Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 21850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
The tension in the air is palpable, a heavy weight pressing down on us all.
Not long after, the sound of hurried footsteps echoes through the hallway. Silas must have called Tanner and Cole as well because they come storming into the house, their expressions a mix of alarm and determination, ready to confront whatever has unfolded.
"Hey, hey. What's all this about?" Cole asks as he walks over to the sideboard. He sloshes whiskey into a glass and presses it into my shaking hands. I choke on the first sip, my entire body heaving in disarray.
"He's—he's—" I hiccup, gripping the whiskey glass to my chest. "He's leaving."
"Fuckin' hell," Cole mutters, reaching up to ruffle his sandy hair. He’s a blur through my tears.
"Just like before," I wail as pain slices through my chest.
"I get dibs on the first punch," Tanner huffs as he sits across from me on the coffee table.
Hudson paces like a caged lion while Tanner and Cole discuss who gets to break Todd’s throwing arm. They all keep casting concerned glances my way. Silas leans in, eyes sharp and calculating. “I get to shove my foot up his ass.”
"I get to cut off his balls." Hudson cracks his knuckles. "Take his most valuable assets first."
I gulp in a ragged breath, the air catching around the tangle of emotions lodged in my throat. "I don't want you to hurt him," I manage to wail.
Cole frowns, filling my glass again. "Now, y'all probably already know this, but I actually know how to hide a body where no one'll find it." There's a lilt of humor in his voice, but the look in his eyes is deadly serious.
The room feels dense, suffocating with concern and anger. Tears run freely down my cheeks, and I swipe at them, just trying to breathe. Knowing my brothers have my back warms me from the inside out, but nothing can ease the overwhelming pain I feel.
"Maggie." Silas, always the perceptive one, watches me with that knowing twin look. He kneels in front of me, cutting through the chaos with one steady word. "Explain to us what happened."
The tears threaten to drown me again. My words bubble out, gasping and uneven. "I overheard him. On the phone. With his agent. His agent had already made flight plans for him."
Hudson clenches his jaw so tight I can almost hear the enamel crack.
Cole stares, a slow-building storm of understanding spreading across his face. “The dick," he breathes.
A collective growl rumbles through the room as the overabundance of Carrington testosterone reaches critical mass.
Silas raises an eyebrow, calm and irritatingly collected. "How did Todd respond?"
I think back, trying to remember exactly what I heard. “He asked if it was this coming Monday.” I twist the soggy tissue in my hand, my voice dropping to a whisper. "I didn't wait around to listen to Todd arrange his flight." It's so quiet I might be saying it just to myself.
"Maggie." Hudson is gentle, a side most folks don't get to see. "Then how do you know he's leaving?"
It's a direct hit, that question, the one I can't bring myself to answer because I don't have one. My heart feels heavy and empty all at once. "Because…" I stammer out, realizing I didn’t hear him confirm my worst fears. Damnit. As soon as I heard his agent’s words, I imagined the worst and freaked out. What have I done?
The room falls silent, and the anger simmers down. They all exchange a look, exasperated yet concerned.
Silas sighs and pulls out his phone. "Maybe we should hear his side before we murder the guy."
I inhale deeply, silently berating myself for being an idiot. The past few weeks have felt as surreal as a vivid dream, one where reality blurs at the edges. Fear of losing Todd has consumed me, driving me to behave like a madwoman caught in a whirlwind of emotions. I put Todd on trial in my mind, judging and condemning him without giving him the opportunity to fulfill the promise he made to me.
Now, I have to find out if he’s really leaving or if I owe him a huge apology.
When the door blasts open yet again, Todd comes crashing in here with a desperate, half-crazed look on his face, sweat glistening across his perfect jaw. "What happened?" he demands, searching the room for my face. "Why did you leave?" His deep, frantic voice pounds against my aching heart. Goddamn, I love that man. Losing him would kill me.
But my brothers have a different view on the matter. I’m leaning against Cole, who’s got me wrapped up in a protective, slightly overbearing bear hug. He sees Todd, and I feel him tense. Todd charges toward me, eyes blazing and confused, like he doesn’t understand why I’m curled up and sobbing in Cole's arms. Before Todd gets halfway across the room, Hudson stands up and squares his shoulders.