Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 124971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Since I don’t think I’ll be coming back to New York City, and the last thing I want is to hold you back, I am granting you this divorce with no further ado. There is no need for us to wait for a green card, since I do not intend to seek employment in the States. I now realize that deceiving the authorities, atop committing a crime, all while dragging you into this, was wrong. I would also like to take this opportunity to apologize for trying to blackmail you.
No. No, no, no, no, no. Just no multiplied by a hundred thousand. This wasn’t happening.
Finally, as a token of my regret for all the inconvenience I’ve caused you, I have purchased you a ticket to Alaska. Not because you cannot afford it, but because you need the push to go there.
I know it’s none of my business, Riggs, and I do respect that, but in all the short but intense time I have known you, you’ve never shied away from a challenge. You can do this. You can conquer Denali.
Besides, that’s what Charlie would have wanted.
With love and affection,
Poppins.
Along with the letter were a ticket to Alaska and reservations for a hotel, as well as divorce papers. The tickets alone had probably drained her bank account.
She blew all her savings so I could go to Alaska and fight my demons. Somehow, I wasn’t even slightly surprised.
Daphne Markham was never a gold digger. She aspired to be one, sure. But she also had those pesky things called morals. She was caring, good, and so far out of my league we weren’t even playing the same fucking game.
And still, I wanted her. Every inch and cell in her body. Every snarky remark and innocent smile.
“Well?” Arya prompted. “Fill us in, lover boy.”
I looked up from the letter, my jaw clenching so hard my teeth nearly crushed to dust. “Short story? She moved back to England, granted me a divorce, not gonna take a penny from me even though she knows I’m a billionaire, and bought me a ticket to Alaska.”
“But you hate Alaska.” Christian frowned.
“Exactly.”
“She’s making you do something you don’t want to do just to prove a point?” Christian stroked his chin. “You sure the marriage isn’t legit?”
“She’s trying to help him overcome something.” Arya clutched Louie close to her chest in a snuggle. “Ugh, I really like this one, Riggs. Please, can we keep her?”
“Apparently fucking not.” I waved the letter in my hand.
“Language,” Christian drawled.
“English,” I confirmed. “But not a very good one, according to our former lit teacher, Ms. Maren.”
“Uncle Riggs said a potty word!” Louie clapped, twisting in his mother’s arms and watching her expectantly. “Mommy, put him in the naughty spot.”
“That’s all right, kiddo.” Christian ruffled his son’s dark hair, lounging back. “Uncle Riggs is in a worse place than the naughty spot.”
“He is?” Louie’s eyes widened.
“He’s in the doghouse, after spending the last twenty years living like a gap-year student.”
I folded my arms over my chest, curving an eyebrow that said, Really?
“He’s not wrong.” Arya dropped an imaginary mic.
“Thanks for the judgment. Exactly what I needed right now. So, what do I do?” I barked out, like it was their fault Duffy had decided to bail. “My wife just dumped me via letter.”
“She didn’t dump you,” Christian said, disagreeing. “She gave you an out. Nice girl. Kind of hot too.”
Arya nodded. “Totally hot.”
“Talk about my wife like that again, and I’ll smash your teeth in.” I pointed at Christian, then turned to his wife. “You can still say these things, just as long as you remember I’m notoriously bad at sharing.”
Louie blinked, fascinated. “Now does he get a time-out?”
“No, but Mommy is about to throw him out if he doesn’t watch his mouth around you, sweetie,” Arya fussed.
Louie was the only kid I was in contact with. I forgot how coddled they were.
“I can’t let her go.” I gathered the divorce papers and ripped them to shreds, letting them rain down on Christian’s marble floor. “Especially after she fu—” I started, then saw Christian’s and Arya’s bulging eyes. “Forgot,” I amended, “her ex-boyfriend and dropped him like a hot potato. She’s single now. Fair game.”
Arya looked at me like I was a complete moron. “She’s not single, Einstein. She’s married. To you.”
“It’s not a real marriage.” These words had never felt so much like a lie on my tongue.
Arya bowed an eyebrow. “This is news to me, since you have all the components of a real one—you love each other, there’s enough angst between you to last for an entire season of Grey’s Anatomy, and the physical connection is there.”
“What’re you gonna do?” Christian asked, amusement twinkling in his eyes.
“Go to London, fu—fabulously, obviously.” I produced my phone from my pocket, already going through flights. “I’m not ready to give her up.”