Page 100 of Wretched Heart
“Alice, you trained us from an early age not to use thatterm of endearment,” Ash reminds her. “Forgetting you’re in any way related to us has become second nature.”
Alice’s abandonment of her three young sons has been her dirty secret for the last twenty-eight years. On the rare occasion she allowed us near her, she never acknowledged our relationship, even in front of her staff.
I lean forward. “We don’t think of you that way. We haven’t for a long time. Give it up.”
“Just like you gave us up,” Mace adds.
Alice’s eyes narrow. “Hello, Mason. Aren’t you going to show your face and talk to me?” she asks. She’s softened her tone, but it would be a mistake to think it’s born from gentleness. Of the three of us, her bond with Mace is the weakest, and she’s goading him to get a reaction. Mace had been a baby when she left, and by the time he learned to talk, Alice wasn’t even a memory he could latch onto.
He doesn’t take the bait. Our brother stays in the shadows where he’s most comfortable.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Ash says impatiently.
Alice sets back her shoulders. “Fine. I wanted to speak to the three of you because I think it’s time we joined efforts instead of–”
“Sorry to interrupt,” says Ash. “But you seem to be under the misapprehension that we’re here to listen to you. We called this meeting, and I hate to break it to you, but your favorite child is in a shit load of trouble.”
Alice’s eye twitches. “What do you mean? What have you done to Barrett?” she asks, making all the expected assumptions. Her youngest was spawned from her second, more lucrative marriage. And if there’s trouble, she assumes we’re the cause.
My neck cords. “We haven’t done anything to him, yet,” I say. “Do you know where he is?”
Alice picks up her cell phone and checks for messages. “He should be in New York. I had hoped to bring him into the meeting, but that wasn’t possible when you switched the location to Chicago. He has important matters to attend to that couldn’t wait.” She looks up. “Why? Where are you?”
“Do you know what was so urgent?” asks Ash, ignoring her question.
From the tilt of my brother’s eyebrows, Alice can tell he knows something she doesn’t. “No. Should I?” she asks. The clipped, impersonal tone she assumes is one we’re all familiar with.
“Barrett was waiting for a delivery,” I explain. I sip my whiskey to loosen my clenched jaw. “That delivery was my wife.”
Alice blinks twice. “The Corbyn girl?”
My mother can be as conniving and two-faced as her son, but her surprise is genuine. Ray was telling the truth. Barrett hadn’t included our mother in his plans.
“What on earth doesshewant from my son?” she asks.
There’s movement directly behind me, and Maddie’s face appears on screen as she leans over my seat. “I didn’t want anything from that slimy toad!” she says. “He ordered Ray Forsyth to take me against my will, and sent your private jet to pick me up. Apparently, he’s under the impression our previous agreement should still be honored. I’d suggest Barrett looks up the definition ofhonor. Sleeping with a hooker and gloating about destroying my company just before our wedding day didn’t look very honorable to me.”
“Maddison–” Alice begins.
“My name’s Maddie, or you can call me Mrs. Hunter Griffin,” she says. “But hey, given I’m married to one of your sons, do I get to call you mother now?”
Alice ignores the sniggering from Mace. “Asher, I don’t know what kind of game this girl is playing, but I can assure you that my son wouldn’t stoop so low as to invite her back into his life.”
“Watch your mouth when you talk about my wife,” I warn. “In fact, why don’t you keep it closed and listen for a while.”
A second later, the mute icon appears on Alice’s video feed as Mace silences her for the next stage of our plan. Behind me, Reid’s hand appears as he passes Ray’s cell to Maddie. Now we just need Barrett to play his part.
We hear a ringing tone as Maddie puts the call on speaker.
“What the fuck is going on, Ray! You were supposed to call me an hour ago!”
Maddie’s body stiffens and her expression twists with the fear she needs Barrett to believe is real. It might be an act, but I still reach over my shoulder to take her hand.
Her voice quakes when she says, “Barrett? What– What’s happening? Ray dragged me from my house. He tied me up… I’m scared.”
There’s a hiss down the line, a mixture of relief and annoyance. “It’s your lucky day, Maddison. I’m taking you back.”
On the silent screen, Alice’s body jerks. Her mouth is moving, and I can read her lips just enough to know she’s trying to warn Barrett that it’s a trap.
