Page 53 of Wretched Heart
Choosing not to point out how wrong she is, I take my drink and head for the lion’s den. Hunter wants me to treat him like a business partner, but I don’t know how I’m meant to ignore this burning need for his touch, not when I know he’s fighting it too. I’m almost at the door when I pull myself up short.
I’ve spent my entire life bending to the will and expectations of men, and I can feel myself falling into old ways. The old me was never allowed to express myself, or make my own demands, but that changed when I met Hunter. I was the one who asked him to marry me, and I got my way. Who’s to say, I can’t do it again?
All three brothers fall silent as I enter the room. It’s late afternoon, and the windows have been opened to let in a breeze. It tickles the beads of sweat on the back of my neck as I pause. I’m waiting for someone to congratulate me like Connie had, but even Reid can offer no more than a gentle nod.
“I hope I didn’t keep you,” I say as I slip behind my desk. My gaze flicks to Hunter, when I add, “I was just finishing something off.”
His jaw feathers. “I want to walk you through what happens tomorrow,” he says, making a show of ignoring my innuendo.
“Everyone’s confirmed their attendance,” Reid adds. “Even Hugo.”
I nod. I’m not looking forward to seeing my brother again. It’s only when I recall the sound of cartilage crunching as Hunter smashed Hugo’s face into the library wall that I remind myself that I won’t be the one walking in there battered and bruised. My hand goes to my abdomen and I test the damage from his last punch – his last ever punch. I’m good.
“Can you give us an idea how the dynamics work between them all,” Mace says. “Who’s going to back Hugo, and who’s going to listen to Hunter?”
“They won’t be listening to me,” Hunter interjects. “Maddie will be doing most of the talking.”
When I take a sip of my smoothie, my teeth rattle against the glass. “I will?”
Hunter pins me with his stare. “I hope there wasn’t a question mark at the end of that statement.”
I put down my glass and pick up a yellow pencil. I twirl it in my fingers as I concentrate on the power Hunter is handing me. I’ve daydreamed of taking over the boardroom and knocking some sense into my brother.
“We’ll have Amos on our side. He’ll be thrilled when he sees the proposals Ash sent through for streamlining the pulping process, and upgrading our plant and machinery. It’s what Amos has been shouting about for years. In fact, it’s more than he could have hoped,” I say. I can’t deny I was thrilled too. Despite Ash being a looming shadow that I want to retreat from, I can see why he’s so successful in turning businesses around.
“Conrad is legal,” I continue. “So he’s going to hold back his opinion until he’s seen the detail. But given the times he’s had to wrestle with Hugo’s dubious decisions inthe past, I can’t see him having a problem if we can back up our reasonings.”
“We will,” Reid assures me. “We’ve never failed an audit yet.”
“Good. Then that just leaves Morgan Summerville,” I say. “He’s been CFO since my father’s time, and of course, he was representing me up until yesterday.”
“And he’d be your niece’s representative if something happened to Hugo before we could buy him out,” Hunter adds for his brothers’ benefit.
“Morgan’s going to lose an awful lot of power with this deal,” I add. “He’s the one to watch, and he’s had plenty of practice of being slippery. I can only imagine what he’s managed to hide in the books to protect Hugo. His loyalty knows no bounds when it comes to the male Corbyn line.”
I press the pencil to my lips, unsure how to continue. It’s not like the Griffins don’t know my family’s dirty secrets.
“He’s the only member of the board that’s ever witnessed Hugo’s brutality firsthand,” I explain.
Hunter’s eyes narrow. “What do you mean?”
I take a breath. “Morgan was at the house one day when my brother punched me to the floor because my phone had started ringing. I’d been bringing them coffees and I was lucky I wasn’t scalded when I dropped the tray.”
I can see Hunter’s jaw working. “And what did Morgan do?”
“Fetched more coffee while I cleaned up.”
“Are you sure you’re ready to be in the same room as them again?” Reid asks. “Could we set up a video link instead?”
“Absolutely not,” I reply, but my breath is shallow and Ihave to swallow hard. Maybe I’m not as ready as I thought I was.
“She can handle herself,” Hunter says, his eyes on me.
The claws of fear scratching at my confidence retract as his words fill me with warmth. Flooding me. For pity’s sake, do his deep green eyes have to bore into me like that? I’m practically naked under his gaze, and that thought doesn’t help either.
My mouth softens, but not my gaze. “Apparently, I have to,” I say with a quirk of my eyebrow. “But I’m getting good at it.”
The silence that follows stretches on until Reid rises his feet. “I’m going to grab a coffee if anyone wants one.”
