Page 145 of Things Left Unsaid

“You think you can make me spy on them?” I laugh. “You and my grandmother forced me into marrying a man I barely know. Any power over me you two had faded the day I said ‘I do.’ I’m done dancing like a puppet on a string.”

“You forget how badly the town dislikes you, Susanne.” The truth of that slips through me like poison. “A few words spoken to the right ears and you might find?—”

“You can say whatever you want to them. You can do whatever you want,” I snarl. “You can’t and won’t hold anything against me to force me into complying.

“You picked the wrong bride if that’s what you wanted. I might have seen the wisdom in Colt and me getting hitched, but if you think I’ll let you dictate my every move, then you’re the fool.”

“You’ll regret making an enemy out of me.”

“You always were my enemy,” is my flat retort. “You’re the one who believed otherwise.”

And with that, I end the call.

That’s also when I realize my heart is racing, sweat’s beading at my temples, and my stomach’s churning as if I ate the hottest ghost pepper in the universe a few minutes ago.

When my monitor sounds an alert, distracting me from calling Colt, I snag a juice box and chug that. Immediately, I feel better, but what surprises me is Colt rings me first.

“Are you eating something?”

I don’t want to feel this warm and cozy inside at his care but I do.

I’m such a sucker.

“I had some juice.”

Callan: You checked your monitor?

I roll my eyes.

Tee: Don’t make me fly up there and force-feed you.

I grin then copy and paste the same message to both of them:

Me: On the case. :)

“Good. Everything okay?”

I swallow. “Why do you ask?”

“You’re working. You don’t tend to have lows during work hours. After is another matter entirely.”

He’s right.

Ugh, I shouldn’t love that he knows that.

“Your father’s been on the phone.”

Silence greets me. Then… “What did he want?”

That rumble.

Oh, boy.

“The same as before. But he upped the stakes. Threatened me?—”

“He did what?”

His anger is reassuringly swift and acts like a warm hug. Relief has me sagging into my desk chair.

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