Ronan
Iroll over and lift my arms over my head. A smile stretches my lips. But when I glance over at the side of the bed where my new bride was sleeping, it’s empty and already cold.
I sit up and see that one of the suitcases I dragged up for her is open so she must have gotten clothes and gone downstairs.
Standing, I pace over to the dresser and grab some jeans and a henley sweater. Then after a quick brush of my hair and teeth, I run down the steps, coming to a screeching halt when I see Howard and Marian sitting at my table. And no Kat in sight.
“What the hell are you two idiots doing in my house?”
“Is that any way to talk to your cousin?” Marian growls, glaring at me.
“Absolutely. You don’t have a key to my house and I don’t remember letting you in, so what the hell are you doing in my house?”
Howard leans back and smirks. “I think what you really want to know is what happened to your little bride?”
“If you touched her, I’ll kill you, Howard. After I sue your ass and take everything you’ve got.”
Marian huffs again. “Why the hell would he touch your little tramp?”
My eyes turn to her and I glare at her until she wilts under my heated stare. “I swear Marian. Call her that again and see what happens.”
“You wouldn’t strike a woman.”
“I wouldn’t strike a lady. I don’t see one in here.”
“Just chill out, cousin.” Howard stands and prances across the floor, touching my things again. Just enough to make me want to scrub everything in the place. I can’t stand him touching my things. And that goes for my wife. “All I did was tell her why you wanted to marry her.”
“Because I love her? I bet that didn’t cross your smarmy little lips, Howard.”
“Please. We all know you’re basically just using her as a brood mare.”
Marian snorts. “I can see why you’d like her. She’s got farm woman hips. She should be able to squeeze out a ton of little brats. And of course cut your cousin out.”
“Ah.” I nod my head. “That’s the problem. Worried you’re not going to get my money or my company that I worked my ass off for. Well, you won’t. One way or another I’m going to find another way to break the damn will. You’re not getting a dime after the way you abused my wife, and I can tell you did, so you might as well go home.”
“I came for a visit, Ronan. Surely, you can offer your only family left house room for a week or two?”
Marian glares at me and crosses her arms over her bony chest. But I see a slight hint of fear behind her cold gray eyes. It makes me fucking ecstatic.
“Not even for an hour. I’m going to find my wife and try to convince her that she means more to me than the money.” I point a finger at the two of them. “And you two better be gone when I bring her home or I’m calling the sheriff to get rid of your ass. I don’t want to see you people again. I’ll make sure that my father’s will gets broken. I’ve already got people working on it. The marriage was just a back-up idea until I met Kat. Then I knew I loved her. So she really has nothing to do with the will. My attorney already thinks he can break it on a technicality. So don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. I’ve got a year to come up with a plan. You’ve got minutes to get out of here before I have you arrested. See you, cousin. Do be a stranger.”
I stalk out the door and slam it behind me listening to Marian’s angry screech. I really don’t know what Howard sees in her but since he’s an ass, I guess birds of a feather flock together.
I growl and pace down the steps, turning this way and that, trying to figure out which way Kat would go.
And then I see a flash in the trees about half a mile away. My heart pounding and my mouth dry, I walk into the woods, searching for Kat. Ten minutes later, I step out and find Kat in a clearing, her head in her arms, leaning on her bent knees.
“Kat?” I ask softly.
Her head pops up but she won’t look at me. But I see the streaks of tears down her pale cheeks. I run to her. “Oh, baby. Don’t cry. They’re idiots. They don’t know what they’re talking about. They never do.”
Her eyes, pools of shame and hurt, stare up at me. “You mean that you don’t need a baby to keep your company? Because of some dumb will?”
I sigh and slip down to the ground beside her, wincing when she moves away from me so that none of my body touches hers. “Baby girl, the short answer is yes. But there’s a little more to the story than that.”
“Like what?” she asks, her voice breathless.
“Yes, my dad put that in his will. But I’m already researching how to break the will and my attorney thinks I have a damn good shot. My dad didn’t actually own controlling interest in the company so I’m not sure where he got off thinking he could give it away. He only owned twenty-five percent. At the most, Howard would just be an irritation to me. And he sure as hell wouldn’t get all my money. I’m not sure how good his attorney is but apparently not that good if he told them he would.”