22. Merrick
22
MERRICK
“G et the fuck out of my house and don’t come back.”
“You can’t be serious. Staying for a piece of ass. We’re building an empire.”
“I said watch your fucking mouth,” I seethe.
He rolls his eyes like this is some kind of joke, like the woman who owns me heart and soul didn’t witness this fuckery.
“Merrick, this isn’t a joke. The Ellis empire?—”
“It’s your empire, and yeah, I bought into it but I’m done. I want something more than plane rides and conference calls. I want to build a life. With her.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am. Dead serious, and she should’ve been the first to know.” Grabbing my keys from the counter, I look at my father one final time. “If she doesn’t take me back because of you—if she doesn’t give me a chance—then I’ll buy Mountain Side outright and you can consider this my resignation.”
Without waiting for his response, I bang out the door and race toward my SUV, a boulder in the pit of my stomach as I turn over the ignition and gun it out of the driveway.
Please, God, just let her give me a chance to explain.
So many regrets race though my mind as the trees whip past my window. I should have shouted how much I care about her from the rooftops.
Fuck the rules and fuck everyone who has a problem with me and Wren.
If she takes me back…
I’m so focused on the latter that the sound blaring through the night doesn’t register.
Until it does.
A car horn.
An accident.
An SUV lies on its side in the middle of the road, and as I slam on the brakes and pull onto the shoulder, my headlights catch on something metallic in the ditch.
Another car.
It’s familiar.
And with bile rising in my throat, I sprint from the car. “Wren!”