Page 217 of On A Manhunt: Complete Series

EVE

Oh my God! I started to pace his office. What had I done? Holy shit.

“No?” Silas asked. “Kitten, what’s the matter?”

I spun around, sliced my hand through the air. “Don’t kitten me. God, Silas, this was supposed to be to help each other. Get you out of your jam with the deal. Me to get my trust.”

“Right.” I wasn’t understanding the problem.

“It’s not that now! Don’t you see? You said we.”

“Okay.”

“We will work on the other inn and the coffee supply. We will work with the Costa Rica distributors. Are you going to help with the Hunter Valley store too?”

“I had a handyman drop by to fix the sink and the other things on the list.”

“You fixed the sink?” I said, running a hand over my hair. “You really did that? I was doing that! I was doing it all. Then you stepped in and are taking it all away from me.”

“You really want to fix the dripping sink?”

I looked up finally, glared at him.

He ran a hand over his beard. “I’m not taking anything away from you.”

“You got a deal with the coffee distributors.” I set my hand on my chest. “My distributors.”

He shrugged, as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Well, it wasn’t hard to have my people track them down. I know they’re thrilled about the changes.”

“Changes? You didn’t talk to me about the changes. You didn’t talk to me about the San Juan inn deal.”

“But–”

“No!” I shouted. “I should have known you’d take over. God. All you wanted from me was these deals. These chances to make more money.”

He came around the desk slowly, as if afraid to make me more freaked out. That was impossible. I was practically shaking with anger and frustration.

“That’s not true.”

“All I am is arm candy. God, you gave me your credit card and patted me on the head to find a cute outfit while you make deals with my Costa Rican contacts.”

“You said you needed clothes.”

“Because we left Hunter Valley without me packing!” I tossed my arms up in the air. “I have clothes. Clothes that are really me, not the dress I bought to look like the proper CEO wife. I have my business, Silas. I have my trust. I don’t need you.”

“Kitten.”

I blanched, put my fingers to my lips. “Don’t… don’t take away Steaming Hotties.”

Tears filled my eyes, and I didn’t see him step right in front of me. He set his hands on my hips. “I wouldn’t.”

I shook my head and a tear slipped down my cheek.

“You already have. You have the power here. You said you had people working on growing the business. In less than two days, you’ve already got control of my coffee bean distributors.

You had lawyers draw up contracts for God knows what else.

We’re married. You can take it all away. ”

“You need to calm down.”

“Calm down?” I shouted, then started to pace.

“I can’t calm down. I was so stupid. I cammed instead of taking the loan.

I should have taken it and then none of this would have happened.

” I spun away, shook my head. “I’m an idiot.

Why do I always do this? As if getting married was going to solve everything.

A fake marriage got me my trust fund back, but you’ll just take the business. ”

“I’m not taking your business!” he practically shouted. “As for fake, there’s nothing fake about how I feel about you.”

“Our marriage isn’t real, Silas.”

“It’s real,” he growled.

“It’s based on money, just like every other relationship in my life.

My parents, they don’t love each other. They stick together because of greed.

My mother dresses me and wants me to play along to whatever the menfolk say, regardless of what I want.

Be a good girl, wear my pearls and get a massage.

She’s never once heard me. My father doesn’t give a shit about me, only that I, again, fall in line and that’s for me to be married to Cheney.

And Cheney, he doesn’t love me. He wants me as arm candy.

Oh, and my money. To try and take control.

To stop him, I married you.” I shook my head, refusing to look at him.

“Turned out, it wasn’t control I got. While I made the choice to marry for money, I don’t want it. It was never really about the money.”

“Kitten, fuck. No.”

I was outright crying now, and I swiped angrily at my face. “We got what we wanted. You, the deal. Me, the trust fund. I didn’t beg Cheney when he had power over me, but I’m begging you, as my husband. Leave me and Steaming Hotties alone.”

I ran out of the room, ignoring when Silas called my name.