Page 18

God, he’s got it all worked out. While I snored the early hours of the morning away, he plotted our future.

“You can’t just?—”

“I already did.” He pulls out his phone like he’s ready to go. “What’s a few months?” he asks me. “Once the second tranche of the investment is in, we’ll file for the annulment. And it’s not as though you have anywhere else to go. You’ve been living out of hostels and camping your way through global protests. Which is noble,” he says, though his expression disagrees. “But now your brother and I need you.”

“He’s invested in this too?” I ask, my stomach tightening.

“Up to the neck. Same as me and Parker. You back out now and it’s not only me who suffers. Hudson loses his share too.”

God, he even usesHudsonlike a pawn. And it’s working. Because now I’m picturing my brother counting on me in a way he never has before. And it makes me want to scream.

West watches me for a moment, his expression so neutral it makes me shiver. Then one corner of his mouth lifts, like he already knows he’s won.

I huff out a breath and slide off the bed, the stupid wedding dress rustling against my legs.

“Where are you going?” West asks, standing as I pass him.

“To the bathroom. I feel dirty.” I need to think up a plan to get out of this. And when he’s looking at me I can’t think straight.

He shrugs. “Take your time. I’ll still be here when you realize there’s no other option.”

I slam the door behind me harder than necessary, flipping the lock as I climb out of the stupid wedding dress and toss it to the floor.

Because if he thinks this is settled, he has no idea who he married. There’s no way I’m playing happy families with him for the next few months.

I finish rough-drying my hair and tie the hotel robe tight around my waist, the thick fabric warm against my still-damp skin. It’s not exactly a power suit, but it’s better than walking out there in a fluffy ballgown or the paint splattered outfit that stinks of jail.

And then I slide the bathroom door open and step into the suite’s living area just in time to hear West say, “No, scrap that. I don’t need the annulment papers anymore.”

He’s lounging on the sofa, phone to his ear, his voice cool and confident, as if he’s got the world on a short leash. Like I’m a foregone conclusion.

Yeah, well good luck with that, buddy.

I clear my throat and he glances up, clocking the firmly closed robe and wild freshly-dried waves tumbling over my shoulders. The expression on my face probably screams,I’ve just made a deal with the devil and he’s about to regret it.

“I’ll call you back,” he murmurs to whoever he’s talking to, his eyes still locked on mine. “Yeah. Let’s do that. Talk later.”

He ends the call, sets his phone down, and leans back, one leg crossed over the other, arms draped along the back of the couch like a man who owns everything in sight.

Including, apparently, me.

“Is there a problem, wife?”

I grit my teeth.If he calls me that one more time I swear I’ll tear his tongue out.

Don’t bother. He’ll probably just grow another one.It’s weird because I’ve never seen this side of him before. He’s so… ruthless. I guess I’ve only ever known the laid back off-the-clock West. I’m not sure I like this version.

Refusing to let him put me off my stride, I smile sweetly at him. “Not at all,darling. But I do have a question for you.”

West doesn’t even blink at the endearment. He’s wearing another fresh suit. His shirt is perfectly pressed, his tie expertly knotted.

“Ask away,sweetheart,” he counters.

I ignore the way my heart stutters at that. And then I take a deep breath, because this is going to work. There’s no way this man is going to do anything other than rush for an annulment once I’ve said my piece.

“How exactly are you planning to survive the next few months when you’re not allowed to have sex with anyone else?” I ask triumphantly

His brow lifts. Just a fraction.