13. Hunter
Hunter
“ I hear you’ve persuaded Hugo to sell,” Ash says.
My cell is pressed to my ear, blocking out the hum of the jet’s engines as I stare at my future wife.
She’s absorbed in whatever book she’s reading on her phone, but even so, I don’t want to say too much in front of her.
It’s not that I don’t think Maddie could handle what I have planned for Hugo, but it would be easier if she found out after the fact.
“It’s looking that way,” I tell my brother.
“And the sister?”
Maddie continues to read, but her eyebrow arches a touch, confirming my suspicion. She can hear what Ash is saying. “I’m working on that too.”
There’s a snigger in the background, and then my brother’s best friend speaks up. “Tell Hunter to enjoy the best hospitality Moncrief hotels can offer. And he’ll be pleased to know there are two fluffy bathrobes in his suite.”
“Tell Rory to fuck off,” I say, my jaw locked.
I had been tempted to use another hotel chain, but that would have raised too many red flags for my ever-suspicious older brother.
I’d hoped Rory would be too preoccupied with business in Scotland to take an interest in where I was spending the night, and with whom.
There’s silence down the line, and I wince as I imagine Rory showing Ash the booking. There’s a hiss as my brother sucks air through his teeth. “Jesus, Hunter. Are you fucking her?”
“No,” I reply quickly and easily. It’s technically true, but I’m glad Ash can’t see Maddie’s smirk.
While my brother continues to give me an ear full, I stand up and move to the back of the plane, nodding at the two extra men I’ve brought along. My other brothers have remained in Brimstage so they can respond quickly if Barrett makes a move elsewhere.
“I can’t believe you’re taking Maddison Corbyn to Vegas with you,” Ash continues. “On what planet is that a good move? Is she going to tag along for your meeting tonight?”
“No, she has business of her own,” I say.
“You should have taken Jake with you.”
“He’s not my type.”
I know Ash is only thinking of my safety, but in this particular instance, it’s me protecting our head of security. The less Jake knows, the better.
“Trust me, Ash. I know what I’m doing.”
“Something doesn’t feel right,” my brother says as his bullshit detector comes online. “I’m starting to think we should just let this one pass, Hunter. We didn’t choose this project, Barrett chose it for us, and we haven’t had nearly enough time to complete due diligence.”
“That might be so, but the mill has plenty of potential. It’s Hugo’s mismanagement that’s been strangling its profit margins. I want to see it through.”
“On your head be it,” Ash says. “Just don’t make this unnecessarily messy.”
He’s talking about Maddie again, and he’s getting closer to the truth than I’d like. “I have a plan, and I’m sticking to it.”
When I finish the call, I grab two bottles of water from our flight attendant and head back to my seat. I’d prefer something stronger, but I need to be on top of my game when I meet Killian later.
“I thought you were going to tell your brother about our arrangement?” Maddie asks as I drop into the soft leather recliner.
“I was in the middle of telling him the other day when I found out my favorite runaway bride was on the loose again,” I scold.
It’s unfair of me to blame her for my cowardice, but it is partly her fault. As is the dilemma I now face.
One of the unexpected outcomes of my confrontation with Hugo is that he’s agreed to sell his half of the mill to us, which means the only person standing in our way is Maddie.
As Mace and Reid have already pointed out, if she simply agrees to the sale, we don’t need to get married. All I have to do is ask her.
I should ask her. If I can avoid the added complication of making Maddie my wife, I should take it. Shouldn’t I?
“I promise I won’t leave your side the whole time we’re in Vegas,” Maddie tells me.
“About that,” I say. “After the ceremony, I need to go off and meet someone. I should only be a few hours, but while I’m gone, I need you to stay in our hotel room and wait for me.”
“ Our hotel room?” she repeats, trailing a finger across her lips as she glances out of the window. “I might just take another bath.”
I’m sure I should regret what happened in her bathroom, but I can die happy now that I know what Maddie sounds like when she comes. “Read your book, Maddie,” I grumble.
She shrugs. “I’ve finished it. And I’d rather talk to you.”
I drain half my bottle of water. We still have another hour left of the flight.
That’s a lot of talking, and I know Maddie will use it to get under my skin.
I glance at the bruising around her throat that she’s done well to conceal, but I know is still there.
The plastic bottle in my hand pops as I imagine it’s Hugo’s neck.
Who am I fooling? She’s already under my skin.
“Fine, tell me all you know about Lancelyn Heights,” I say, steering the conversation safely towards business. “What’s there that Barrett might want Ray to sniff out?”
“They trade mostly in farming and timber.”
“Are there any suppliers or contractors you rely on?”
Maddie’s brow furrows. “You think Barrett might do something to destabilize the mill?”
“I’d say it’s a strong possibility. Even if the takeover was originally set up as a distraction, he’ll want to throw obstacles in our way to keep us occupied.”
Maddie slips off her shoes and curls her legs under her.
She’s wearing dress pants and a long-sleeved jersey top with buttons down the front that my fingers are itching to unbutton.
“The town isn’t much bigger than ours,” she begins.
“We take occasional supplies of timber, but they can’t produce the quantities we need, so we’re not reliant on them at all.
Most of our connections are social ones.
Our two communities co-operate as much as we can.
We occasionally join forces if we need a road repaired, and we’ll share plant and machinery when necessary. ”
“Do you have any contacts over there?” It’s pointless asking if Maddie has friends. She was never allowed to establish any meaningful relationships outside her family.
