Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Neither of us moves.
Instead, Ava bites out, “She threw you away like trash, Quinn. I picked you up, I was there for you, and now you will be there for me.” I press my lips together as she steps closer. “If I didn’t think she’d run her mouth, I’d be fine with you fucking her. But that girl is hell-bent on ruining this. You have to get rid of her or swear her to silence—I don’t fucking care.”
Emotion burns in my chest because I know she’s right. If I want this to succeed, I have to get Emery out of my space, out of my head. I survived these last three years, but that changed the moment she barreled into my apartment and made it hers. “I won’t do that to her. Hide her. I love her more than that.”
She shrugs, shaking her head. “You know she will never love you, right? This is a game for her. She wants you because I have you.”
I close my eyes, my jaw tightening. “Shut up.”
“She is a loose cannon, Quinn. She’ll never be who you need.”
But I know that’s not true. Well, she is a loose cannon. But she’s my loose cannon, the one I try my damnedest to keep from firing off. Some might not believe it, but her chaos brings balance to my life. And ever since she’s been back, I feel alive again.
Which only confuses me more.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I admit, and Ava’s eyes turn wicked.
“Don’t be stupid, Quinn.”
Our gazes collide, and I can’t help myself. “I am starting to hate you.”
“I don’t care. This isn’t a marriage for love,” she reminds me, and my skin crawls.
That’s when I hear the front door open. She looks over and sends a quick smile. “Sorry, we’re about to leave.”
My mom ignores her and calls out, “Are you okay, Quinn?”
Before I can answer her, though, I hear heavy footfalls, and then my dad grips my shoulder. I look over at him, and he searches my gaze with eyes the same as mine. He tilts his head to the side. “Why don’t you two take some time to cool off? Come inside and call Ava later.”
I feel Ava watching me as she says, “I’d rather you come over, Quinn. Please. We’re not done talking.”
I hear it in her voice, the apprehension that she is losing her cash cow. “You can be done, though,” Dad suggests, his eyes still searching mine. “Just say the word.”
I sigh heavily, but I know Ava and I aren’t done with this conversation. “It’s okay, Dad,” I say, and I hate how his shoulders fall. I give him a small smile. “Everything is fine.”
“Doesn’t seem that way,” he replies, and my stomach clenches.
“It is,” Ava tries. “It was just a misunderstanding. High emotions with the wedding coming up.”
She tries to laugh it off until my dad sets her with a look. She presses her lips together, and in a growling voice, my dad warns, “Put your hands on my son again, and I’ll pay Emery’s bail.”
He squeezes my shoulder again and sets his gaze on me. “Call me if you need me.”
His words have a torrent of emotion swirling through me. “I will.”
He leans in, kissing the side of my head. Against it, he whispers, “I love you, Quinn.”
Tears burn my eyes, and I feel a lump form in my throat. Around it, I mutter, “Love you too, Dad.” I watch as he walks away, shrugging. When he reaches my mom, I swear I hear him say he tried. I sigh heavily and then hold my arm out toward the cars. “Let’s go.”
Ava doesn’t move. “You need to fix all that with your family. I can’t have them making me the villain and then acting that way around my family.”
I scoff as I walk around her. “If the title fits, own it, Ava.”
I leave her gawking behind me as I head toward my car, passing Emery’s Bugatti. I wish I were getting into it, with Emery by my side.
We could drive off and leave everything behind us.
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Emery
I realize that wherever there is a line, Quinn will have me plowing right through it.
I check my morals at the door, and I am on a mission. I chew on the inside of my cheek as I click through different screens. On one, I have Ava’s financials up, and then I have the Mettison family’s on another. The Mettisons are loaded, old money, and while I know it makes me a gloating dick, I have more money and I earned it all myself.
Ava: 0. Emery: 100.
Yes, I get all the wins. She gets none.
Well, she has Quinn.
For now.
I ignore that, gritting my teeth as I look back at the screen. I’m trying to get into their legal records, but they’re locked up tighter than a nun’s ass, so it’s taking more time than I expected. I hope they pay their lawyers good money because they have an intense firewall that would be highly impressive if I weren’t trying to get through it. I’ll be successful, but it’ll take a minute.