Page 18 of Wretched Heart
“Severely limited opportunities.”
“And now what? Any cock will do?”
I refuse to let his insult get to me. “Given how you took away my only other option yesterday, then yes. Even yours.”
The reminder that Barrett was my first choice is the perfect way to spoil the mood, and Hunter’s arm muscles tense. He releases me with a grunt, then sits back up in bed. His stony expression tells me playtime is over.
Uncomfortable with my supine position, I slide up the mattress until I’m upright too. “What now?” I ask, staring ahead to mirror Hunter’s pose.
“We talk.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Let’s start with the obvious. Why the fuck did you agree to marry Barrett?” he asks, his jaw clenched as he grinds out my ex-fiancé’s name. “I know your company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and I can see why your brother would be desperate for the alliance. But you? Maybe you didn’t know his plans, but you knew how ruthless and heartless that bastard is.”
I’m about to protest, but then I remember that Hunter has seen the bruise on my back. My mouth is suddenly dry, and I take the bottle of water he’d left for me on the nightstand. I down half of it before I reply.
“Firstly, I didn’t arrange the match, my brother did,” I confess. I massage a temple, soothing the ache behind my eyes. “And Barrett promised me he’d be my voice in theboardroom. I thought he’d be able to bring Hugo under control.”
Hunter turns to look at me, but I can’t meet his gaze. “And that’s the part I’m finding hard to believe. You’ve been pretty vocal with me. Why not speak up for yourself? You’re an equal shareholder, for fuck’s sake. You didn’t need to marry Barrett.”
My head snaps to Hunter, something I immediately regret because my throbbing headache intensifies. “Fuck you!” I hiss. “You seriously need to ask?”
His eyebrows quirk. “Yes, I do. Make me understand, Maddie. You’re a smart woman, and from what I’m finding out about your brother, it’s not you who’s mismanaging the company. How could you let it get this far?”
“You’ve just answered your own question, Hunter.”
When he continues to look non-plussed, I sit up onto my knees so I can face him. I point to where my lower belly had been twisting with desire minutes earlier.
“As I’m sure you’ve already noticed, I don’t have a dick. As far as my father was concerned, it didn’t matter howsmartI was. The only value awomancould add to the family business was to have an intact hymen so I could be sold to the highest bidder.” I point to my mouth next. “And this is kept shut, unless of course, it’s to pleasure my husband.”
Hunter’s eyes narrow. “Your dad’s been in the ground for years. You own–”
“Jack shit,” I finish for him. “You need to do better research, Hunter. I presume you’ve checked my dad’s will.” When he nods, I break the news to him. “But you didn’t look up the codicil, did you? If you had, you’d know that I might own half the company, but I’ll never have a seat on the board.”
“Because you’re a woman?”
“You’re catching on,” I reply. “My father always said that giving women power in a company was a sure-fire way of letting female emotions get in the way of good business sense. Maybe he would have softened that view if my mom hadn’t died so young, or if he’d found another wife instead of a string of girlfriends with questionable character. Or maybe he just liked paying to have his dick sucked.”
Hunter’s mouth cuts a thin line across his face. “What else does this codicil say?”
“Oh, my dad thought he was being so clever. The one right he did give me was to veto any proposed takeover of the company. The mill can’t be sold in part or in whole without my agreement. My dad knew that, unlike Hugo, I wouldn’t part with his legacy unless there was a very good reason.”
“Barrett was under the impression he could give you good enough reason to sell.”
“Ah, but that’s where the other part of the codicil comes in. He wouldn’t need my approval. To make sure I married wisely, my dad ensured my husband would be granted all the rights I was denied. And in the process, I’d lose my veto.” I sink back against my pillows. “I was only marrying Barrett because I needed someone to step in and save the mill. Between us, I thought we’d share control of the board, but as we both know, there wasn’t going to be a board left once he’d wrecked the company.”
“Shit,” Hunter mutters.
He grabs his cell phone and leaps out of bed so fast, it almost unbalances me. I settle back on my heels, and with the ever-present fear for the future holding me in a chokehold, I drink the rest of my water to ease the sting in my constricted throat.
“I take it we’re done talking,” I ask.
“For now,” he replies, not looking up from his cell as he types out a message. “I’ve asked one of my brothers to get you something to wear so we can take you home. I told Hugo we’d be there at midday.”
Hot, searing panic blooms in my chest. “Home?” I repeat with a rasp. “No, I’m not going back there. After yesterday…”
Hunter’s still distracted by the message he’s typing. “None of what happened yesterday was your fault,” he says. “And I’ll explain to your brother that I’ve been the perfect gentleman.”
