There was no denying what was at stake. It wasn’t just about me—it was about my whole family. Their safety and security, their ability to continue forward with the business and their livelihoods. Stefan and Luka had wives to care for, babies on the way…
If I agreed to let the Malones clear this debt, the sins of my father could finally be washed away.
“Once the debt is paid, we’ll be done with them forever?” I asked.
“Forever,” Ford’s mother promised. “But only if you walk away after a year.”
I could feel my heart shattering, knowing that I was going to have to choose between my family and Ford. But it was no choice at all.
“Fine,” I said. “You have a deal.”
I’d stick to the original plan. A year of marriage with Ford, and then I’d say goodbye.
I’d never seen my mother-in-law look so happy. If she smiled any more broadly, she’d probably ruin her Botox.
“You’ve made the right decision,” she said. Then she waved her hand, indicating that I was dismissed.
Beyond devastated, I left the library.
Less than fifteen minutes ago, I’d felt like I was on top of the world. Like a new chapter in my life was about to begin—a chapter I’d be sharing with Ford.
Now, I knew that my happiness had an expiration date. One year from today.
Instead of going to find Ford, I went to another room in the house to hide. I didn’t want anyone to see what a wreck I was. A bride shouldn’t be so sad right before her wedding, after all.
Emzee
Chapter 27
“You look perfect,” my sisters-in-law cooed.
I looked in the mirror and tried to see the beautiful, blushing bride behind the thinly veiled unhappiness I saw in my reflection.
My head ached. It was half due to the stress of that morning, and half due to the elaborate hairstyle now constructed on the top of my head with about five thousand bobby pins pinching my scalp in order to keep it in place. Soft tendrils fell down my back, so it was the best of both worlds; Ford could touch my hair all he wanted, and my updo would still look sophisticated.
But inside, I was dying.
I knew Tori and Brooklyn were doing their best to make this the most magical day of my life, and I couldn’t bear to break their hearts by telling them definitively that this whole arrangement was definitely going to be ending in a year.
Still, the hair and makeup artists they had hired had done amazing work. Ididlook perfect, even though I felt terrible. My request to rock my signature winged eyeliner had been honored, my cheeks glowed with just a hint of rosy pink, my lashes were thick, and my lips were subtly glossed. Even my eyebrows were a fucking work of art. All that was left to do was put my dress on. It was hanging behind the door, still in its garment bag, another reminder of the bond that had formed between me and my fiancé.
I couldn’t look at that dress without thinking about how he had snuck into the bridal salon so the two of us could have a quickie in the dressing room, the Blue employees and my sisters-in-law just a few feet away down the hall. It had been wonderful and hot and unexpected.
Exactly like Ford.
I felt tears building up, a tightening in my throat, but I knew the last thing I could do right now was cry. I couldn’t ruin my makeup and I couldn’t let my sisters-in-law think that anything was wrong. No one could know about the deal I had made with my in-laws.
I’d thought briefly about telling my brothers, asking for their advice, but I quickly squashed that idea. I knew what they would say. They’d tell me to follow my heart and reject what the Malones were offering—that the Zoric family took care of its own, exhibiting exactly the kind of Eastern European machismo they’d been raised to embody, for better or worse.
But the truth was, we desperately needed the Malones to bail us out. They were the only people who could square our debts, protect us from the Bratva’s threats and violence, prevent our family’s reputation from plummeting again, and keep Danica Rose Management from going out of business. With wives and families to support, my brothers needed DRM to be a success. I couldn’t sit by and let the Bratva destroy the legacy my brothers had worked so hard to rebuild.
“Is everything okay?” Tori asked, leaning down to look at me in the mirror. “You’re stressing. I can tell by that tiny little line you get between your brows.”
“I’m great,” I said, forcing a smile. “Just nerves.”
“We get it,” Tori said. “But the day’s going to pass by so fast, you’ll barely have time to be nervous once everything starts. I promise.”
“Tori’s right,” Brooklyn said. “It really does go by in the blink of an eye.”
