Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR

HUNTER

“Are you listening, Mr. Cash?”

The voice over the phone fades out as I stand here staring out the window. From the thirty-second floor, the view is spectacular. I’ve always been fond of the city, never minding the hustle and bustle of the streets, but times call for a change.

This change is supposed to be a big one; new offices on the East Coast with expansion to The Caribbean in the next twelve months.

All these changes require substantial capital, something I assumed wouldn’t be a problem until Joseph Albright, my grandfather’s attorney, called to remind me of my side of the agreement.

“Hunter.” Joseph uses my name this time, breaking my thoughts. “I’ve already gone out of my way to overturn your grandfather's will regarding the childbearing clause. The money was not to be released until you were married, with, or expecting—a child. You assured me this would happen no later than twenty-four months after your nuptials. Time is running out, son.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose to release the tension, but it doesn’t work. Closing my eyes, the hostility runs deep. This life was thrust upon me. My grandfather wanted our family name to live on, and I’m the puppet in his master's show.

He’s buried in the ground, yet he still controls my life.

Just let it all go. Money isn’t everything.

The memory of him is so engrained it’s become my living nightmare. I remember his dying wish as I held his hand on the hospital bed before he took his last breaths. His skin had turned gray, and the bone structure of his face was prominent. He barely had the strength to raise his hand to touch mine. In and out of consciousness, then his life ended right before my eyes.

The machines flatlined, the doctor called time of death, and then it was all over.

I wasn’t given the opportunity to grieve the man who raised me when social services were about to take me away to live with a younger family. My grandfather stepped in, despite losing his wife, my grandmother, a year earlier to cancer.

Not one moment to grieve because everyone had their eye on the prize.

The family’s fortune.

I just didn’t understand why he insisted on having me marry and have children for the sake of the family's inheritance. This would have been a hell of a lot easier if he just gave it to me and trusted I would carry the legacy on.

But no, the last few weeks when he was incredibly ill, all he would talk about was loneliness and family meaning everything. As time began to run out, he changed his will only weeks before his death.

Joseph clears his throat over the phone. “Is there anything you’d like to add to this?”

“I need more time,” I scorn.

“Well, you have a wife. Is it so bad to have a child? You might surprise yourself. Family is a blessing.”

I can’t think of anything worse than having a child with a woman I don’t care about. If I loved her, perhaps, things would be different. All of this is wrong and unethical, leaving me in a foul mood. I was supposed to come with up a plan to get out of this, at least, I hoped Joseph would just drop it.

“Are we done?”

“For now,” Joseph informs me. “I’ll be in touch soon. Mr. Cash, if you don’t have a child, I’m afraid all the money will go back to the estate and be divided amongst the caretakers as per your grandfather's wish should you not fulfill his conditions.”

I end the call without another word. The pain in my head only intensifies as my chest tightens. How the fuck am I supposed to get out of this? I refuse to ask Kathy to participate. We haven’t even had sex. I made it clear when I proposed this arrangement, I didn’t want anything to convolute our platonic relationship.

She’s not even the one you’re thinking about.

Don’t go there, I beg of myself.

There is one more meeting I need to attend, but my head is far from being switched on. As numbers were presented, I lost my patience, raising my voice and taking out my anger on whoever dared to challenge me. I knew it was out of character, but I couldn’t shake this feeling of my whole life being controlled. It felt like I was trapped in some dungeon and handcuffed to the wall.

Then, Chester Jones brought up his plan to bring part of Lex Edwards’ company down. At least, the part we were competing with. If we execute this right, Lex will lose a hell of a lot of money and stakeholders' confidence. Two crucial things which are needed when dominating the business world.

“Lex Edwards will have no idea what’s hit him,” Chester reveals, leaning back in his chair with a smug expression. He’s loathed Lex for as long as I’ve known him.

Alexandra’s innocent green eyes flood my thoughts. I turn away from the screen, staring at the window again. No matter what I do, she’s going to get hurt. It’s not like I’m in love with her or anything, fuck, we aren’t even dating or exclusive.

All I know is—no other man is allowed to touch her.

