Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
I glance at him sharply. "My husband?"
He coughs discreetly, avoiding my gaze. "Grayson. Ah, I believe he's going by Priest now."
My brows furrow as I study him. "You recognized him when he stopped by the other day, didn't you?"
Marcus nods.
I stop walking, my heart pounding against my ribcage. "Marcus, can I ask you a question?"
"Yes, ma'am," he says, reluctance written all over his face.
"How much do you know about why I stopped speaking to my father? You worked for him for a long time. You were his most trusted employee," I point out, scrutinizing his expression, looking for any hint that…what? I'm not sure exactly. But ever since Grayson came back, the pieces have started slipping into place, and the way they fit is terrifying, honestly.
My father never wanted me with him. He sent him to Mexico. He convinced me to have him declared dead. Grayson and I haven't really talked about it yet—I think we're both carefully avoiding the subject—but I know he thinks my father is the one who had him run off the road and kidnapped. He sent Grayson to Mexico to die, and he was so damn determined to have him declared dead because he needed him to be dead. He needed to close that chapter so he didn't have to think about whether his sins might come back to haunt him.
And I gave him exactly what he wanted. I bent to his wishes. I let him wear me down. But it came with a price. Because having Grayson declared dead didn't kill my love for him. It killed whatever love I had left for my father. He lost me the day we buried that empty casket, and he lost his granddaughter, too.
Do I think my father is the reason Grayson was lost for six years? Do I believe he destroyed our lives? I've always believed it. And it still hurts a hell of a lot more than it should. I hate him for it. God, I hate him with every fiber of my being for what he's done. But…some tiny little piece of my heart still clings to love for him, too. And that's the part that hurts.
I don't want to feel a damn thing for him. I want him to rot in hell. But the little girl who used to love him like crazy? The one who thought he wanted the best for her? Well, she still wishes he could have found a way to be as happy for her as she was.
A shadow passes across Marcus's face…and I guess I have my answer. But I ask anyway. Because I have to know. Because, dammit all, for once in my life, I deserve the truth about exactly who and what my father was and what he did.
"He did it, didn't he?" I whisper.
Marcus hesitates for a long moment, and then he sighs. "I believe so, Ms. McGregor," he finally says, his expression bleak. "I believe so. He had…connections in Mexico. People who owed him favors. Once Mr. McGregor disappeared, he stopped talking about those favors."
I jerk my chin in a nod, my throat so raw it feels like it's bleeding.
"For what it's worth," he says after a moment. "I think he lived long enough to regret what he did. He wasn't the same after you left."
"It doesn't help, but thank you," I whisper, placing a grateful hand on his arm. I hope he did live long enough to regret it. I hope the guilt ate at him every day. And I hope the fact that he never got to know his granddaughter made his life the same hell he turned ours into. And wherever he is now, I hope he knows that Grayson is back and that we're going to be happier than ever while he rots. Because that's what we deserve.
I clear my throat, glancing at Marcus. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Of course," he says, unfailingly polite.
"Find someone to run this God-forsaken company until I sell it. I want nothing to do with it."
His eyes widen. "Uh, of course, Ms. McGregor."
"Make sure they're worth it, Marcus. I don't want anyone to suffer just because I hate the old bastard."
He nods, his expression softening. "I'll take care of it."
"Thank you." I don't go to his office. I turn around…and I go home. That's where I want to be. That's where I belong. Whatever he thought he was going to accomplish by saddling me with this company, well, he failed. I don't want it, and I'm not keeping it. He's taken enough from me. He doesn't get to take a single damn second more.
"You've been quiet today, baby."
I sigh as Grayson curls his big body around mine, his lips against the back of my neck. One hand settles against my stomach. The other tangles with my fingers.