Page 129 of Hard Limits

“Just checking.”

“It’s true we haven’t been acquainted for long, and there’s still a lot we don’t know about each other, which is why I need a watertight prenup. But I hope this will last.”

“What do you want in the agreement?”

“If we divorce, Indi gets a million dollars in cash. Nothing else.”

Another whistle. “A million bucks? That’s generous.”

“It’s an insurance policy. If this doesn’t work out, I don’t want her to stay because I’m her meal ticket. A million bucks would give her a fresh start. If she stays in spite of that, then I’ll know it’s out of love.”

“Interesting logic.”

Plus that amount was back-of-the-couch change for Brax.

“Will you draft the agreement? I have an attorney on retainer, but…” Brax sighed. “But despite our differences, there’s nobody I’d trust more than you to do this.”

“I’ll do it. And yes, we’ve had our differences, but if you need a best man this time around, let me know.”

“You’d step up?”

“Alexa says Indi is a marked improvement on Carissa. And I figure that any woman who voluntarily gets kidnapped in order to rescue a friend can’t be that bad. Could you imagine Carissa doing that? She’d have typed a post on social media that somehow made it all about her, and then headed out for dinner.”

The sad thing was, that was true. Brax had married Carissa at a low point in his life, grateful that she’d stuck by him in the aftermath of Ruby’s murder when Justin’s fiancée had run for the hills, and she’d repaid him by making his life hell for years. Indi was different. She wanted the freedom to choose her own career, not a free ride.

“I’ll take you up on the offer if you’re available next week.”

“Next week? That fast?”

“Why wait? The sooner we make this official, the sooner she can tell her father to go to hell.”

“I’ll be there. Any idea of the location?”

“Vegas. We can stop there on the way back.”

If her father or one of her brothers had followed the breadcrumbs to California, Brax wanted to be married by the time he and Indi arrived home. If she liked the idea of a fancier ceremony later, they could do that, but he wanted her off the market.

Indi was his, his to have and fucking hold, and he wasn’t letting her go.

Brax’s next call went to Luisa.

“I know you retired, my darling, but I’m in desperate need of some organisational help…”

CHAPTER 47

THE ASSISTANT

“Tomorrow? You want to get married tomorrow?”

Brax watched me over the rim of his coffee mug. “You don’t?”

Meera burst out laughing. The kidnapping had changed her, and perhaps she’d never fully regain her old carefree personality, but the past week had made a big difference. Moving south to our original rental property three days ago had helped. She’d needed the physical distance between us and Novo’s estate. They’d found two bodies buried beside the barn now, and none of us doubted that Elsa would have suffered that same fate if she’d stayed.

Thanks to her, they had names, at least, and the victims would be laid to rest in a more dignified manner soon.

Plus the first of the missing women had been found. First and second, actually—aided by the massive amount of publicity the case was generating, Emma McDonald had been recognised by a neighbour who’d spotted her hanging out laundry after her photo was published online by her parents. She’d been bought by a businessman from Marseilles who’d wanted a sex slave-slash-housekeeper. He was in jail now. And Saige Sigal had been thrown out of a car on the highway in England, presumably by a purchaser who’d feared the same fate.

In the past twenty-four hours, a specialist cyber team had also gained access to Novo’s records, so it was only a matter of time before more victims were freed. And by “specialist cyber team,” I meant Alexa. Dawson and Ari had been at Novo’s estate on the night of the rescue, and they’d “borrowed” his laptop before the Polícia Judiciária arrived.

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