Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 164705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Romeo Costa: Up until a second ago, we didn’t even know Ollie had a heart.
Ollie vB: I’m flying out there to grab Briar because you two fucks can’t keep your wives in check.
Romeo Costa: You seem to be running into the same problem with the poor woman who believes she is engaged to you.
Ollie vB: She’s in a fragile condition.
Romeo Costa: She wrestled Hettie in our living room today. And won. By a landslide.
Ollie vB: All the same, if something happens to her, everyone in this Court is dead.
Zach Sun: Details make perfect. This is not to say that the Court does not make any mistakes. At least four percent of those sentenced to the death penalty are innocent.
Romeo Costa: Burn that ChatGPT and start from scratch, dude.
Ollie vB: Seriously. It is a worse conversation partner than that dude from Dr. Phil.
Zach Sun: Doctor Phil.
Ollie vB: That’s what I said.
Zach Sun: No, that’s his name. The dude from Dr. Phil is named Doctor Phil.
Romeo Costa: Don’t bother. He probably thinks the entire talk show is a deleted scene from General Hospital.
Ollie vB: As if. I stopped watching after Helena placed a curse on Luke and Laura at the altar. She couldn’t wait until after the wedding?
Zach Sun: Neither can you, apparently.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Oliver
My heart somersaulted the minute Briar came into view.
I scrambled up to my feet, running a shaky hand through my hair.
She is fine. In one piece. Why the fuck is your heart hammering out of its chest?
“Oliver.” Dallas hopped up and down, giggling as if I didn’t have every intention of strangling her with my bare hands. The only thing stopping me was the fact that her psychotic husband fired missiles from tanks just for funsies. “What a pleasant surprise. Looking for your next girlfriend?”
Farrow circled her finger around the dorms, gesturing to the co-eds who stopped to gawk. “Age bracket seems in the right ballpark.”
It would serve me right to end up on the homepage of TMZ just as I’d gained the collective respect of The Grand Regent board members. Already, they did not agree with my unilateral decision to drain the giant pond they considered to be the focal point of our golf course. I had to, however, on account of the fact that MY FIANCÉE ALMOST LOST HER LIFE IN IT.
Fake fiancée, you delusional imbecile.
“Oh, I’m only a year younger than Ollie,” Briar said innocently, missing the Frankie joke I did not appreciate.
Dallas stuck a pacifier in Luca’s mouth, raising a brow at me. “Did you decide to join us?”
“What gave it away?” I flashed her a fiendish smile. “The fact that you kidnapped my fiancée?”
“Kidnapped is such a strong word.” Dallas rolled her eyes, coming to a stop before me. “I prefer ‘whisked away on a spontaneous vacation.’”
“Then, I prefer the term ‘passionate embrace.’”
“Instead of what?”
“Instead of ‘strangling,’ which is what I’m about to do to you.”
“We’re doing this for her sake, Oliver.” Farrow ushered Briar to the door I currently blocked, still trying to jog her memory. “She deserves to know more.”
Translation: She deserves to remember you are a piece of toxic, flaming shit.
I always knew Farrow was tougher than a pile of rusty nails and just as pleasant.
Briar raked her nails through her hair, tugging the strands out of its haphazard ponytail. “Ugh.”
I darted to her side, holding her up by the elbow as she swayed. “Are you okay?” The glare I sent Dallas, Fae, and Hettie could level a parking structure. “Doctor Cohen said one bad memory could set back her progress.”
“I’m fine.” Briar leaned into my side. “I just … I think I remember something.”
My heart sank. The closer she was to the truth, the further we drew apart. I didn’t expect her to actual be with me. Nor did I want her to be. After all, I didn’t deserve a lick of affection in my life. I just … wasn’t ready for her to hate me again.
Briar snapped her fingers. “I remember the fight.”
Oh, shit.
Dallas gunned toward Briar, almost toppling over with Luca, thanks to her eagerness. “What do you remember?”
“With Hazel.”
I sagged, hating myself for how relieved her words made me.
She doesn’t remember that day.
Hettie helped Briar straighten. “What happened?”
“I kicked her out. Wait.” Briar shook her head. “It wasn’t a fight. No, no. I had a boy over. He was …” She frowned, concentrating on the plain wooden door. “He was my boyfriend. His name was Grant.”
Grant deserved to be in an unmarked grave, six feet under, for the simple reason that he once breathed the same air as Briar.
“Grant.” Dallas’s eyes sparkled, practically radiating waves of pure delight. “How fun. How long were you together?”
Briar held the back of her scalp, her eyes narrowed, obviously trying to make sense of the revelation. “Long, I think.”
“Alright, that’s enough of your bullshit,” I growled at Dallas, stepping into the swarm of women and planting a hand on the small of my fake fiancée’s back. “Sweetheart, let’s go home.”