42. Milo
Chapter 42
Milo
“Fuck.”
I was one thing I never thought I would be to her—mean.
To everyone else, yes.
It fucking pained me to do it.
But I need her to hate me, so she leaves and never comes back.
This fucking place is exactly what I said it was—a shithole.
She is way too good for this town.
So if I have to be mean to get her to leave, I will fucking become a monster. I will channel every dark and ruthless part of me, sacrificing my own peace to ensure she stays away. If that’s what it takes to protect her, I’ll embrace the role, no matter the damn cost.
I tossed and turned all night, and when I finally woke up, I drove straight to Letti’s and let myself in. And now I stand over Elizabeth as she sleeps.
“Milo?” she says groggily, knowing it’s me. She sits up and rubs her eyes.
“You’ll listen, and I will leave, then you will leave,” I tell her.
“Stop presuming you know what I’ll do,” she shoots back.
I shake my head. “Trust me, you will leave.” Scrubbing a hand down my face, I continue, “I kind of never knew how to take you… or want you,” I confess. “To me, you were always his wife …” My words trail off. “I started to notice you more and more, and then you started reading to me.” I grind my jaw. “You were always too good for him, for this place.” Her eyes soften at my words. “When you left, I was glad,” I tell her. “It meant that he lost you when he never deserved you in the first place. No one really deserves you, Pretty Lady. You are above us all. You see things and are hella smart. Too smart for this town, that’s for sure. While some of us will be stuck here forever, you got out.”
“I’m here now,” she says.
“And I hate that you are,” I say with a groan. “I have your husband. I’ve had him locked away for the last six months. Once you sign those papers, I will kill him.”
Her eyes go wide with shock. “Milo…”
“I also have the recordings of your sister that he was going to send out.”
“Milo, please let him out. Wherever you have him, please,” she begs.
“Do you love him?” I ask.
“No, of course I don’t. But I don’t wish him dead either.”
“He wishes you were dead,” I tell her. The number of times I have tortured that fucking dick because of the things he says about her, and it makes no difference. He still wants her dead.
“That’s fine. One of us can always be the bad guy.” She gets out of bed and stands in front of me.
“Milo, let him out.”
“No.”
“Milo, please.”
“Once the divorce is final,” I tell her. “He would never have divorced you because he wants your money.”
“I worked that one out myself, Milo. It’s one of the reasons why I left.” She nods and reaches for my hand. “Please, for me. Let him out.”
“Maybe.”
“Now, Milo. Please.” I huff and reach for my cell. She moves forward and rests her hands on my chest, staring up at me.
“I don’t hate you for it either.”
“You may if you see him… he’s lost a few fingers and toes.” I give her a grim smile. Her body tenses as I press call. Morris answers straight away, and I tell him to let the scumbag go. He’s confused, and rightly so, but he does as I say.
Her arms wrap around me, and she hugs me tight. “Thank you.”