“A few. I can make some calls when I’m back at work.”
“Are you sure you’ll be OK going back to the mill after what Hugo did?” I ask. I know she’s an asset we need on site, but I’d almost be relieved if she didn’t want to return there. At least until I’ve dealt with Hugo.
“I have to go back,” she says. I’m not sure if she’s aware that her hand has gone to her throat. “And you’ll be there, won’t you?”
“Yes,” I promise. “And if Hugo ever lays a hand on you again, he knows my next warning won’t be so subtle.”
“Good,” Maddie replies. “I can’t wait to start making the changes we so desperately need. Amos is going to have a fit. In a nice way.”
Her eyes sparkle. Mine don’t. “Amos is on the board, right?” I ask as if I don’t already know. I just wasn’t expecting Maddie to sound so giddy when talking about one of her colleagues.
“He’s our Operations Manager. He taught me everything I know about the business, mostly in secret because my dad and Hugo always thought it was a waste of time. Amos is one of the few men who doesn’t see me as chattel.”
I rub my hand against my jaw to hide the tic. Maybe I was being too presumptuous to think she didn’t have special friends. “You sound pretty close,” I say casually.
Maddie stares out the window. “He’s one of my favorite people,” she admits with a whimsical smile. “And I’m sure he’d help us find out what’s happening in Lancelyn Heights.” Preempting my next question, she adds, “I trust him more than anyone.”
As she turns back to face my stony expression, her smile doesn’t falter. If anything, her lips curve even more, pinching her rosy cheeks.
“He’s sixty-four, Hunter. And as much as I love him, I don’t think I’d get used to the reek of tobacco. The man’s a walking ashtray.”
My gaze remains cool. “And why should that interest me?”
Maddie rests her chin on her hand. “Sorry, my mistake. For a minute there, I thought you were jealous.” She’s still fucking smiling.
“The next time you see him, you’ll be mine. Why would I be jealous?”
“Yours?” she challenges.
“For the duration,” I qualify.
Her smile slowly fades. “What is it with you and your brothers? Mace said something about you all agreeing never to get married. Is it some weird pact you’ve made?”
I take another swig of water. “It’s not a pact,” I reply. “More like a realization that the three of us came to together.”
“The three of you? So, you’re not including Reid?”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, Reid comes from a different mold. He might reach the same conclusion as us one day, but if someone has to continue the Griffin line, I’d rather it were him.”
“You don’t want kids?”
“I just think Reid has better genes.”
Maddie stills for a moment and I feel exposed under her gaze. “You have good genes, Hunter. Take that from someone who knows what bad ones look like. ”
There’s a flicker of a thought that takes me unawares.
It’s an image of Maddie wearing my ring as she rests her hand on her swollen belly, followed by one of me holding a newborn.
I run a hand over my face, rubbing at my creased brow.
She’s not just under my skin, she’s in my head too. All the fucking time.
“You don’t know me, Maddie,” I say a little too harshly. “And I’m not going to hang around long enough for you to find out. Now that Hugo’s willing to make a deal, it won’t be long before our business is concluded. This could make for a very short marriage.”
I don’t like how she winces at my harsh words, but I have to continue. If I’m going to justify my actions to Ash, I need to establish that we’d explored every option.
“Of course,” I add, forcing the words out. “If you’d like to agree to the takeover here and now, you don’t need to step off the plane. With both yours and Hugo’s consent, we don’t have to go through with the wedding to make the deal happen.”
Maddie’s face goes pale, then crimson. I can feel the anger radiating off her, but instead of answering back, she presses her lips into a tight line.
My pulse picks up a beat. Is she going to agree?
I know I could never keep her, but I’d wanted to know what it would be like to call her my wife, if only for a short while.
Panic rises up through my chest. The wedding is all arranged. We need to go through with it. I want to go through with it. I just don’t want to admit why.
I meet her hard stare. “Or are you going to follow through with your threat to veto the sale unless I marry you?” I prompt her.
Say it, Maddie, I silently plead. Tell me I have no choice. Give me a rational explanation for my actions .
“You want me to force you into marrying me?” she asks, her voice rasping as if I’m the one holding her by the throat this time.
I keep my expression neutral, but I don’t like how she cocks her head as if she sees right through me.
“Fine then, Hunter. I’m forcing you into this. But just so we’re clear, it’s not a husband I want,” she says, her jibe aimed straight at my heart. “It’s the prenup that guarantees I have a role to play in the future of the mill once you get your divorce.”
I don’t believe her for second, but lying to each other is how it has to be. Being angry with each other is how it has to be. Sometimes I hate my life.
“ Our divorce,” I correct her. I might want to marry Maddie for my own twisted need to claim her, but the divorce is for her sake. “And afterwards, you’ll be free to make a life of your own with someone who’s worthy of your…” I stall on the word love.
“Virginity?” she asks, hurt sharpening her words.
I return the scowl she gives me. “That too.” My stomach twists at the thought of another man fucking her, and I speak without thinking. “Although, given your history, I might need to vet any potential suitors.”
Maddie’s jaw moves as she chews the inside of her cheek. “I doubt I could do worse than my last two choices.”
My sigh deflates me. “This is why I shouldn’t do relationships,” I mutter. “I’m not arguing with you, Maddie. I want to take care of you, but don’t be under any illusion that I’m anything more than a stepping stone to the kind of life you deserve, one that I can’t offer you.”
Maddie returns her attention to her cell phone. “Point taken, Hunter.”