Chapter Nine #2
“Where did that money come from?” he continued. “We removed her access to all of our accounts.”
“You know Sue’s got her ways,” Alex replied. “She probably ran another SueNaturals scam on the last pack of dumbasses who haven’t heard of her.”
“But if that’s what she did, why would she turn around and give all the money to Lily?”
A heavy silence fell on the group.
“Rhodes, you did have legal look over those trust documents, right?” Micah asked.
“You know I did. I told you, Erik said it was clean. A straightforward trust managed by us, for Lily. Sue gave up her access to it as soon as she signed the bottom line.”
“But just because the trust is clean, doesn’t mean the money is clean,” Alex reminded. “Have him, and your IT guy, look into all of it again.”
“Fine.” Rhodes sounded the music of resigned.
“But what are we saying right now? We’re not giving Sue a chance?
We’re just going to make her keep begging and pleading for another chance while she ticks down the days until her mother dies and we throw her out?
Because even with all she’s put us through, we’ll be the evil bastards if we do that. ”
“That’s why we won’t,” Alex put forth. “You’re right, man.
If she’s willing to hold to a truce, then there’s no reason for us to make life in the manor unpleasant just to be a couple of resentful bitches.
Let Sue make all the dinners and buy all the vomit medicine she wants because”—his voice changed—“it’s not like we’re actually waiting until the old prune croaks it. ”
My lips turned down, heat leaking from my face.
“That’s right.” Micah laughed. “We’ve only got to make it to the anniversary party.”
Anniversary... party?
“About the party,” Rhodes started. His tone did not match their satisfied ones. “I was thinking that maybe we should cancel that after—”
“No.” Alex’s voice was clear. Final. “It’s too late to cancel. The party is going ahead like we planned, and when it’s over, we’ll finally be rid of her for good. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Micah returned without hesitation.
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
The clock ticked down as they waited for—
“Agreed,” said Rhodes.
I stood there, silent in the shadows, long after they walked right past me into their rooms.
CARNIVAL MUSIC FILTERED through the speakers, inviting one and all to a freakishly fantastic adventure.
I darted behind the clown, curling my legs and arms in tight around me—shrinking away from the spinning, technicolor lights.
Footsteps thudded over the music. Heavy, loud, and coming closer.
“Now, where did you run off to, little girl? Huh-hyuck,” he laughed—that strange, hiccupping laugh. “There’s no need to be scared of Captain Chucklepants. He just wants to play.”
I clapped my hands over my ears, desperately trying to drown out his voice, his laugh, the music, the lights, the colors, that awful smell.
A shadow fell over me.
“There you are. Hide-and-seek is over.”
I screamed as he reached for me.
“It’s time to play.”
“Ahh!” I shouted, ripping out of the dream.
Shooting up in the bed, the sweat-soaked sheets clung to my neck and shoulders. I fought to kick them off but not in time. Pitching over the side, I vomited right on the carpet.
“Ugghh.” I crawled off the bed—stomach flipping and heaving.
I knew with my return to the manor, the nightmares would sneak back into my sleep. Honestly, I was surprised they had taken this long.
I lay there on the carpet for a spell, willing my stomach to settle. Only when I trusted myself did I push up on my hands and knees and crawl out of Sue’s room. I didn’t force myself onto my feet until I reached the staircase.
The kitchen light beckoned me the rest of the way. Either I forgot to turn it off, or the guys did after they finished up their secret meeting in the hall and came down to clean up after dinner.
My already aching jaw clenched. As much as I told myself it shouldn’t bother me while I polished off the merlot in the bath, it fucking bothered me. I knew how hard it was to forgive Sue. Twenty-eight fucking years and I never accomplished it.
But what I also knew was how much it sucked to be blamed for Sue. To have to carry the weight of her actions, her callousness, her lies, and her manipulations. I did it the day she paralyzed Colin. And now I was doing it again.
Sighing, I trudged over the threshold, heading straight for the cabinet over the sink. I’m sure I put Lily’s nausea medicine in this cabinet. Hopefully, it works just as fast on adults—
“Guess it’s my turn now.”
“Zeus in heaven!” I belted, spinning around. “What the flipping fucking fuck are you doing!”
Micah grinned at me from his seat on the kitchen island. “Same as you. Couldn’t sleep.” He shook the container of my bulgogi at me. “That’s what I get for going to bed hungry.”
“That’s what you get for being a jerk.” I snatched the medicine off the shelf. “Next time, don’t cut off your nose to spite your stomach.”
Micah cocked his head. He was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, and my eyes didn’t know where to look.
His long, raven locks swept the top of the warring tigers tattoo that claimed the whole of his hard, bulging pecs.
The man was a father and husband in his thirties, and still he looked like just seconds before he was getting up to some illegal shit with his buddies under the bleachers.
“Hmm. I’m not sure that analogy works,” he said. “Cutting off your nose doesn’t affect your stomach in any way. What you should’ve said is—” He cut himself off, laughing heartily at the two birds I flipped in his face.
“Seems that’s a no, then,” he said, chuckling. “You didn’t come here to corner me and seduce me with your new sweet-Sue act.”
“My dude, I’m down here because I vomited all over the carpet,” I grouched out—my body as wrung out and tired as I sounded.
“This is all the seduction I’ve got for you.
” Just like that, I tugged my camisole down and flashed my itty-bitty left titty for his viewing pleasure.
“Oontz, oontz, oontz,” I sounded off—bouncing up and down in place.
Micah choked on his fork. He fell off the island, hacking the fork and a chunk of beef on the floor. Wheezing, he clutched his inky chest—laughing so hard that if he wasn’t already on the floor, he would’ve fallen.
