Page 163 of Mad As Hell

It.

My potential baby was an it he could use as a pawn.

No. Fucking. Way.

“You know, high school pregnancy wasn’t on my list of things to do,” I replied mildly, swallowing back my rage. Yeah, Ryan and I had discussed the need to have a baby so his father wouldn’t force Corinne into some farce of a marriage to get ahold of their grandfather’s inheritance. But that wasn’t supposed to happen until after we got married this summer, and that was only if we couldn’t figure out a way to stop our fathers before then.

Gary waved a hand. “We can pass it off to a nanny when you’re done. You’ll never have to deal with it again. Although, if you could make it a boy, that would be more beneficial. I’m so sick of girls and their emotions.” He smiled coldly at me. “You understand.”

I gritted my teeth. “You’re aware that women don’t actually have a say in the sex of their baby, right? That myth was debunked decades ago.”

He simply stared at me, not giving a shit that I had about as much control over the sex of my nonexistent child as I did the weather.

“A baby would entitle us to a share of the Cain estate, but more importantly give us access to the trust Ryan’s grandfather put in place to keep Beckett away from it. And I’d love to see Beckett lose everything I can possibly rip from his grubby hands. It would be best if you became pregnant before the wedding. The sooner the better, in fact.”

“Uh…”

“I’ll see if Dr. Runner can fit you in this week.”

“You have a gynecologist on speed-dial?” I frowned and suppressed a shudder.

“I have a physician on call for whatever I need, whenever I need it,” he corrected with a withering look.

“It’s Thanksgiving, and you know we’re going to visit Ryan’s grandfather. Plus, I have midterms. I can’t miss either of those things,” I said quickly, thankful for the excuses. “Besides, I have to be on my period to have it removed, and I’m almost done with mine. It will have to be next month.”

His eyes narrowed, and I had a feeling if he thought he could get away with ripping it out of my body tonight, he would.

I crossed my legs on instinct and looked away when he smirked like he knew my thoughts.

“Fine. Next month we’ll make an appointment,” he agreed. “Now, the trip is actually the reason I’m here.” He reached into the inside pocket of his suit and pulled out something small and flat, barely the size of my pinkie nail.

“I know Beckett and Ryan are planning something. I have no doubt that they plan to get you to sign over your shares of Cabot Industries before the ink is dry on your marriage license.” His jaw clenched. “Ryan has likely been trying to return to your good side so their coercion is less obvious. I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to turn you against me outright.”

I cleared my throat and forced myself to stay calm, flashing him a thin smile. “I think you’re right. Ryan’s already been making these grand gestures at school, trying to prove he’s sorry for the engagement party.”

Gary laughed. “Pathetic. For now, let him think he’s done just that.”

I met his gaze evenly. “Why do you think I let him back into my bed? Hell, he’s practically moved in with me.”

The approval in Gary’s eyes was undeniable. “Well done. Maybe I picked the wrong daughter after all.”

I shrugged, trying to feign indifference. “Maybe you did. Again, if you would’ve just been up front with me, we could’ve been working together from the beginning.” I took the tiny piece of silicon and plastic from his palm. “I assume this is a listening device?”

He nodded. “Exactly. Rebecca’s father’s newest design. Undetectable from almost every type of scanner. Once you plant it, they won’t know it’s there.”

“And where am I planting it?”

“At his grandfather’s home.” He grinned at me. “That old bastard hates Beckett even more than I do. I’m sure he’s up to something I can use to begin dismantling Cain’s empire.”

I nodded and folded my fist around the device. “No problem. Do I need to do anything to turn it on?”

“It’s pressure activated. Remove the backing strip underneath for the adhesive and press it into place. That will trigger it. Hank is enabling your phone with a Bluetooth app that will record it while you’re in the house. Under a desk or in an area where most of the men will be talking is best.” His gaze locked on mine. “And I don’t think I need to remind you not to get caught, Madison.”

“No, you don’t.”

He smiled, the look reminding me of how he’d treated me before I knew he was the devil incarnate. “Perfect. When you’ve returned, I’ll have a car bring you to the house and you can deliver your phone.”

“Ryan’s getting needy,” I remarked. “He’ll want to tag along. He doesn’t like letting me out of his sight.”

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