The Invincible Mystic Master

Chapter 008

Will forced himself to concentrate.

He'd only just met his fiancée, and already things had become far more intimate than he'd ever expected. This was certainly not how he'd imagined their first day together.

Even under the sleepbinding spell, Summer occasionally stirred and made soft, uncomfortable sounds. Will had to work hard to ignore the distractions while he drew the remaining drug from her system.

Downstairs, the motel clerk heard noises through the walls and shook her head in amazement. Two hours had passed, and the sounds still hadn't stopped.

“Good Lord,” she muttered. “That guy's got stamina.”

Upstairs, Will finally wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Done.”

After two exhausting hours, he'd managed to purge the drug's effects. Summer was sleeping normally at last. Concerned that she might have another reaction, he stayed beside the bed to watch over her.

Before long, exhaustion caught up with him, and he fell asleep with his head resting on the mattress.

A splash of icy water woke him the next morning.

Will jerked upright to find Summer standing over him with an empty pitcher and a furious expression.

“What the hell was that for?” he demanded.

“You disgusting bastard!” she snapped.

Will looked at her, then at the room, and understood.

“Oh, come on. You're getting the wrong idea. Arthur drugged you at the Velvet Room. I got you out of there and brought you here because you needed treatment.”

He pointed at the bed.

“If I hadn't stepped in, Arthur would have taken advantage of you.”

Fragments of the previous night returned to Summer. His explanation matched what little she remembered. She'd also checked herself that morning. Apart from some missing clothing and a few hazy memories, there was no sign that he'd done what she feared.

She believed him, at least partly.

That didn't make the thought of him seeing her undressed any less infuriating.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Will said, reaching for the papers he'd set aside. “I got the agreement you wanted.”

Summer took the contract and read it carefully. The more she examined it, the wider her eyes grew.

Arthur had really signed.

Perhaps Will could help her save Morton Group after all.

Will caught the change in her expression.

“I've held up my end. What about yours?”

Summer pressed her lips together, considering her options.

“All right. I'll marry you, but there are conditions. I'm my father's only child, and I won't be leaving the Morton family. If we get married, you'll live with me and become part of my household.”

Will thought it over. He had no family of his own to speak of, almost no possessions, and nowhere he particularly needed to be. Living at the Morton estate would hardly be a sacrifice.

More importantly, marrying Summer was supposed to help him escape his foretold death.

“Fine by me.”

“Don't agree so quickly,” Summer said. “There's also a prenup.”

She began laying out her terms. Will would handle cooking, laundry, and the other chores. He wouldn't interfere in her private affairs. He wouldn't touch her without permission. She went on until she'd listed nearly twenty restrictions.

Will could barely believe what he was hearing.

*Whatever happened to an equal partnership? Is this a marriage or a lifetime employment contract?*

But Blind Crowe's warning echoed in his mind. If a little humiliation was what it took to survive, so be it.

“All right,” he said through gritted teeth. “I agree.”

They signed the prenup and went to the county courthouse, where they completed the paperwork and got married.

When they emerged, Will held their marriage certificate and a notarized agreement containing more rules than he cared to count. His new life was beginning to look awfully complicated.

Summer, meanwhile, appeared perfectly composed. If anything, she seemed less like a blushing bride than a woman who had just acquired a very obedient live-in assistant.

“Come on,” she said. “Drive me to work.”

Will stared at her. Somehow, getting married had transformed the proud young executive into an outright queen.

Still, he couldn't refuse. Chauffeur duties were apparently covered by the agreement.

They were on the road when Summer's phone rang.

“Ms. Morton!” a frantic voice said the instant she answered. “You need to get to the office. We've got a serious problem!”

“What happened?”

“The Lillard Group just announced it's terminating all business dealings with us. They've even convinced several of our suppliers to stop delivering materials!”

Summer went rigid.

Their companies worked together on much more than one project. A complete break would cripple Morton Group's operations.

She turned sharply toward Will.

“What happened last night? Did you do something to Arthur?”

“Me? No,” Will replied innocently.

*All I did was make him swallow the Hellfire Worm. That hardly counts as starting a fight, does it?*

Summer gripped her phone.

“He signed the agreement. It's right here in black and white. If they break it, they'll owe us damages. How can he think he can get away with this?”

The answer came to her almost at once. The Lillards could afford the penalties. Morton Group, on the other hand, couldn't afford to lose their business and supplies. The contract offered far less protection than she'd hoped.

“This is your fault!” she snapped. “You've made everything worse!”

Will shrugged.

“It's just Arthur Lillard. Why are you acting like the world's ending?”

“Just Arthur Lillard?” Summer rounded on him. “A hundred men like you couldn't match his influence, and you're standing there acting like he's nobody. If I can't fix this, you and I are going to have a serious problem.”

She stormed away as soon as they reached the office.

Will watched her go, baffled.

*I saved you, and I'm the one getting blamed?*

Summer didn't have time to think about her new husband. The moment she entered the Morton Group offices, she found Joel and several other relatives waiting in a conference room, their faces set with grim satisfaction.

Her stomach sank. They'd been looking for an excuse to force her out, and Arthur had just handed them one.

“Wonderful work, Summer,” Joel said sarcastically. “The Lillards are canceling their contracts. Care to explain what you're going to do about it?”

“You've had your chance,” another relative said. “Hand over control before you destroy the company.”

They crowded around her, demanding she resign.

Summer slammed her palm onto the conference table.

“I'll deal with this,” she said. “I'll get those agreements restored.”

Joel smiled coldly.

“Then let's make it simple. Get the Lillards to sign again, or surrender your position and your authority.”

Summer bit her lip. With no other way to hold them off, she nodded.

Joel threw back his head and laughed as he led the others out.