female lead and male lead were rivals from feuding families who fell in love with each other and had to fight against all odds to be together.

The screenwriter aspired to be Shakespeare but did not have the writing skills to match his ambition.

The only saving grace, in Kira's view, was that the female lead was not Kayleigh Woods.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey..."

Kira looked down at the phone screen.

'Giana!' she answered the call. Fancy getting a call from you. Are you checking to see if I'm still alive?"

'You still mad about the other day?"

'Of course I'm mad! You watched me getting kidnapped by bad guys. Hmph!"

"The bad guys were your husband and his assistant. I tried to stop them, didn't I? But one man had more money than me and the other more muscle. The enemies were too strong.'

'Still'

'Oh well, if you're still mad at me, then you probably don't want to talk to me. I guess I'll just hang up then. Pity, I had some news to share...'

Giana heaved an exaggerated sigh.

"War what news?

'Doesn't matter now. I'll call back when you're no longer mad at me."

'I'm not! All's forgiven. Water under the bridge.

"Really?"

'Really. Now come on, spill. Don't leave me hanging.'

'All right, here goes. A man called me today, said he was looking for you. Claimed to be an old pal of yours from your hometown."

"Who is he?' Kira's heart started beating faster.

A man from her hometown, an old pal...

It couldn't be Gideon, could it?

"How old is the man?"

'I don't know. I didn't meet him. I guess mid-forties, judging from his voice on the phone. Why?"

"Nothing. Just a random question. Go on."

'I asked for his name, but he gave me a non-answer. All he would tell me was that he came to Stamford to look for you but couldn't find you. Somehow, he heard that I'm your friend, so he wanted me to tell him your home address." 'Did you?' 'Of course not. I asked him more questions-how he knew y

the bush. I got suspicious and hung up.'

you, why he wanted to see you and all that. He beat about

Kira thought about it. 'Probably a scammer. You did the right thing. Ignore him."

'I know. It's not my first scam call.'

"So, that was the exciting news you wanted to share?"

'I said news. I never said it was exciting.'

"Oh. Never mind then. Anyway, are you free this Saturday?"

"Sorry, Noah's taking me out to the movies.'

"Aw, come on. What's so interesting about seeing another popcorn movie? Can't we go ice-skating?"

'Silly girl, it's not about the movie. It's about who you watch it with. But you're right. Ice skating does sound more fun.

I'll call Noah, see if he's bought the tickets yet. You coming with?'

'And be the third wheel? No thank you. You and Noah go ahead. Just don't forget to invite me to your wedding."

A noise came from the door.

'I gotta go. Talk to you later,'

Kira hung up.

As soon as Austyn came through the front door, he saw Kira getting up from the sofa.

His ev

His eyes fell on her for a second, then he headed straight for the stairs.

Kira bit her lower lip.

Since divorce was off the table for now, Kira decided she should patch things up with Austyn.

Knowing how proud the man was, she knew she had to be the one to extend an olive branch first.

'Hey, how was your day?" She went with a tried and true opening gambit.

Austyn paused. 'It was okay."

Kira went up to him. 'What did you do in the afternoon?"

'You keeping tabs on me?"

"Uh, no, just taking an interest in your life."

Austyn eyed Kira.

She offered a polite smile.

"I went to the office.'

"I see... Things must be pretty hectic there, huh?"

"Uh-huh."

'Did you drink a lot of coffee?"

'Mhm.'

Kira wanted to roll her eyes.

Could his answers be any shorter?

She took a deep breath. 'Are you hungry? Elsie made baked eggplant parmesan.'

"I'm not hungry.' Austyn was on the stairs.

9/0

Kira marched over and stood on the steps, blocking his path. "Austyn McCarthy, what more do you want? So I mentioned your past. Do you really have to do this?' ""Do what?"

'Do this!' Kira crossed her arms, squinted her eyes and mimicked Austyn's impassive expression. 'Act like I don't exist. Give one-word answers to every question I ask'

'I don't have the right to be angry?'

"You do! But I have the right to make you less angry. And I'd appreciate it if you show some response."

'Oh yeah?' Austyn leaned against the newel post. 'What are you gonna do to make me less angry?'

He added, 'Asking about my day doesn't count."

Kira racked her brain for inspiration. 'Cook for you?"

'Can you outcook Elsie?'

'No.' Her shoulders slumped. "Then... How about this? I swear that from now onwards, I'll never again. I'll never contact Liam again."

Pry

into you

your past

She raised her right hand. 'If I do, I'll get hit by a car-mm!'

Her lips were sealed with a kiss from Austyn.

She was standing two steps above, which brought her head level with his, which worked to Austyn's advantage.

His kiss was slow, gentle, feathery light at first.

When he sensed she didn't resist, he went deeper.

Kira parted her lips.

She hesitated, then wrapped both arms around his waist.

Her move spurred him on.

Austyn bit her plump bottom lip.

'Ow!"