Page 107 of Tangled in Vows

“What happens now?” she asks quietly.

I cup her face, tracing her cheeks with my thumbs. “Now you’ll let me take care of you. I say nap first, then food. We also need to catch Archer up on everything. Maybe the email to Ian is the final puzzle piece he needs to get a lead on who we’re dealing with.”

“Does he need to read the email?”

Her gaze strays away from me as she turns to her back and stares at the ceiling.

While I managed to cool the fire beneath my skin, it hasn’t gone away. It’s waiting and ready to reignite if I let it. Seeing her upset is definitely a trigger at this point.

But none of this is her fault, so I grind my molars and pull tighter at my control.

“I’m not sure how much he’ll see of it, but it’s Archer. He might be a big goofball sometimes, but he’s trustworthy.”

She sighs. “I know he is. It’s just . . . this song . . . ugh . . . it’s going to hurt. Just thinking about the lyrics makes me want to hide and pretend the world doesn’t exist.”

Her voice wavers, breaking in places like she can’t control the emotions from taking over. I want to scoop her in my arms and hide from the world with her.

My chest heaves at the other obstacle in our life, feeling as though my body is constantly stuck in fight or flight lately. “We can try to have the label drop the song. Everyone has a price or pressure point.”

The corner of her mouth moves into a sad smile. “I know, but these guys aren’t playing around. I don’t want to do this song, but I want to play with my career even less. The label has been good to me, and I’m grateful for that. In the end, it’s not their fault someone decided to fuck with my life.”

The tension in my jaw aches as I try to relax enough to speak. “I’m sorry it’s taking so long to find this asshole.”

She turns her watery gaze on me and places her hand on my waist.

“It’s not your fault. Whoever is behind this clearly has done their homework.” Her eyebrows draw together. “Sometimes I wonder if it’s more than one person, considering how scattered everything has been, how nothing seems to fit together. Do you know what I mean?”

I nod, having contemplated the same thing before.

“There’s just no rhyme or reason to anything. And what exactly is this person trying to achieve? What’s the goal?”

There’s only one conclusion that made sense to my brain. “To make you pay for something you did, to make you suffer.”

Olivia’s throat moves several times before she asks, “Make me suffer for what though?”

Chapter 34

Olivia

I wish I could truly hate you for what you did to me.

I’m still thinking about my question the following day at breakfast. Holden’s next to me, and Archer is at the wooden dining table across from us. Archer has been perfectly normal and not at all like he witnessed Holden and me having an emotional breakdown amidst a torrential downpour. Although something seems to be going on between the two guys, considering they barely look at each other, but I’m not sure I’m in a position to ask them directly.

All of this is so new, so fragile, and I’m still trying to find my role in what my life has turned into.

You mean the fact that you just had sex with your husband? It only took you six years to consummate the marriage.

I groan.

That’s not at all what I meant, but of course, now, I’m thinking about the way Holden thrust inside me and the way I exploded around him. Apparently, only he knows how to ignite every inch of me.

Archer studies me, and my cheeks heat under the scrutiny. He can probably see my filthy thoughts written all over my face. Damn it.

The corners of his lips twitch, but he keeps his expression thoughtful, clearly having more important things on his mind.

Of course he does. You just told him someone hacked you and fabricated an email from your account, forcing you to record a song you never wanted a soul to see.

Talk about a cold shower.

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