But now he was out, and she had run out of time.
Desmond Morton was a disgusting criminal disguised as a successful businessman; and not the kind that Miriam read about in her secret obsession with romance books.
He was weak, pathetic, slimy, repulsive, and a coward because his victims were women and children.For everything else, he sent his goons to do his dirty work.
Reclaiming her?
He never had her in the first place.Her skin crawled at the thought of breathing the same air as him, of him touching her.He was the worst kind of human being to ever exist.
But he’d dangled something in her face that had been more important to her than anything else in the world.And then showed her a marriage license.All she had to do was marry him, and he would give her what she wanted.He’d told her he could make her fall in love with him.She would rather eat hot coals.
He was obsessed with her.
She couldn’t stand a strand of hair on his head, long before she knew what a despicable man he was.
It still pained her immensely that she had fallen for his proposition.But at that point, she thought he’d been harmless, infatuated with her, and he promised her that one thing—that one priceless thing—that had once belonged to her father and should have been hers but was now his through a cruel twist of fate.
Her father had just died, dammit.She’d been desperate, vulnerable, and stupid, and like the snake he was, he swooped in and promised her he would give back what he took from her father if she met his conditions.
She had to marry him, and on the night of their honeymoon, he would give her the item back.All she wanted was to feel that precious possession in her hands again.
During their engagement, she was forced to attend an array of social events with him.There were images of her still lurking around on the internet where they were pictured together, with his hand on her lower back and the smile on her face undeniably fake.
She gave him millions of dollars to get out of debt.And she used that as a bargaining tool—that he could only kiss and touch her on the night they got married.It bought her some time.All she wanted was what he’d had of her father’s.
They’d gotten married.The night of their honeymoon, which she paid for, rolled up, and he got arrested right there in the hotel room, straight from their reception.She had still been wearing a white silk dress that she hated and chose, especially for the occasion.
For the next three years, he played with her.Holding that possession over her head and knowing she would do anything to have it back.And then, one day, she decided he wasn’t going to do that to her anymore.
She wasn’t going to give him that power over her anymore.She divorced him because it was clear he was never going to give her back what belonged to her.
“Adrienne, where are you?I’m sending over a few bodyguards.They’re some of the best.”
“I don’t need any protection from anyone.I’m fine.I’m going where no one will ever find me.Trust me.”
"Adrienne, you need some sort of protection.You can’t be alone.Stop being so stubborn.”
“Peter, thank you for looking out for me.But I’m fine.I’m not afraid of him, and I won’t hesitate to shoot his balls off if he comes within a breath of me.”
Peter groaned on the other side of the line, but he knew better.Maybe she was being silly.But she wasn’t going to let him think she was scared of him.
“You don’t even own a gun.”
“I’ll get one.”
“You don’t understand.There’s talk he’s going to kidnap you.He has it all arranged.I have this from a reliable source.His inmate is also my informant.Please, listen to me.When you divorced him, you turned the tables.He’s out to get you back and if he can’t, he’s going to kill you.
“Whoever his allies are now, they go over everyone’s head.Do you understand what I’m saying?Whoever he’s working for now, has given him an army.He’s untouchable.Not even the law can get to him now.He can do anything he likes to you.”
She sighed.
“Look, my informant said he plans on keeping you in some dungeon in Brazil.He said how you deprived him of...of fucking you and he was going to get his fill before he puts you in a cage.Are you listening to me?You need protection because Desmond Morton is coming for you.You need protection.”
“I won’t be home, Peter.I’m leaving for an undisclosed location.No one is going to find me.”
“Jesus, Adrienne.Tell me where you’re going so I can send them to you.You won’t even know they’re there.They’re highly professional, ex-SEALs and will respect your space.I trust them with my life.Please.I need to know you’ll be safe.”
“When am I going to be truly rid of this man, Peter?”
