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)
“Get the fuck out of my way.”
“You touch her, and I’ll hurt you.”
Todd rolled his eyes. “What is it with you bodyguards? Is she fucking you, too?”
“No, and not for lack of trying. So shut your fucking mouth.”
“Or what? You can’t touch me.”
“Never tell a pissed-off Marine what he can’t do, especially a sniper.”
That finally got Todd’s attention, and he backed off. “Whatever. It’s not like I want to touch her anyway. Since she left home, she’s become the village bicycle.”
“Grow up and stop disparaging me,” Madison hissed. “We both want this divorce. You don’t love me, and I don’t love you.”
“What’s love got to do with anything?”
What the hell had she ever seen in him? “You have your pets to defile, and I just want to get on with my life.”
“With another guy’s dick shoved up your cunt,” he sneered.
“Could you be any more disgusting? Don’t answer that. My point is, there’s nothing in this marriage for either of us. So why not make it less painful for everyone and leave me alone until the family actually needs us to appear?”
Todd rounded the coffee table, approaching her vulnerable side, not flanked by Ethan. “You’re living in a fantasy, wife, one where the badass bodyguard supposedly gives a shit about you and will do whatever it takes to keep you safe while falling madly in love. You should know better. No one but your father loved you before you married me. No one is going to love you after, either. Why not stay and be rich? Be with one of the most powerful families in the country? At least you’ll have some fucking dignity.”
Digs like that used to get under Madison’s skin and erode her confidence. Once upon a time, whenever she would even think about reaching out to Matt, Todd would pull that kind of spiel from his back pocket and convince her no one would ever love her. He’d remind her of all the guys who had used and left her in the past to reinforce his conclusion.
But being with Matt in Louisiana had transformed her. He wanted what was best for her. Todd was only trying to sell her short and tear her down so that he could trap her with him for the rest of his miserable life. Madison refused to let him. Once she was free from this marriage, she would be Matt’s wife. They were in love.
“Because there isn’t enough money in the world to make me spend the rest of my days with you. After this election, I’m going to divorce you. And I’m finally going to be happy.”
“Is that what you think?” Todd snorted like her plans were a joke. “And who are you going to live happily ever after with? This guy—” he thumbed at Ethan—“who’s barely old enough to drink a beer and get his dick wet?”
“Stop being an asshole. You’re so threatened by anyone who has more testosterone than you and—”
“Don’t kid yourself. I could buy and sell this moron a hundred times over and—”
“Not everything is about money.”
Todd laughed. “Keep telling yourself that. But I guess you’re not hanging all your fairytale hopes on this frog. You’re starry eyed for that cowboy you finger-fucked yourself for on our sofa last night.”
Madison paled, then swallowed her apprehension. Todd was guessing. He couldn’t know that for sure. “I don’t know what you mean. I napped after dinner.”
“You’re a horrible liar. And you’re stupider than I thought if you really believe he’s going to walk away with you hand in hand after the election. He’s not going to want to fuck you—and only you—for the rest of his life. Do you know how many beautiful women he’s nailed? I’m not even sure you can count that high.”
She would not let his digs get to her. “What he did before we met is none of my business.”
“Oh, I’m not talking about his life in Wyoming. I meant the years after he kicked you out of his bed and you met me. Shall I get you a list?”
She knew he hadn’t been alone, but a dread she didn’t want to feel ripped at Madison’s heart. “We weren’t together. It doesn’t matter.”
“That’s not what your face says. Stay there.” Todd marched out of the room and down the hall.
The ensuing silence nearly crushed her, and she didn’t dare look at Ethan. Not only had her husband maligned and insulted him, she felt so small after Todd’s sneers about her. Did Ethan even think she was worth protecting at this point? Once he heard about this altercation, would Matt?
She closed her eyes, fighting the urge to run away.
Ethan took her shoulders. “Don’t disappear into whatever dark place you’re going to in your head. He’s manipulating you to get his way. Don’t let him have it.”
Logically, Madison knew he was right. She couldn’t let Todd win. But his words crawled into her heart like maggots and began eating her from the inside out. If it turned out that Matt really had slept with that many beautiful women and didn’t want her again after seeing how worthless her own husband found her, she would break into a million little pieces.