Page 84 of Wretched Heart
“Then please take my advice,” Ash persists. “Don’t leave any other options on the table for her. You know the kind of life you’d be offering her. Maddie doesn’t. Make the choice for her.”
Mace straightens up. “And you’d better make it soon. She’s on her way back.”
My heart stutters. I’m not ready for this, but on one thing I’m clear. It’s my job to keep Maddie safe. I know what I have to do.
Chapter 28
Maddie
My hands and face feel grubby after spending all morning in the archives. I’d love a shower, but there isn’t time. The file resting on the passenger seat is at least twenty years old, and it might look faded and forgotten, but its contents could be about to bring the paper mill’s operations to a standstill.
I bring the Audi to a squealing stop in front of the house, and race inside. I burst into the office so fast that Hunter literally jumps. It’s a relief to see that Ash and Reid are back. I’m going to need everyone’s help to find a solution to the looming crisis.
All four brothers are around the conference table and there’s a steaming carafe of coffee in the middle as if they’d timed it just for my arrival. I glance at Mace, and he looks decidedly shifty. I should have known he’d be tracking me. Hunter hadn’t wanted me to leave this morning. That man can’t relax with me out of his sight.
“We have a problem,” I say, shoving a stack of papers out of the way so I can set down the file. “I know why Morgan’s been visiting John Cooper, and presumablywhy Ray Forsyth has been lurking in Lancelyn Heights ready to do Barrett’s bidding.”
I open the file and pull out an old map printed on yellowed paper. There’s a dotted line that someone had drawn in red marker pen and although it’s faded to pink, its significance hasn’t been lost. I follow the line with my finger.
“This is the main road that links Brimstage to Lancelyn Heights,” I say. “John and my father planned the route together. It benefits both towns, but the mill most of all. It’s our main trading route north, and most of our supplies come through this way. John owns the land.”
“And if he denied us access?” asks Ash.
“There are smaller roads, but none that would cope with our trucks and containers,” I explain. “The only practical alternatives would add another three, or even four hours to every journey. With that delay comes extra costs in fuel and driver time. The increase would cripple us.”
“Do we have any rights?” asks Reid.
I flick pages and take out a copy of the signed agreement between my father and John. “I’ve scanned through this, but I can’t see anything that would stop John, or a new owner, from disrupting the route,” I say, passing it to Reid for closer inspection. “It’s little more than a gentleman’s agreement.”
I’m still on my feet as I glance around the table. All eyes are on me, but there’s something about Hunter’s expression. It’s like he’s looking straight through me. He hasn’t spoken yet. I hope that means he’s thinking up a solution.
“I was aware that we had to maintain the road,” I continue, “but I never questioned why. Every year, we undertake a maintenance program and we pay John generously for any trees we cut down.”
“I’ll work with our lawyers to see what we can do,” Reid says. “At the very least, we should be able to serve an injunction to keep the road open for now.”
“At Hugo’s memorial, Theo mentioned that John has plans to clear some woodland. I have a horrible feeling it’s the trees he wants,” I say. “He could create a blockade, and then we’d be stuck. I just don’t understand why John would do this without telling me.”
“He may not think he needs to if he talked to Morgan,” says Ash. “And who’s to say Hugo didn’t have a conversation with John too.”
I wipe my grimy hands on my jeans. “You might be right. It would be just like Hugo to make plans to sabotage the mill once it changed hands.”
Mace gets to his feet and returns to his desk. “It’s possible, but since we couldn’t break the code in Morgan’s messages, there might be another way to check what’s happening around the land. Give me a minute.”
As he taps away on his keyboard, Ash pours me a coffee. I wrap my hands around the mug, and as we wait in silence, I offer Hunter a smile. I want him to be proud of me for uncovering the conspiracy, but it’s sadness in his eyes.
“Shit,” Mace exclaims. “As of this morning, there’s been a switch in ownership. John remains a sitting tenant, but you’ll never guess who owns the land now.”
“Emerson Holdings,” Ash says. His eyes snap to Reid. “You need to get the lawyers on this right now.”
“Sure, but what about…” Reid tips his head towards the papers I’d moved out of the way when I arrived.
“Hunter and I can handle that,” Ash says. “You and Mace get to work keeping that damn road open.”
I return my gaze to Hunter. He still hasn’t said a word. “Are you OK?”
“Sit down, Maddie,” Ash says before Hunter can respond.
His voice is soft and reassuring, but I feel my legs wobble. I’d assumed I was bringing the crisis into the room, but the brothers had already been dealing with one. That’s why they’d gathered around the table. Waiting for me.
