Page 170 of The Bad Husband

I swallow hard.

He goes on.

“There were other things. Women we fought over. Money we had made and lost. We were always in competition with each other. At some point, he picked up and left. No one missed him. Well, my mother did. He was her firstborn. She died of a broken heart soon after. I’ve never heard from him ever since.”

“So, what will happen now?” I ask after a while.

He sighs.

“Nothing. I won’t touch him. I’m doing it for my late mother, not him. She would be heartbroken again if she knew I killed her beloved son.”

“Would you do that if it wasn’t for her?’

His lips curve into a smile.

“He’d probably try to kill me first. So, yeah, I’d defend myself.”

“How old is he?”

“He’s thirty-eight. Five years older than me,” he says before his anger dissipates and his eyes soften.

“Thanks for the picture. It’s good to know what he’s been up to. They’ll go away for a while. Henrietta is a sour loser, and he’s no better.”

“What about us? Do you have any plans for us?’

“I have plenty of plans. I have to ask my future wife whether she’s up for any of the things I had planned while I was in prison. It sounds horrible, but spending some time in jail does wonders for your planning,” he says with humor.

“Tell me what you’ve got.”

“What about we travel for a while?”

“What about your businesses?”

“I asked Randal to sell the club. Everything else is managed by my people. Lawyers and accountants.”

He glides his fingers over my face.

“So, where would you like to go?” he asks.

“Give me some options.”

“South America. Europe. Asia.”

“Where in Europe?”

“Have you traveled before?” he asks, as my questions keep coming.

“No.”

“Okay, then. We’ll pick a random place. What kind of weather would you like?”

“Sunshine all the time.”

He flashes a smile.

“We’ll find something for you.”

He wraps an arm around me.