15. Hunter
Hunter
M y meeting in Las Vegas had started out well enough. Killian is a couple of years younger than me, but having been brought up in the Irish mafia, he’s far more comfortable in the underworld than I’ll ever be. I’m sure it helps that his dad, John McConkey, is head of the family.
It was Ash who’d forged a friendship with Killian, back in the days when he was setting up the business, and Killian was looking to diversify into more legitimate undertakings.
Ash hadn’t set out to get involved with the mafia, but our stepmom, Lisa had just been diagnosed with cancer and there were medical bills that Dad couldn’t cover.
Our lucrative dealings with the McConkeys gave Lisa an extra five years.
Our association with the Irish mafia isn’t something we could ever walk away from, but it’s far better to be a friend of the McConkeys than their enemy, as Barrett will find out at some point soon.
Barrett’s been a busy boy. As well as his meddling in Maddie’s affairs, the Emerson heir had bought a food-processing factory in southern Illinois a few months ago.
Unlike his usual acquisitions, the business was relatively successful, although that could be due to the healthy subsidy they received from the McConkeys.
The Irish mafia were using one of the warehouses in Poulton Springs as a distribution hub for their country-wide drug dealing network
“Do you think Barrett knew we had an active interest in the factory when he bought it?” Killian asks as he hands me a glass of whiskey. We’re in a back room above one of his dad’s casinos, but it’s surprisingly quiet. Sound-proofed.
“Maybe he suspected something was going on, but he wouldn’t have had the guts to close down your operations if he’d known who you were.”
Killian drops onto a seat and puts his feet up on the table.
“He realized his error pretty fast when he tried to block our access to the warehouse,” he says.
“Our threats were meant to bring him into line, but the fucker decided to burn the place down instead. What kind of idiot sends a lucrative business up in flames just to get out of a deal?”
“If you met him, you’d understand.” I take a sip of whiskey. “I hear someone died.”
“A security guard. The place was razed to the ground, so we’ve been forced to make alternative arrangements.”
I can’t hide my surprise. “You’re letting him off the hook?”
“Hell, no,” Killian says with a smirk. “We’ve told Barrett there will be consequences, but Dad’s happy to leave him stewing for a while. Do you know what else the fucker’s up to yet?”
“We have eyes on his people while we finish up business in Brimstage. It’s only a matter of time before he shows his hand.”
“Anything I can do to help things along?”
I go to shake my head, then act as if a thought has just struck me. “Actually, since you’re offering, I could do with your assistance dealing with a minor irritation. Hugo Corbyn is planning a visit here soon, and I’d like it very much if he returned home in a box.”
Killian cocks an eyebrow. “No less than he deserves for beating up his women. Are you planning to do it yourself?”
I’ve been fantasizing about hurting Hugo almost as much as I’ve fantasized about fucking Maddie. “I need to close a deal with the bastard, so unfortunately my hands will have to stay clean.” As I talk, an alarm bell sounds in my head. How does Killian know about Hugo’s penchant for domestic abuse?
“I understand,” Killian says. “But I’m sure I could come up with something creative to make it look like you weren’t here.” When he lifts his glass to his mouth, it’s to hide a smirk. The bastard’s eyes twinkle when he adds, “Consider it a wedding gift.”
My stomach hollows. “Sorry?”
Killian’s deep brown eyes flick to my left hand. “No wedding ring?”
I set my glass down on the table. “We were hoping to keep it low key,” I tell him. “How did you find out?”
“Nothing happens here without me knowing,” he says. “You should know that, Hunter.”
I nod, giving myself a second or two to regain my composure. “It isn’t something you need concern yourself with, Killian,” I warn him. “It’s a short-term arrangement.”
“Long enough to piss off Maddison’s ex though. I’d love to see the wedding photos of Barrett being left at the altar. ”
“Jesus, is there anything that gets past you?”
Killian’s eyes harden briefly. “I hope not, Hunter, for all our sakes,” he says before his quick smile returns. “I don’t imagine Ash is too happy. You Griffins have a reputation for not getting distracted with love.”
“I’m not distracted,” I say pointedly. “And as for my marriage, I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself for now.”
Killian rocks back in his chair as he laughs. “You sneaky bastard. You haven’t told him yet, have you?”
“For fuck’s sake, Killian. Can we just keep to business?”
He nods. “Don’t worry. You can trust me.”
