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Judas grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up, leaving her feet swinging aimlessly. She was a mess. Her blonde hair was mussed, her strong face blotchy. Her little act of defiance had caused her tits to be exposed.
“That was one of the most idiotic things I’ve ever seen someone do,” Judas admonished.
“Truss her up and then get her into the trunk, we can drop her off personally,” Judas ordered before tossing her halfway across the room.
I didn’t get to see where or how he landed. Judas had grabbed my hand and commanded Romeo to follow us out of the room before she hit the ground.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
When is the first day of the rest of your life? Can we pick any random date and decide or is it brought on by something special? Was it the second Judas came back or when I decided to reign by his side?
Maybe it had nothing to do with Judas, my father, or anyone else. We’re the masters of our own fates, aren’t we? Every choice we make has a positive or negative consequence. I was taking a risk by marrying someone as dangerous and volatile as Judas Barron, but it was my risk to take.
I smoothed my hands over the skirt of my gown and admired myself in the large, mirror of the venue’s dressing room.
I think I wanted to be buried in it.
The ivory-hued dress was a decadent mix of ivy-inspired lace and frosted, floral appliqués that clung to me in an off-shoulder bodice that allowed my brand new tattoo to be on full display.
“You look so beautiful,” Maisie enthused, situating my diamond tiara on top of my head. Judas and I had agreed wearing an actual crown would be tacky.
She was one to talk. It looked as if she’d just come from a runway to my wedding.
“Thanks to you.”
“You’re barely wearing makeup.” She smiled at me in the mirror, and it was so clear to see that Evie being gone had lifted a weight off her shoulders. She looked more carefree and happier.
“Step in,” Audrey urged, crouching down with my heels to help me into them.
I lifted my skirt and slid my feet into the shoes, growing by a few inches once they were on.
“Thanks.”
She waved me off and stood up, looking stunning in her dress too. All five of my bridesmaids were wearing different variations of a deep red gown to go with our color scheme.
The heavy oak door swung open just enough that Brianna and Gemma could squeeze through. Gem smiled brightly at me, appearing as if she was seconds away from crying.
In her hands was a long thin box. She hadn’t had it a bit ago so that must’ve been what she left to get.
“Your something blue,” she explained as she walked towards me.
Her dainty, painted fingers lifted the lid to reveal a silver necklace with a teardrop-shaped topaz and a singularly large diamond set in the center of a heart.
“Your dad wanted you to have something of your mother’s. I picked the setting.”
I studied the necklace, fighting back the urge to cry. Maisie would never recover if I ruined her careful efforts.
“That’s so sweet,” Audrey murmured.
I met Gemma’s eyes and tried to speak words she could understand without being insulting, having heard lipreading wasn’t always the easiest thing for her to do.
“Thank you, Gem. It’s gorgeous.”
She smiled and took the necklace out of the box. “Would you like to wear it? I can put it on you.”
“Yes.” I went to gather up my hair and was quickly thwarted by Maisie.
“Hey! I got it, don’t touch it.” She gently knocked my hands away and carefully gathered the perfectly created loose waves.
Her mom gave her a look.
“What? We can’t all be as flawless as you.”
Gemma pulled the necklace from the box and quickly got it on me. Not even two seconds later the door opened again, and Nova stuck her head in. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but it’s time for the first look.”
I hadn’t been nervous this entire day until she uttered those words. A collective silence went around the room until they all pretty much shoved me out into the hall so they could finish the final touches on themselves.
“You look so good!” Nova squealed excitedly. “Wait until he sees you.”
“Has Rhys seen you?”
She laughed and pointed to her side braid. “This was in an updo earlier, remember?”
“Guess that answers my question then.”
“Men,” she joked.
I followed her through the elaborate halls of our venue, away from all the hustle and bustle of guests arriving and our concierge directing the circus, to where Judas would be waiting for me. This had been his idea when I declared he wasn’t seeing me the night before our wedding because I was spending it being pampered with the girls.
Nova slowed near a pair of double doors that were wedged open and nodded with her head for me to go in.
