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“When the ti,” Maddux said

“Okay, so Arabella overheard,” Te back to the conversation at hand “That still doesn’t explain why she’s here and Theodore is a free man”

“He’s not a free ainst his desk “I still own him His three-million-dollar debt and all his assets, and now, his only child and daughter, which was a deliberate and calculated choice I made”

“Really?” Hunter asked, his tone edged with disbelief

“Yes, really” Maddux sent Hunter an impatient look “Once Theodore realized he was now indebted to me, he nearly had a heart attack—”

“Too bad the fucker didn’t die,” Hunter interrupted bitterly

Maddux continued “With her father’s health at risk, it was Arabella who ju off of her father And it was a split-second decision based on the fact that Arabella’s offer nearly pushed Theodore over the edge So, I agreed, knowing it would eat away at the old hter, which seemed like a nice bonus at the time”

Gripping the edge of the desk with his hands, he glanced fros over “Look, I know this wasn’t the plan, but it’s the way it turned out and I’ to play the situation with Arabella by ear for now But make noshot I’ll give hi here with me, and

even after I decide to give her back, I still have every intention of taking hi him for the corrupt, ile one of his assets, and when his illegal activities coht, his reputation and his life won’t be worth shit This doesn’t change anything”

“No, it just delays it” Hunter’s caustic tone cah loud and clear

“Hunter—”

Hunter held up a hand to cut off Maddux as he pushed to his feet, his gaze narrowed “Look, you do whatever you need to do with Cole’s daughter Play your little cat-and-odda head on straight and finish what Theodore started”

Beyond irate at his brother’s choices when they’d had a specific plan, Hunter storer in the kitchen, which was a good thing, because he probably would have had a few choice words for her And despite howtheir parents, Maddux had assured him and Tempest that Arabella had no idea about her father’s criminal past, the massive amounts of people he’d swindled out of money, and the few he’d actually murdered

Hunter needed to calht now, he had to trust that Maddux knehat he was doingand that the outcome would still result in Theodore’s financial, mental, and emotional downfall

Chapter 8