Page 30 of Throne of Fire

“Which is it, Ash? You love or loath your wife?”

I glare at Blaise. “I don’t love her, but Jesus, she’s innocent. I’m not going to hurt her?—”

“Too late,” Flint quips.

I give him the finger.

He shrugs. “You’re an asshole to her.”

“I won’t kill her.”

“No one is saying Hannah should be harmed or killed,” Phoenix says, shaking his head like he thinks we’re a bunch of idiots.

“Do you think he’s planning to cut ties with us?” Flint asks. "Hannah might not be enough to keep him in line."

The mention of Hannah's name sends an unwelcome jolt through me. I pour another drink to drown it out.

"O'Donnell's always been cautious," Phoenix notes. "And Kean is getting more aggressive."

“More aggressive than burning our fucking house to the ground? Killing our parents? Meghan?” My rage rises, but now it’s tinged with something else, concern for Hannah's safety if O'Donnell pulls out of this deal. "I'll talk to O'Donnell, remind him of what's at stake if he tries to back out now."

"You mean besides his daughter's happiness?" Phoenix's words stop me cold.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Flint snorts. "Maybe if you weren't treating Hannah like she's got the plague, O'Donnell would feel better about this arrangement. Perhaps he’s worried you’re the one about to renege. You did say you couldn’t follow through.”

“I didn’t tell him that. Did you?” Did Phoenix throw me under the bus?

“No, but we can assume that Hannah talks to her family. Perhaps she’s shared that her husband?—”

“Do you really think John O’Donnell gives a fuck how I treat Hannah? Any father who’ll use his daughter in a business deal has no respect for her.”

“He’s right,” Blaise says, and I appreciate his support. Especially considering how I supported his love for Jenna, even though I don’t believe in love anymore and Jenna inadvertently helped the Keans kill my family and Meghan. “John doesn’t care how she’s treated, but he would care if he thought you were going to walk away from the marriage.”

“I bought her a fucking house. You heard her. She’s setting up a home. John’s getting what he wants, and he'd better fucking give us what we want.” I have a mind to go over the O’Donnells’ and throttle the man.

“Still, if she’s talking to him, you might do something to assure her that you’re sticking,” Flint says.

“How? I married her. I bought her a house. What more do I need to do?”

“Treat her nicer, maybe?” Blaise says.

“Right, from the man who fucked a woman in revenge?—”

Blaise jumps up and gets into my face. “You don’t talk about my wife like that.”

“Did I say something that wasn’t true?” He doesn’t scare me. I used to street fight like Flint. I could probably still kick Blaise’s ass.

“Settle down. Jesus.” Again, Phoenix makes a face like he thinks we’re petulant children.

"I didn't ask for her," I snap. "This is business. Nothing more."

"Right." Flint rolls his eyes. "Because having a gorgeous, spirited wife who clearly wants to please you is such a hardship."

“This isn’t about her.” If they insist on continuing to talk about Hannah, I’m going to leave. “This is about?—”

“Meghan. We know.” Blaise gives me a look of pity, and it takes all my strength not to punch it off his face.