Page 45 of Wretched Heart
“On your head be it,” Ash says. “Just don’t make this unnecessarily messy.”
He’s talking about Maddie again, and he’s getting closer to the truth than I’d like. “I have a plan, and I’m sticking to it.”
When I finish the call, I grab two bottles of water from our flight attendant and head back to my seat. I’d prefer something stronger, but I need to be on top of my game when I meet Killian later.
“I thought you were going to tell your brother about our arrangement?” Maddie asks as I drop into the soft leather recliner.
“I was in the middle of telling him the other day when I found out my favorite runaway bride was on the loose again,” I scold.
It’s unfair of me to blame her for my cowardice, but it is partly her fault. As is the dilemma I now face.
One of the unexpected outcomes of my confrontation with Hugo is that he’s agreed to sell his half of the mill to us, which means the only person standing in our way is Maddie. As Mace and Reid have already pointed out, if she simply agrees to the sale, we don’t need to get married. All I have to do is ask her.
I should ask her. If I can avoid the added complication of making Maddie my wife, I should take it. Shouldn’t I?
“I promise I won’t leave your side the whole time we’re in Vegas,” Maddie tells me.
“About that,” I say. “After the ceremony, I need to go off and meet someone. I should only be a few hours, but while I’m gone, I need you to stay in our hotel room and wait for me.”
“Ourhotel room?” she repeats, trailing a fingeracross her lips as she glances out of the window. “I might just take another bath.”
I’m sure I should regret what happened in her bathroom, but I can die happy now that I know what Maddie sounds like when she comes. “Read your book, Maddie,” I grumble.
She shrugs. “I’ve finished it. And I’d rather talk to you.”
I drain half my bottle of water. We still have another hour left of the flight. That’s a lot of talking, and I know Maddie will use it to get under my skin. I glance at the bruising around her throat that she’s done well to conceal, but I know is still there. The plastic bottle in my hand pops as I imagine it’s Hugo’s neck. Who am I fooling? She’s already under my skin.
“Fine, tell me all you know about Lancelyn Heights,” I say, steering the conversation safely towards business. “What’s there that Barrett might want Ray to sniff out?”
“They trade mostly in farming and timber.”
“Are there any suppliers or contractors you rely on?”
Maddie’s brow furrows. “You think Barrett might do something to destabilize the mill?”
“I’d say it’s a strong possibility. Even if the takeover was originally set up as a distraction, he’ll want to throw obstacles in our way to keep us occupied.”
Maddie slips off her shoes and curls her legs under her. She’s wearing dress pants and a long-sleeved jersey top with buttons down the front that my fingers are itching to unbutton. “The town isn’t much bigger than ours,” she begins. “We take occasional supplies of timber, but they can’t produce the quantities we need, so we’re not reliant on them at all. Most of our connections are social ones. Our two communities co-operate as much as we can. Weoccasionally join forces if we need a road repaired, and we’ll share plant and machinery when necessary.”
“Do you have any contacts over there?” It’s pointless asking if Maddie has friends. She was never allowed to establish any meaningful relationships outside her family.
“A few. I can make some calls when I’m back at work.”
“Are you sure you’ll be OK going back to the mill after what Hugo did?” I ask. I know she’s an asset we need on site, but I’d almost be relieved if she didn’t want to return there. At least until I’ve dealt with Hugo.
“I have to go back,” she says. I’m not sure if she’s aware that her hand has gone to her throat. “And you’ll be there, won’t you?”
“Yes,” I promise. “And if Hugo ever lays a hand on you again, he knows my next warning won’t be so subtle.”
“Good,” Maddie replies. “I can’t wait to start making the changes we so desperately need. Amos is going to have a fit. In a nice way.”
Her eyes sparkle. Mine don’t. “Amos is on the board, right?” I ask as if I don’t already know. I just wasn’t expecting Maddie to sound so giddy when talking about one of her colleagues.
“He’s our Operations Manager. He taught me everything I know about the business, mostly in secret because my dad and Hugo always thought it was a waste of time. Amos is one of the few men who doesn’t see me as chattel.”
I rub my hand against my jaw to hide the tic. Maybe I was being too presumptuous to think she didn’t have special friends. “You sound pretty close,” I say casually.
Maddie stares out the window. “He’s one of my favorite people,” she admits with a whimsical smile. “And I’m sure he’d help us find out what’s happeningin Lancelyn Heights.” Preempting my next question, she adds, “I trust him more than anyone.”
