Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
When he shoved at Madison again, Matt reached for Todd’s outstretched hand, grabbed his thumb, then wrenched it upside down, forcing Todd to twist his body to avoid broken bones. Matt shoved a knuckle into the flesh above and bared his teeth. “I’ve got your median nerve. If I press hard enough, I can paralyze half your fucking hand. You. Don’t. Touch. Her. Are we clear?”
She laid a soft hand on his forearm. “It’s all right, Matt.”
“It’s not. He invaded our personal space in the swamp, tossing around his demands. But we’ve got some of our own. No time like the present for him to hear them.” Matt yanked on Todd’s thumb and relished his hiss of pain. “Not only do you not touch Madison, you are never alone with her. Ethan or I are always protecting her, even in the back seat.”
“Whatever.”
Todd acted like he didn’t care, but Matt felt his irritation. “Her bedroom is off limits.”
“Great. I haven’t wanted to spend any time there in well over a year.”
“You turn the surveillance off in her personal space.”
“Fuck off.” Todd tried to wriggle free from Matt’s grip, but he held strong, compressing the jackass’s nerve even harder. “Jesus! I can’t, even if I wanted to. My grandfather pays for the service. The security in my apartment is set up to his specifications.”
But the little shit’s bedroom wasn’t surveilled? Matt wasn’t sure whether Winston had offered his overindulged grandson privacy or the annoying asshole had demanded it. Either way, Matt was hitting a dead end, so he switched tactics. “You don’t search her personal belongings. You don’t track her when she leaves your place for her single day of freedom each week. Basically, unless you need her for a campaign rally or event, she doesn’t exist for you.”
“And maybe if I move aside, you could lift your leg and pee on her, too. It might be more effective than barking at me. Of course, I guess she prefers being controlled and devalued by losers like you. No doubt, you learned well from your father.”
Matt let the remark slide off his back. So Todd had looked into his background. No shock there. And unless he put an end to this pissing contest, they would stand out in the heat and exchange barbs until everyone roasted. He released Todd’s thumb.
The sniveling bastard shook his aggrieved hand, hate spewing from his eyes. But Matt had zero illusions. Madison’s husband might act like he wasn’t intimidated, but Pershing was half a foot shorter and far less solid. The shitbag, like all bullies, wouldn’t take his ire out on the person who’d pissed him off, but one least able to fight back.
Madison.
“Let’s get in the car, huh?” Ethan suggested, sidling closer. “This location is wide open. There are trees everywhere. If anyone wanted to build a sniper’s nest, they’d have a billion choices.”
As far as anyone knew, neither Todd nor Madison had received external threats, but Ethan was right. Matt didn’t want to take a chance with his fiancée’s safety. And sadly, he’d never get lucky enough for someone with an ax to grind to do the world a favor and off her husband.
“Good idea.” Madison ducked into the idling limo, scooting to the far side.
Once she was safely tucked away, Ethan turned and plopped down in the front seat next to the driver.
“Get in.” Matt barked, elbow bracing the door open so Todd couldn’t slam it in his face.
“Don’t ever touch me again.” Todd disappeared into the back seat, sitting across from Madison with a glower.
“Then don’t make me need to,” Matt threatened as he climbed in and positioned himself beside her. He resisted the urge to touch and reassure her. She didn’t look rattled, but anxiety poured off her. He couldn’t let that fester.
Across from him, Todd sneered as he nursed a scotch, despite the fact it was well before five o’clock.
“Is dinner at six, like usual?” Madison asked as the limo rolled forward, probably more to cut the tension than because she actually cared.
“Yes. You can expect the whole crew tonight, even Montrose and Genie.”
Madison sucked in a breath. “The Westbrooks will actually have dinner with you after what you did to their son?”
Todd lunged from his seat and snarled in her face. “He stabbed me first.”
“Figuratively, not literally.”
“Are you really that stupid? The end result would have been the same.”
“What does that mean?”
Todd grabbed her jaw and squeezed. “Don’t fucking stick your nose in my business.”
Matt lurched between them and rammed Todd against the leather seat. “Back off.”
“I barely touched her.”
“You don’t even get close.”
“Or what? I’m humoring you. If you lay another finger on me, my family will have you arrested, and they’ll make sure the supposedly American right to a speedy and fair jury trial of your peers doesn’t apply to you. And if you think I can’t make that happen, you haven’t been paying attention.”