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I try not to cringe, because I was so fucking stupid. So fucking weak. But I've already held so much back, and I don't want to keep any more from him. Especially not with what we know now. "Yes."
Fynn continues to study me. "And how long ago was that wedding supposed to happen?"
I try not to shift around, but fail, revealing my discomfort with the question. "About a month."
Fynn’s brows lift in surprise. "So one month ago, your father attempted to force you into an arranged marriage."
I nod. "I tried to go along with it, because I felt like I had to. I didn't think I had any other options." I force myself to be honest, even though my skin burns with humiliation. "But the morning of the wedding, a woman came into the room where I was getting ready and told me she’d been with Warren for years, and that they would continue to be together." My eyes drop to where my hands twist in my lap. "That I would never be the one he really wanted and he was only marrying me to gain the same power my father was after."
Things are quiet for a second, and Fynn’s voice is low when he says, "That doesn't make sense."
I rub my eyes, suddenly very tired. "Does any of it?" I drop my hands back to my lap. "After she left I broke down, because I spent so much of my life miserable and controlled and I was just trading one devil for another." I lift my eyes to the ceiling, forcing out the rest. "So I walked out of the church, took an uber to a rental car place, and drove south. I planned to go as far away as I could get, but I stopped for gas and caffeine at the store where my roommate Crystal works, and she offered to help me."
The microwave beeps and Fynn ignores it. "So it's likely your jilted groom and father came together to rectify the damage you did to their egos and reputations." He scrubs one hand over his face. "I need you to cut up all your credit cards. All your debit cards. Anything that could help them find you."
I sit a little taller, finally feeling something besides shame. "I left them all in Minnesota."
A slow smile creeps onto Fynn’s lips. "That's my girl." His head tilts. "Then what have you been doing for money?"
I inwardly cringe, because this is another answer I don't want to offer, not only because of the ramifications, but also because it might make Fynn second-guess even more than he already is. "I sold my engagement ring." I slip my new rings from my finger and slide them across the counter toward him. "You can hang onto these if you want to."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
FYNN
THE SKY OUTSIDE my bedroom window is barely beginning to lighten when I finally drag myself away from the warmth of my wife's body. As much as I don't want to leave her side, I have things to do that can’t wait.
The most important, ensuring her safety.
My new wife is many things, and naïve is one of them. And that naivety could get her killed.
After tucking the blankets around her sleeping form, I quietly make my way through the dark apartment, going straight to the kitchen. After making myself a cup of tea, I bring it with me into my office, quietly closing the door so I won't disturb her.
Sliding behind the desk, I switch on my laptop and run through my new emails. By the time those have all been handled, it’s nearly eight. Plenty late enough to start making phone calls.
And there is only one place to begin.
Scrolling through my phone, I select the contact I'm hoping will throw me a lifeline, and tap the number, pressing the phone to my ear as the line begins to ring. It's answered surprisingly fast and I relax a little as the voice on the other end greets me.
"Fynn Hadaway. Not the name I expected to see on my screen this morning." Elaine Cervantes’ voice carries a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
I've crossed paths with Elaine a number of times since coming to Sweet Side. She and my mother are similar in age and wealth. They run in the same social circles and even use the same hairstylist.
However, while my mother tends to dabble in more eccentric business pursuits, Elaine leans toward the slightly less upstanding sort. "I wish I could pretend this was a social call, but I'm afraid I have a problem."
"Outside of the shit Jessica’s been throwing at you for the past six months?"
I blink, because, for a while, I'd all but forgotten about Jessica. "Besides that, yes." I tap one finger against the surface of my desk, choosing my words carefully.
Or at least attempting to. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to say what needs to be said, so I simply lay it out. "I believe my new wife may be in some trouble."
"Wife?" There's surprise in her voice—unsurprisingly. "I had no idea you were engaged."
I'm not ready to give up all Valerie's secrets just yet, so I keep my explanation vague. "It happened rather quickly, and we decided to go to a justice of the peace rather than host an extravagant event."
"That's smart considering the circumstances. Who knows what could have happened if you'd had a large wedding. That woman is an idiot with no sense of self preservation. She likely would have shown up and thrown a fit." Elaine’s tone carries a hint of irritation at the possibility Jessica could have ruined yet another thing for me, making me even more grateful she’s in my corner. "I suppose congratulations are in order then."
"They would be, if a strange man hadn’t been in my apartment last night when we got home, warning me someone put a hit out on my new bride." My hand clenches into a fist at the memory, and it takes a few seconds to calm myself.
