Page 82 of Wretched Heart
Hunter keeps sucking, sending aftershocks through my body until I eventually come down. I can barely stand as I catch my breath and my emotions. It’s almost too much. It’s every feeling. Every emotion. And Hunter did this to me.
I’m a wreck as he helps me step back into my panties before he stands up. His mouth glistens with my juices. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” he asks as if he’s just meted out some godawful punishment.
I give him a trembling smile. “Would now be a good time to tell you that I know what Morgan’s been up to?”
Chapter 27
Hunter
Iprowl around the office with my hands stuffed in my pockets. It’s just me and Mace so far this morning, and my brother isn’t the greatest conversationalist. He speaks only when I ask him for an update on the people he’s tracking. One of those is Maddie.
She’s spending the day at the mill. We’ve had multiple trips there since Hugo died, introducing myself and my brothers as the new owners, and overseeing the improvement plans. This is Maddie’s first solo trip anywhere since her ill-fated visit to the library. I had wanted to go with her, but Ash is traveling back after an overnight stay in Chicago with Reid, and he wants a meeting. He’s been speaking to our lawyers, and I have a sinking feeling I know what’s going to be top of the agenda.
“ETA is thirty seconds,” Mace announces helpfully. He’s tracking the SUV Jake used to pick up my brothers from the airfield.
I’m wishing I could hit pause on my life for just a few more weeks when Ash sweeps into the room.
“Is Maddie still at the paper mill?” he asks.
“Yeah, still there,” Mace confirms. He doesn’t need to check since I only asked him five minutes ago. And she’s planning on staying there the whole day.
I feel my neck cording. “Good afternoon to you too.”
“Afternoon,” Reid says from behind Ash, but he can’t hold my gaze.
I rest against the nearest windowsill, hands in pockets so my brothers can’t see they’re closed into fists. “Do you want to get this over with?”
“Shall we at least sit down first?” Ash asks, gesturing to the conference table.
“Help yourself.”
I stay where I am as Reid takes a stack of papers from the folder he’s carrying. He places them in the seat he presumes I’m going to take. I watch as Ash gestures to Mace, indicating that he should join us. My brothers take up their positions. It’s going to be three against one.
“Did you sort out the licensing with the distillery?” I ask.
The licensing issue was the reason Ash had given for his visit to our lawyers. It’s his pet project so there was no reason for me to go with him. But when he’d emailed last night to make sure I’d be available today, it didn’t take a genius to work out another of his pet projects was behind the trip.
“We’re almost there,” Ash says. “But I think you know that’s not what we need to discuss.”
My eyes flick to the papers on the table. One set is the shareholders’ agreement for the paper mill. And as for the second – I’ll wait for Ash to explain, and there had better be a good fucking reason why he’s gone behind my back. “If you want to talk, then talk.”
“I’ve been working on a new proposal to expedite the close down of our operations here.”
“And you thought that was necessary because?” I keep my expression fixed. Ash already thinks I’m too emotionally involved in our latest venture. I need to stay calm despite my heart thumping hard enough to make my chest ache.
“Because you’ve spent the last three weeks avoiding it,” he hits back.
“I’ve been turning the mill’s fortunes around as planned. All part of our exit strategy, Ash,” I remind him.
Except it’s not just the mill I’m supposed to be preparing for our departure. My older brother has been asking daily if I’ve instructed our lawyers to begin divorce proceedings, but I haven’t even raised the subject with Maddie yet. We both know it’s on the cards, and I close my eyes every night vowing to break the spell my wife has me under. But when I wake each morning with Maddie in my arms, I can’t help but steal one more day.
“What I’m proposing will be for everyone’s benefit, including Maddie’s,” Ash continues. He tips his head to the shareholders’ agreement. “If she agrees to our terms, I’ve drawn up papers for her to buy back her half of the paper mill, and it would be at the same price she sold it for. That way she’s guaranteed a place on the board for as long as she wants.”
I try to loosen my jaw, but it’s ticking like a damn time bomb. “Maddie already has a place on the board. I put her there. And she has my word that she stays there no matter what happens.”
“You and I both know that a promise isn’t watertight,” Ash says. “We could stage another takeover with one of our other companies, and the current agreement with Maddie would lapse.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” I argue. “The promise is fucking watertight because I made it to her. I don’t want Maddie’s money. We don’t need it. She does.”