“Hope you got everything you needed from that.” Popping my top back up, I made to leave with my medicine.
A hand on the ankle stopped me.
“What if I didn’t?”
I blinked down at him... and the smirk flashing up at me. “Uhh... what?”
“It’s been a long time, baby. Seven months, two weeks, and five days.” He smiled. “But who’s counting?”
“Who, indeed.”
“You want to work out a truce between us so badly, let’s do it the fun way.
I’ll trade you.” A warm, stroking finger glided up my ankle—popping goose bumps on my flesh.
“Each orgasm I give you also comes with a day of no fighting, no sniping, and no passive-aggressive digs. I’ll be something I’ve never been before. ” He winked. “A good boy.”
My jaw worked for a full minute. “This is a joke, right? You’re joking.”
“Why would I joke about having sex with my hot-ass wife?”
Because not five hours ago you were telling Rhodes and Alex that you would never trust your hot-ass wife!
“Because you just got done hearing me say that I threw up. I even have some on my pants.”
“My plan involves ditching the pants, so this works out just fine for me.”
I gaped at him, then my eyes narrowed. “Hold on, is this a trick? Are you planning to lure me to the east wing where Alex is waiting in the shadows with a pee-filled balloon?”
“A what?” He laughed. “You’re watching too much TV before bed, babe. That’s what’s making you nauseous.”
“I—” My stomach heaved, doubling me over and pitching me sideways against the kitchen counter. I wish it were jumbled comedy reruns haunting my dreams. At least those aren’t real.
“All right.” Hands encircled my back and knees. “Guess I’m initiating this time.”
“Wha— Micah!”
He scooped me up, squishing me against his hard, tattooed chest, and carried me away.
I struggled weakly in his hold. If there was ever a time in my life when I was not in the romantic mood, it’d definitely be when I was covered in my own vomit!
“Micah, please,” I rasped as he carried me up the stairs and down the same hallway where I listened to them count the days until they’d be rid of me. “I don’t think this is a good idea—”
He kicked the door open, carrying me over the threshold.
“I can’t keep up with this hot-and-cold thing you’re doing,” I said. He rested me on a bed I could barely see in the dark. “You might think it’s sexy, but it very much isn’t.”
“Then, I’ll stick with one.” His hands slid out from under me, then he did too—moving away in the dark. “Just hot.”
Before I could reply, the lights flicked on—flooding every corner of the plain guest room.
I say plain guest room because that’s exactly what it was when I was growing up—with nothing to say for itself except for a calming cream-and-blue color palette, four-poster bed, two dressers big and small, and an armchair and end table by the window.
I didn’t know how long Micah had been living in this room, but however long that time was, he didn’t spend it redecorating.
The only new addition was the mini-fridge he was currently standing over.
“Even if you don’t take me up on my deal, I’ll take you up on yours.
” Micah took a water bottle out of the fridge, and then crossed to the bathroom.
His voice floated through the open door.
“The truce. A ceasefire. For as long as you’re playing the part of doting, loving wife, I’ll play the role of attentive, loving husband. ”
I saw his smirk first, then I drifted down to the water bottle in one hand, and the spit cup in the other.
“I won’t break... until you do.” He handed me both. “Here. Rinse out your mouth, and then drink. Finish half that bottle, then the medicine.”
“You won’t break until I do?” I repeated slowly even as I complied with his order. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s just a little incentive for you to keep up the act—and we both know it’s an act—longer than you were planning to.
Nari loves you like this.” He accepted the gross spit cup from me, setting it down on the end table and then tapping the water bottle to remind me to drink.
“For her sake, I want you to keep the real Sue down for as long as you can.”
Silence fell while I drank. “And how is the deal you’re offering me any different from the deal you think I’m offering you?”
“Aww, yes,” he breezed, falling back and laying his head on my lap. “You see, the one I’m offering you comes with a guarantee. Whatever your orgasm tally is, I’ll be a good little husband for that number of days no matter what you do or don’t do.”
I nodded slow. “And if I break the truce without taking you up on your offer?”
Dark, piercing eyes stuck me through. “Then it’s war. Bloody, brutal war with casualties on all sides.”
Setting down the water bottle, I picked up the medicine, measured it out, and downed the lot. Only when I recapped and put it back, did I say, “Well, that’s something to think about.”
I poked his chest. “I should get back to my room.”
“No, you shouldn’t.” He heaved himself off. “What you should do is relax and get some rest while I clean up in there.”
“What? No, Micah. Come on, you don’t have to do that.”
“Course I do.” He winked his way out the door. “It’s what any good husband would do.”
He was gone before I could argue some more, leaving me with my flipping stomach and spinning head.
What was I supposed to make of his offer? Unlike what he assumed, I wasn’t putting on an act, so if he was really willing to hold out as long as I did, he’d be holding out forever.
Or until the anniversary party. Whenever the hell that was, and whatever the hell the three of them meant by getting rid of me for good.
Could they have been talking about serving Sue with divorce papers? a voice asked.
I shook the question away. Why would they want to put themselves and Nari through a potentially messy divorce when I already said on tape that I would take a far smaller price to walk out of their lives for good?
That’s a deal any scorned husband would jump on.
It doesn’t make sense for them to escalate a situation I already defused.
Then, what did the three of them mean when they were speaking in the hall, and what does Micah mean by this strange offer only a few hours later? And then the even bigger question, what are the ethical, and mostly legal, ramifications of sleeping with a man who believed I was someone else?
I tossed those questions back and forth in my mind for so long, I passed out before I got an answer.