It’s only me.

When I think about any man going near her, the adrenalin shoots through me, and all I want to do is kill whoever places his hands on her. Hell, sometimes it’s even the intent. It’s why I gave Josh the ultimatum. I didn’t like him being friends with her or how naïve she was around him.

The jealousy is something I’ve never experienced. I dated girls in college, but they were just to pass the time. If I look back on the last ten years, I’ve never been in a serious or committed relationship. When I needed a quick fuck, I found it. End of story.

The meeting ends with me snapping at Chester, much to his surprise. The guy is smart, has some great ideas, but he’s also a fucking sleaze at times. Meredith warned me to be careful, he may bring a strong clientele with him, but a sexual harassment case is the last thing our company needs.

I head back to the hotel, hoping Alexandra is done with her work so I can have her naked all night. Right now, I desperately needed to inhale the scent of her skin, the only thing consuming me of late.

She’s become an obsession, one I’m struggling to break free from.

Back at the hotel, she’s nowhere to be found. I checked her room, but it was empty. I tried to text her, then called her, and texted her again, but nothing. The last time she checked her email was hours ago.

Where the fuck is she?

It’s unlike her not to answer anything. The sunlight begins to disappear as night falls over the city. I quickly pour myself a whisky, downing it in one go. Then, pour another as I pace the room, wondering how long I have to wait until I call 9-1-1.

If anything happens to her, I don’t know what I’ll do with myself. Fuck, calm down.

The beep of the swipe card causes me to dart my gaze onto the door. She enters the room with her head bowed, quietly closing the door behind her.

“Where the hell were you?” I question, raising my voice.

Slowly, she glances up, and the first thing I see is a cut on her lip. I rush over to her, panicked, examining the rest of her. “Alexandra, talk to me. What happened?”

“It’s stupid,” she begins in a low voice. “My uncle asked me to drop keys off to his son at NYU. I opened the door and kinda, well, never mind. Anyway, I ran into the door on my way out.”

I take a step back, crossing my arms beneath my chest, the worry now turning into anger.

“Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

Alexandra places her purse down on the bed and then folds her arms, keeping her distance from me.

“I fell asleep.”

“You fell asleep?” I repeat, gritting my teeth. “Where exactly did you fall asleep?”

“On Beau’s bed,” she rushes, shaking her head. “It’s not what you think. I was in so much pain when I hit the door. I felt so dizzy, so I sat down. It was worse when I tried to get up, so Beau suggested I lie down. It wasn’t a concussion or anything, just pain and maybe the time difference that made me fall asleep. Look, I know it sounds weird, but it’s the truth. Why would I lie?”

A slight growl expels from my lips as my fist clenches, resting beside my leg. A burning sensation spreads across my chest while I try to process what she just told me. She fell asleep in some college kid's bed and didn’t have the decency to call or respond to the numerous text messages I sent.

As if I mean nothing.

“Exactly what did you see inside the room which made you turn around so fast you crashed into the door.”

“Beau, being Beau.” She tries to laugh it off. “A girl was pleasuring him.”

The anger seeps through my veins. So, she saw him getting off with another girl and then fell asleep in his bed? My teeth clench as my jaw writhes in pain.

“Am I supposed to believe you just fell asleep in another guy's bed?” I question with a raised voice. “I was worried about you!”

“I’m sorry,” she shouts in return. “God, I didn’t sleep with him. Don’t you trust me? Not that it would matter since we never agreed to be exclusive. How is that even possible when you’re fucking married!”

“Alexandra,” I warn, averting my gaze.

“No. Don’t Alexandra me. You can think whatever the hell you want to think,” she argues with blazing eyes. “I don’t have to answer you. You don’t own me. No one owns me. You are not my boyfriend.”

She grabs her purse in a huff.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

Her lips press together thoughtfully. “Anywhere but here.”

The door slams behind her, and just like a knife through the heart, reality has shown me the truth.

I’ve fallen in love with her.

And none of it matters because in less than six months, someone needs to be pregnant with my baby.

Or else … I’m left with nothing.