Page 123 of The Contract Marriage

“No talking,” Jeremiah says to me, then turns to the detective. “No. You already have statements from Ted, his sons Emmett and Sebastian, numerous other guests I can’t begin to list, and security footage. It shows that Tyler Mercer not only attempted to strangle my client’s wife, but when that failed, tried to drown her as well.”

I swivel my head, my vision going hazy red. “He tried to what?!” I only thought he pushed her into the pool. Didn’t know anything about him trying to strangle her. I spin around and stand up. “I’m going to kill that son of a bitch!”

A couple of cops step inside to hold me back. When I approach the door, they grab me as a team, one on each arm.

“Let go! Where is he?” I shout.

“What did I say about zipping your mouth?” Jeremiah rolls her eyes and raises a finger in a warning at me. “This isn’t helping Olivia, Liam.”

I clamp my mouth shut, but the fury sits, banked in my belly and ready to erupt. The two officers step back, sharp-eyed and poised to grab me again if necessary.

Finally satisfied, Jeremiah turns to Steven. “Anyway, whatever ‘violence’ Tyler is whining about is nothing more than what he deserved. No jury is going to convict my client, and if Joey Martin bitches about that precious pool again, you can send him to me.”

Steven frowns, first at her, then at me, then at her again. He can sense I’m nowhere near calm. I purposely relax my hands, although my jaw remains tight.

He clears his throat. “He can’t make threats regarding another person like that—”

“Steven,” Jeremiah says. “If some weasel did to your wife what Tyler Mercer did to Olivia Kingswood, you would’ve done the same, then wanted to murder him too. You wouldn’t, of course, because you’re an honorable officer of the law. My client is no different. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I need to speak to him. You have nothing else to bother him about, do you? He’s a busy man, and frankly he should be given a medal for his heroic rescue of his wife and remarkable restraint in dealing with Mercer.”

Steven purses his mouth, but finally sighs and waves us away.

Taking my arm, Jeremiah drags me out of the station, into her Lamborghini and shuts the door. “Now. Breathe. Settle down.”

I want to punch something. “I failed her! I didn’t even know he tried to murder her!”

“He probably didn’t. It looked like a momentary impulse. I’m pretty sure he snorted something at the party. You know how it is. He’s nearly bankrupt and wants to escape the pressure and blame someone else for all his troubles. Refuses to admit that he created the problems for himself. Prescott’s on his way to handle everything on Olivia’s end. So—you will do nothing except sit on your hands and keep your mouth shut. Clear? The more you act out, the harder things will be for Olivia.”

“But if you think he didn’t mean to kill her”—I choke out the words—“does that mean he gets away? Walks off scot-free?” I should’ve fucking killed him at the pool.

She snorts, then chuckles softly. “Liam, you know me better than that. I’ll do what I can to ensure he’s charged with attempted murder—not just of Olivia, but your unborn baby as well. A twofer.” She smiles, her eyes cold.

“I want him ruined. Fucked.”

“Oh, he already is,” she says with satisfaction. “And he just fucked Hugh, too. You see, Olivia wanted to cut them off using the baby, but now she probably doesn’t even need to wait until the baby’s born.”

Jeremiah’s cool, nearly gleeful words hit me like a live wire. “What?”

“She can likely use the trust’s bad-actor clause to cut them all off. Tyler is Brielle’s legally wedded husband, and he should’ve known that he could never, ever touch Olivia under the terms of the trust. If John Highsmith—that bastard is the trustee, if you didn’t know—drags his feet, I’ll light a bonfire under his bony ass,” Jeremiah says. Her distaste for and rivalry with Highsmith’s firm is legendary.

So Olivia will get exactly what she wanted. And she won’t need to wait for eight more months.

Part of me is glad that she’ll get her justice more quickly. But I can’t stop sorrow from welling in my heart—because our baby might end up being as superfluous as I am in her life now.

Chapter Fifty-Two

Olivia

I stay in the hospital for almost a week for observation. Technically I don’t need to stay, but I’m hoping that Liam will stop by to see how I’m doing.

He doesn’t, though. No flowers. No calls. I even ask the nurses if anybody’s come by or asked about me, but they just shake their heads.

I try texting him.

–Me: Thank you for saving my life. And our baby. Without you, I don’t dare imagine what would’ve happened.

–Me: Hey, the doctors say the baby’s fine. Want to stop by? They’re going to do an ultrasound tomorrow.

–Me: I miss your crystallized ginger.