Page 53 of His Wild Seduction

Fine. He could just keep his business and his stupid-talented hands to himself!

My stomach clenched.

It all made sense now.

He was using sex as a form of punishment! Making me experience what I’d missed these past fifteen years only to withhold his attentions after.

That giant asshole!

I was such a fool. I knew he’d married me for revenge, but I didn’t think he hated me so much. I just wished I could hate him back.

I closed my eyes, feeling the car lurch forward as Mario released the break.

Fuck Josef. Fuck him so much.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

MEREDITH

The next day, I didn’t bother texting my husband. He texted me first.

Josef

Good morning, Little Red. Have a good day.

I stared at the message for the fiftieth time since getting in the SUV. The rain had finally let up and there was a patch of blue sky peeking between the rolling clouds and skyscrapers.

“Mrs. Aziz, are you ready?” Mario asked, and I realized we were already at the shelter.

“It’s Meredith,” I tried again.

“I don’t think so,” Mario replied and exited the vehicle.

Trying to get inside was chaotic, which was usual. There was a front guard, and another on the floor of the shelter.

Weird. He wasn’t there yesterday.

When we finally made it to the interior office, Sr. Elise was openly sobbing. She ran over and hugged Mario enthusiastically, thanking him.

“No worries, Sr., Sigma International is happy to do this,” he said, allowing her to pinch his cheeks.

A crazed sounding laugh escaped my mouth as my gaze flashed from Sr. Elise to Mario and back. It took me a second to get over my initial shock.

“Oh, Meredith, my dear, your husband is such a gem!” she said and hugged me next.

A gem? That wasn’t how I’d describe him, but okay. I was curious.

The petite nun was a hundred pound soaking wet, and seventy if she was a day. But she was a right spitfire, that nun.

A true hero to the women and children who’d come through the shelter’s doors since they opened in 1974.

“I know Jersey City misses you, but Manhattan is so lucky to have you, my dear,” Sr. Elise said hours later as she walked us to the door. “And you, young man, are a godsend!”

“That’s a first. Thank you, Sister,” Mario said, and nodded his head.

“Thank you and have a great night,” I said.

All my paperwork was done. I’d even spent a couple of hours on a conference call with my old boss in Jersey City, where I managed to help her resolve staffing issues my leaving would have otherwise caused in the hours since we’d arrived.

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