Page 41 of Wretched Heart
“But given you’re about to become my brother-in-law, I’m willing to pull some favors to get our deal over the finish line,” I say, my words tasting bitter on my tongue. “You see, I know somereallybad people, and if you ask nicely, they can renegotiate your debts. Have you ever beento Vegas?” I know he has. It’s where he accumulated most of his debts.
“Yes,” Hugo answers.
“Well, at some point, I’m going to ask you to take a trip there. I’ll arrange a meeting for you with my associates, and they’ll make all your problems disappear,” I promise as a plan takes form. “Does that sound good?”
Hugo licks the blood that’s trickling down from his nose and into his mouth. “Yes. Thank you.”
“And I apologize in advance for not inviting you to your sister’s wedding.” He whimpers in response. “You see, I don’t like Maddie being upset. And I hate seeing her hurt,” I add as the fury I was trying to suppress resurges. “I don’t like it one fucking bit. And if you ever lay a finger on her again, I’ll take my brother’s advice and I’ll kill you very, very slowly.”
“S– sorry.”
“I need to hear you say it, Hugo. Just in case you suffer a brain injury and somehow forget”
“I won’t– I won’t touch her,” he stutters.
Hugo sucks in a breath as I pull the knife away. He actually smiles until my hand goes up to his forehead. I dig my fingers into his scalp and smash the back of his head into the wall. Hugo’s mind goes blank, but I’m confident he’ll remember my warning when he comes around.
The lovely Janice on reception doesn’t look as pleased to see me this time as I stroll up to her desk. I offer her a friendly smile. “Do you have a cleaning cloth?” I ask, showing her my bloodied hands.
Her jaw drops and her eyes dart around the almost deserted library. No one’s looking at us. No one’s coming to help her. She grabs a cloth from the shelf beneath thecounter. “Will this do?” she asks, her voice trembling almost as much as her hands.
“Perfect.”
Despite my urge to get back to Maddie, I take my time cleaning Hugo’s blood from my fingers. Janice stares in disbelief, then flinches when I drop the cloth in front of her.
“There’s more mess to tidy up in the romance section,” I explain. “And I expect you to do it without a fuss. You don’t speak of this to anyone.” I lean in a little closer and lower my voice. “You’ve already betrayed me once today, don’t make the mistake of doing it again. Ever.”
Chapter 12
Maddison
Idon’t speak. And it’s not because Hugo almost crushed my windpipe. I simply have no words for how I feel –no words except one. Safe. I feel safer than I’ve felt in my entire life.
Reid drives us home while Mace follows in the car I borrowed. Hunter sits next to me in the back, his arm around my shoulder as I rest my head against his chest. I reach for his free hand and wipe at the russet-colored smears on his palm. Hugo’s blood turns to dust. I haven’t asked what happened after I left.
When we reach the house, Hunter leads me straight towards my bedroom.
“What do we tell Ash?” Reid asks, waiting for instructions by the entrance.
Hunter rakes his fingers through his hair. “Let’s get some eyes on Ray Forsyth first. According to Hugo, he’s sniffing out opportunities in Lancelyn Heights. It could be important. That’s what we tell Ash.”
Hunter’s about to usher me into my bedroom, but I hesitate. His brothers are watching, and even Mace’s usuallyguarded gaze reveals a hint of concern that I doubt he wants me to notice. “Thank you both for today,” I tell them, gulping past my sore throat. “I don’t know how you found me, or realized what a stupid position I’d put myself in, but…” It’s emotion clogging my throat now. “Thank you.”
“I’ll ask Connie to make you one of her special concoctions,” Reid says. “They’re quite potent, but they work.”
Mace adjusts his features into a more familiar scowl. “Just don’t drive afterwards.Anywhere.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t intend to sneak off again,” I reply, accepting the reproach. I’ve learned my lesson, and I’m not leaving Hunter’s side if I can help it.
Mace shrugs. “I wasn’t worried.”
“Liar,” I say, sharing a smile with Reid because Mace is already walking away.
Once I’m in my bedroom, Hunter makes me sit on the bed. I’m expecting him to tell me to get some sleep, or order me to stay in my room out of trouble, but instead of leaving me to stew in my own stupidity, he disappears into the bathroom. I hear him running a bath.
I close my eyes and explore my abdomen with tentative fingers. Hugo has perfected his punches over the years, hitting hard, but not hard enough to require medical attention. I’m sure he just likes hearing the grunt of air forced from my lungs with each hit. But experience was my teacher too.
“Is it bad?” asks Hunter.
