Page 83 of Wretched Heart
Reid has his head down so low that his forehead almost hits the table. Meanwhile, Mace has his usual poker face, and it’s impossible to tell if he knew what Ash was up to.
“It’s a good offer, Hunter,” Ash says. He tips his head towards the second set of papers. “All Maddie has to do is sign the divorce papers.”
I can feel my fingernails digging into my palms. “Explain that to me, please.”
Ash meets my glare. “What is there to explain? Maddie walks away with full control of a company that’s already benefiting from our investment program. The mill’s future is secured and she gets to live her life however she chooses,” he says. He leans forward to push the second bundle of papers closer to me. “Not bad for less than two months’ work.”
I pull my hands from my pockets and stride over to the table. Two names are clearly visible on the divorce papers, complete with tabs to indicate where Maddie and I should sign. I snatch up the top sheet, scrunching the paper in my fist.
“You misunderstand me, brother,” I grit out. “What I want to know is why you took it upon yourself to speak to our lawyers aboutmyfucking marriage. This has nothing to do with you!”
Ash jumps to his feet and splays his hands across the table as he leans forward. “It has everything to do with me. And Mason. And Reid. It was abusinessarrangement, Hunter. And last time I looked, it’s a joint business,” he says, spitting the words out. “And it’s time to cross the fucking finishingline.”
With the paper scrunched in my fist, I mirror my brother’s pose so we’re leaning over the table, face to face. “I say when it’s fucking finished, not you,” I hiss. “I won’t bribe Maddie, and I won’t threaten her with a second takeover. She keeps her position on the board. The clause in the prenup stands.”
“Then all we need to do is initiate the prenup by getting Maddie to sign the divorce papers,” Ash replies smoothly. “But perhaps you should leave it to your ex-wife to decide if she wants to buy back her shares in the mill.” My brother pauses to absorb what he’s just noticed me do. I’d flinched at his use of the term, ex-wife. “You need to get the hell away from her before you completely lose your shit, Hunter. Sign the damn papers and leave the rest to me.”
“I’ll sign when I’m good and ready.”
“The fuck you will!” Ash roars. “You’ve let things get messy, and you’re in so deep you can’t see straight.”
“I see enough to know you’ve overstepped the fucking mark!” I say, flinging the balled up piece of paper across the table. “It’s my mess, Ash. And I’ll deal with it.”
“By ignoring the problem?” Ash asks. “Divorce is the only option, and you know it. You can’t spend the rest of your life stuck in this miserable town, and if you care about Maddie, you won’t bring her into our world either. What if she wants a family? You can’t expose her to the kind of risks we face.”
I grind my teeth. There’s nothing Ash says that I don’t agree with. I just don’t want to hear it right now.
“Sit down, Hunter. Please,” Ash says, more gently now that he sees my chest deflate. “I’m not blind. I know you have feelings for her. I’ve been in the exact same position, and I know how much it hurts. And as crazy as Maddie drives me, I do like her. I understand why you don’t want tolet her go. But the longer this goes on, the more it’s going to hurt both of you.”
Ash retakes his seat, and waits for me. I want to walk out. I want to grab a car and head straight over to the paper mill. I want to spend every minute with Maddie as if it’s my last. And isn’t that the problem? I slump into a chair.
“Will Maddie sign the papers?” asks Reid.
I shrug. “We haven’t talked about it since her brother died. We’ve been focusing on finding out what’s happening over at Lancelyn Heights. That’s why she’s at the paper mill today. We still need to find out what this John Cooper is up to, and if it involves Barrett. And to be clear, I’m not leaving Maddie here alone to deal with any fallout if Barrett’s planning on disrupting the business.”
“I appreciate you want to look after Maddie, and she’ll always have our support,” Ash says. “But even if we do need to stay a little longer, it doesn’t mean the divorce has to be delayed.” He gestures to Reid, and our brother slides more papers across the table. “And to help things along, I have an additional proposal to put to Maddie.”
There’s a tight band across my chest and I can’t breathe. I never have been able to outmaneuver Ash.
“In addition to giving Maddie the opportunity to buy back her shares,” he says. “We would offer her an additional one percent – but only if she signs the divorce papers this week. She’d become the majority shareholder, and her control over the company would be assured. What’s more, we’d hand over her family home.”
“The end of the week?” I repeat with a shake of my head. No fucking way. I’m not ready to give her back yet. “That’s some bonus you’re offering, and I’m sure I don’t need to point out that you can’t make those kinds of gestures without unanimous agreement. All I have to do is say no.”
“And why would you do that, brother?” Ash asks. Giving me time to consider, he looks to Reid. “Do you agree to the proposed bonus?”
“Absolutely. Maddie deserves it,” Reid says, but without any enthusiasm.
“And you?” Ash asks, turning to Mace.
“Sure. It’ll be good to get back to some peace and quiet.”
“Fuck you, Mace,” I spit out. “She’s had to put up with a lot of your shit too.”
My brother simply shrugs. “What do you want me to say? That I’ll miss her?” he asks, then starts scrolling on his phone. His features are unreadable, but he doesn’t fool me. Damn right he’s going to miss her. Just not as much as me.
Ash rubs a hand across his beard. “What about you, Hunter? Do you want to deny Maddie the opportunity to take full control of her company, and her life?”
“Like you said, it’s her choice,” I say, forcing the words out.