The twinkle in his eyes tells me different.
If Killian can make use of the information he will, and I just have to hope that the news of my nuptials isn’t of particular value to him – other than the sheer entertainment factor of fucking with Ash’s head.
Their friendship goes back a decade, and I just know Killian would love to be the one to break the news that Ash has a sister-in-law.
Killian is an additional problem I’d rather not have, but I know I’m fucked no matter how Ash finds out. And he will find out soon.
It’s the reason for the heavy weight of dread in my stomach when I board the flight back to Brimstage, but not the only reason. The return journey is painfully silent. Maddie is still pissed off with me. Seriously pissed.
When she’d come out of our hotel bedroom this morning, I’d been dozing in a chair – until I was rudely awakened by the sting of a wedding band glancing off my cheek.
“Bastard!”
That was the first word Maddie greeted me with, and technically the last, because she hasn’t spoken since, other than through one of my men, or our flight attendant.
When we touch down, I drive us home from the airfield. It’s Levi who draws the short straw of sitting at the back with my seething wife.
In spite of the frosty atmosphere, I still enjoy the view of Maddie storming into the house, her ass swaying beneath the tight fit of her camel-colored cashmere dress.
I follow as she heads straight to her room.
She goes to slam her door, but it bounces off my hand.
I close it gently and rest my back against it.
“What is that?” Maddie demands, looking at the large box on her bed tied with a red bow.
“It’s your wedding gift.”
She harrumphs and goes to push it off the bed, but it’s too heavy. “I hope it’s a dinner service because I’d love to throw some plates at you right now.”
“Like you did with my wedding band?”
Maddie rounds on me, her blue eyes sparkling. “Oh! Was it a wedding band? Silly me. I did wonder what that lump of gold was meant to represent? That meaningless ceremony yesterday must have slipped my mind.”
I shove a hand in my pocket and take out the offending article. It feels heavier than it should as I slip it on my finger. “Happy now?”
“No.”
“Fine. Tell me why you’re angry,” I say calmly.
“You know why I’m angry!”
“I’d still like to hear it from you.”
Maddie stalks towards me until all I can smell is wild mint and lemon.
“It might have just been business yesterday, but the least you could have shown me was some common courtesy. If I’d known you were going to leave me alone all night, I would have taken Melissa up on her offer of a night on the town.
Maybe I could have asked if she and her boyfriend fancied a threesome so I didn’t have to spend my wedding night alone. You slept in a fucking chair, Hunter!”
“If I share a bed with you, you know I won’t be able to keep my hands off you. This is how we manage it.”
“Manage what?” she screeches, flinging her arms in the air. “I swear to god, I don’t know why you’re so hung up about me being a virgin. Losing my virginity is not the worst thing that could, or has happened to me, Hunter. Pay attention. I want you to fuck me!”
I put my hands behind my back, flattening my palms against the cool wood of the door to stop me from grabbing hold of her and ending this argument once and for all. Maddie notices, and rolls her eyes.
“When it comes to women, you’re such a coward.”
No, I want to say. Not any woman. Only her. “Just open the damn gift, Maddie.”
Her chest heaves, and she doesn’t move away immediately. She waits until she knows her close proximity has an obvious effect. My thickening cock gives me away. Every. Fucking. Time.
Prowling over to the box, Maddie pulls the ribbon and tears through the wrapping paper to reveal a brown cardboard box. “Connie did a good job of wrapping it.”
“I wrapped it. And I got Reid to put it in here so it would be waiting for you.”
Maddie sighs. “Am I supposed to be impressed?”
Yes, I want to say, but I remain quiet as I will her to open the box. It shouldn’t mean so much to me, but it does. My pulse ticks up as she unfolds the cardboard flaps that conceal the contents. Maddie peers inside. Then she stills.
I hear her swallow. “I hate you,” she whispers.
“Not the response I was expecting. ”
Her head whips towards me, a tear slipping down her cheek. “Why are you doing this to me?”
OK, so now I’m officially confused. I do the sensible thing and keep quiet.
“It’s like you set out to confuse me,” she says in a strangled voice. “Your mouth says one thing, but your actions are talking a whole different language, Hunter. You do know that, right?”
The truth is I didn’t, but she might have a point. I need to watch that. “It’s only books,” I try.
“And Melissa helped you?”
“It wasn’t exactly my area of expertise.”