Page 30 of Wretched Soul

“Plans have been made,” Ash says, dismissing the suggestion. “We have a breakfast meeting with Killian on Saturday morning, then we’re meeting John in the evening.”

“And on Sunday, we can spend the day together regrouping,” Maddie offers, looking from Ash to me. Our strained relationship is showing and she wants it fixing.

Hunter turns to face his wife. “You’re not going.”

She holds his stare. “I’m part of this family. You can’t cut me out.”

“You’re not going, little bird,” he repeats slowly. “I don’t want you anywhere near those guys.”

“Hunter, we got married in Vegas.”

“And now they know how important you are to me,” he says. “The answer’s no, Maddie. Jake will stay here with you, and you’re not to leave his sight while I’m away.”

“I’d rather not leaveyoursight,” his wife argues, even though she couldn’t be safer with our head of security watching her night and day.

“Maddie, I’d die to protect you, which makes you the weakness in my armor.”

Fire continues to burn in his wife’s eyes. She never could back down from a fight. “But you’re taking Reid!”

“No, we’re not,” I say quickly.

Reid turns on me, his cheeks flushed. “I’m no one’s fucking weakness.”

“We’d die to protect you too, brother. So, it’s the same thing,” I say sharply.

“I can look after myself.”

My jaw tenses. “You might know how to use a firearm, but you’ve never had to kill someone. Be grateful for that.”

“I’m not a kid. I know what kind of business we’re in.”

“I hate to break it to you,” I hit back, “but you’ll always be our kid brother.”

“No, I’ll always be yourhalf-brother,” Reid says, the words choking him, and wounding me.

I want to tell him to be careful what he wishes for. He carries the best of Lisa, while we’re cursed with the worst of Alice. But I know it’s not going to help.

“You’re our full brother in every way that counts, Reid,” Ash says to break the staring contest between his siblings. “And you’re right. You need to be there too.”

“Fuck that!” I say, turning on Ash. “We’ve discussed this enough already. We don’t need to put a target on his back too. He should stay under the radar.” To Reid, I add, “It’s your only chance of leading anything near a normal life. You don’t know what you’re giving up.”

Reid tips his head towards Hunter and Maddie. A normal life means relationships and family, something Ash drummed into me as being unattainable. “I’m not giving up anything.”

Hunter simply shrugs. Reid’s inclusion is no surprise to anyone but me. It was already agreed before the meeting started.

“Anything else I should know?” I ask Ash.

“Just don’t miss the flight.”

My chair scrapes against the floor and I’m about to get up when Maddie stops me. “Isn’t there something else we all need to talk about?” she asks, looking around the table. This time everyone else is just as confused as I am. She sighs in frustration. “I know your relationship with Alice is complicated, but if any of you are looking to find closure, time is running out.”

Hunter plays with his cuffs. It won’t be the first time he’s heard Maddie’s argument. Ash and I remain silent, and it’s Reid who enters the discussion.

“I’ve had a couple of emails from her,” he admits. “I’m her last resort since she wasn’t getting a response from the others.”

My mouth twists. “I never see her emails,” I say. “I’ve written code that filters them out, even if she tries to use a different email address.”

Ash shrugs. “She’s used a few different addresses with me, but I block what I can, and send the rest to junk. If it’s business related, she knows to speak through our lawyers,” he explains to Maddie. “And no, I don’t read any.”