Page 36 of Wretched Heart
I manage a nod as I round the table. I’m heading for the door, but as I pass Hunter, he takes something from his pocket. “You might need this,” he says, offering a black Amex card.
As I take it, my fingers brush against Hunter’s. His touch often makes me feel weak at the knees, but this time, it has the opposite effect. I feel stronger. A smile replaces the urge to cry. “Do you prefer white or cream silk?”
“Please wear scarlet,” Mace interjects. I shoot him a look, thinking it’s another insult, but he arches a brow. “We can send a photo to Hugo, just to wind him up.”
I soften. “Not a bad idea. He’d be dumb struck.”
Hunter’s hand finds my hip, bringing me closer. “Cream.”
My vision shimmers as I nod. I lift up onto my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. “Thank you,” I whisper.
His breath warms my neck as he leans into my touch. “I like seeing you spread your wings, little bird.”
Chapter 11
Hunter
As I wait for the meeting to start, Mace and Reid have taken similar positions at their desks. Our faces make up three of the four squares on my computer screen. The final one is blank.
While we wait for Ash to join us, my younger brothers are busying themselves with other work. Reid is finalizing the prenup which, barring a few tweaks, is all set to be signed. Mace is monitoring security cameras across the country, along with active links to trackers. After confirming that Barrett hasn’t left the Bahamas, and Alice Emerson is at home in New York, he’s been casting his net wider.
I’ve told Maddie to keep out of sight until after our meeting, but I wouldn’t put it past her to sweep into the middle of the office just to say hello to Ash. I hate to admit it, but I kind of like that I can’t predict her. It’s possible she’s just averted a major move by Barrett – assuming we can work out what that move is.
My jaw is tense, and I’m worried my nerves are showing. All four of us are equal partners in the company, but itwas Ash who shouldered the responsibilities for making it a success in the early days. The connections we’ve forged are through him, and some of those legacy partnerships have been a burden that he insists on carrying alone.
I’ve always looked up to Ash, and there was never any question of following his lead. We share the same goals and beliefs, impressed upon us by our father who was a genius in his own right, but never sought to make his fortune from it. The only other divergence between the generations is that my dad married twice, whereas our brotherhood is wedded solely to our cause. Until now.
Marrying Maddie is a good business decision, and I know I can win Ash over once he calms down. I just have to remind myself that apathy is my best friend. If I can convince him that I don’t particularly care whether we continue down this path, or not, there’s a good chance he’ll be the one telling me to do it.
The problem is, I do care. Mace and Reid do too. We’ve all caught a glimpse of the spark in Maddie’s eyes despite the scars Hugo left on her soul, and we want to see her shine. I made Maddie a promise that I wouldn’t leave her with her brother, and I’m going to keep it.
I’m staring through the screen, getting lost in my thoughts when I feel a set of eyes on me. The fourth square now has a face. Correction, two faces.
“I didn’t know Rory was joining us,” I say.
Mace and Reid lift their heads briefly to acknowledge the new arrivals before getting back to work.
“Nice to see you too, asshole,” Rory Moncrief hits back. “I just thought I’d hang around to say… What the fuck did you do to my hotel?”
Our friend is a titan in the hospitality industry. Hisfamily have a portfolio of over a thousand properties across international territories that range from high-end luxury resorts, to budget-friendly hotels like the one we tracked Maddie to.
I school my expression as if the chaos from our brief stay at the hotel hadn’t turned my life upside down. “In fairness, Rory. It wasn’t one of your better hotels. It could do with a refurb. And did I mention there were no bathrobes in the rooms?”
“And did I mention that I’m not in the business of picking bullets out of our furniture?”
“You do surprise me,” I say. I break into a genuine smile. “But my apologies if we got a bit too rowdy.”
“I hear you ended up with a bride,” he says.
Rory has accidentally stumbled upon my guilty secret, and although I do a good impression of hiding my reaction, it doesn’t help that Mace and Reid both snap their heads up. Mace’s eyes are narrowed. Reid’s are wide with shock. Way to go, guys.
“It’s a long story,” I say, “and I wouldn’t want to keep you from playing with your kilt, or whatever Scottish lords get up to these days.”
After splitting up with his wife of twenty years, he’s decided to reacquaint himself with his Scottish roots by purchasing a castle and the small isle it sits upon. Therapy might have been cheaper, but Rory likes to make big statements.
Ash had travelled with him to Scotland to support his friend, and to conduct a little business while he’s there. We’ve invested in a number of distilleries over the years, and he wants to learn all he can from the Scots. It’s an interest that he and Rory share, which has worked out wellbecause whiskey and hotels are a perfect partnership, and we now supply all the Moncrief hotels with our Griffin label whiskey.
That being said, the discussion I need to have with Ash is a private one.
