Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 132097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
I tune out her baby talk as I flip through the papers.
Christ.
Most of it’s legal jargon, but there’s a summary page near the back that sums up the situation.
When my lawyers drew up the deal, I didn’t think much about the fine print.
Specifically, the stuff that says Daley’s firm would only partner with me directly as CEO and sole representative of the company.
In other words, a Blackthorn by blood.
Which means all those emails I ignored—
Shit.
Now I’ve de facto ‘resigned’ and put us in breach of contract. Technically, I never sent any official notice.
For the lawyers, technicalities aren’t good enough.
Cooper wants to buy out the rest of the resort for pennies on the dollar.
An unlikely, backstabby penalty clause in a contract I farted off because at the time it seemed ridiculous.
I wanted easy money and a chance at a redemption.
A win, a change, and a future with—
No.
Don’t even think her name, you fucking corkscrew.
My own lawyers who reviewed it at the time brushed it off and barely commented, though.
After all, what was the likelihood I wouldn’t be around?
Especially when they knew I was about to be a happily married, fully vested man.
“That scheming ball of ratshit,” I grind out.
Margot looks up from the floor where she’s still petting Ares.
“I’m shocked you ever trusted him.” She shrugs. “Looks like your instincts were right.”
“And I didn’t listen. It looked like a good deal at the time. No one saw this coming, and now with everything going to shit, he’s coming in for the kill. Where’s my phone?”
Margot lunges for it first, holding it against her chest.
“Hey, hey… take a second and breathe,” she says sternly. “Don’t just leap into this headfirst like a moron. Sit down.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Then don’t act like an idiot and sit down.” Her eyes spark as she glares at me. I might have a temper, but Margot’s can match mine on my worst day.
We waste a few more seconds on a staring contest.
Yeah, there’s no way in hell I want to sit down and have a talk about my shitty decisions with my little sister.
Right now, the only thing I have any intention of doing is finding a way to put it right.
But Margot’s stubbornness matches mine, and she pins her mouth together in a way that means trouble.
“Sit down,” she repeats. “And get a freaking grip.”
I pace away from her, every breath burning my lungs.
This is the first time I’ve felt anything besides disgust in a good, long while. I let myself embrace the anger.
“I’ll make him pay,” I say as I pace back toward her. “That slimy fuck. He can’t get away with swindling us.”
“Ethan, come on.” She puts her hands on her hips. “Sit the fuck down.”
“Why? What else is there to discuss?” I wave the sheaf of papers at her. “You came to me because he’s pulling this shit. So I’m going to fix it. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“Not quite. We need to talk about Hattie.”
Her words crackle around us, cutting through the night with that special kind of light only Hattie brings.
She’s not even here in person.
“Now will you sit?” she says, narrowing her eyes. “Let’s talk about why you’re here.”
Oh fuck.
I already know how much I fucked up.
I know I strangled her heart.
I don’t need to hear it from Margot.
“What’s your point?” I snarl. “You’re fiending to lecture me that bad?”
“Have you never heard of talking?” She shakes her head.
“I’m not stupid, Margot. I never meant to blow her off like that, but she caught me at a bad time. I even left her the money! What else can I say? It’s done. Harsh or not, I did the humane thing, sending her off with the means to reboot her life.”
My sister snorts so loud I think the roof shakes.
“Humane? Are you joking?”
“She got a goddamned bookstore out of it and six figures. Full compensation. I ended the deal, so I paid her fairly.”
“And that makes up for breaking her heart?” She punches me in the arm, hard. “Why are you so stupid?”
Excellent question.
“Do not hit me again. You’re right, I could’ve handled it, but—”
“She never even wanted the stupid store. You know that?” Margot sighs. “And she really didn’t want to be paid off like some whore after a bad night.”
“We shouldn’t be talking about this,” I snarl through clenched teeth, pacing to the other side of the room.
The crushing feeling in my chest whenever I think back to that awful night and the storm and spilled whiskey presses down like a tombstone.
I know I frightened her.
I know I hurt her.
I know I trashed the best thing I ever had and set it on fire.
There was no disguising the horror in her eyes when I told her to leave.
So, yeah, maybe I broke her heart, a harsh truth that just makes the crushing guilt bear down harder.