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“I think what you meant to say was until death do us part,” the smug bastard says. “After all, you’re the one who proposed to me. And as much as I would have enjoyed spilling a little more Reaper blood in that alley, I do appreciate how easy you made it on us. I’ll even forgive you for all the time we wasted chasing after your little sister before we figured out thatyouwere the one getting all the Sutherland money.”
He moves closer. Close enough that if I wasn’t so fucking weak I could headbutt him in the balls.
I flex my arms, pulling against whatever it is they tied me with as I imagine doing it, but even that makes my muscles feel shaky. I glare at him instead of crying, and he leans down until I can feel his breath on my face.
“Maddoc Gray is a fucking idiot.”
His men laugh on cue, and I bite my tongue to keep from spitting out how much better of a man Maddoc is than him.
I can’t. Not while I’m weak and at West Point’s mercy like this.
But I can tell Austin reads it on my face anyway by the way his smug smile suddenly drops, a flash of rage breaking through as he reaches for my face again.
This time, he digs his fingers into my chin so I can’t jerk away.
“He had you living with him for what, weeks? Months? And all that time he thought you were fucking worthless... or else only worth fucking.”
I refuse to give him the reaction he’s looking for, and he drops his hand and straightens up, throwing his arms out like he’s putting on a show for his minions. “Wefigured it out, though. It’s why we were there to snatch you as soon as you signed that shit that made you actually worth something. You don’t think that makes Gray an idiot? He had his chance to get his hands on all that Sutherland money you just inherited, but nowI’mgonna be the one to benefit.”
One of his goons grumbles something under his breath, and Austin’s eyes flash with that sadistic rage that lives inside him again before he quickly masks it and grins magnanimously at his men. “I mean, West Point will benefit. West Point… and all of Halston.”
They all laugh, and I fucking hate the smug way he gloats. But that’s not important. Nothing he says is important. The only thing that matters is that I got them to drive away without hurting Chloe or the Reapers.
West Point had too much firepower, and we had no way out of that alley. All the people who matter to me would likely have died if I hadn’t voluntarily come with Austin… and I’d do it again in a heartbeat, no matter what hateful things he tries to taunt me with now.
I think of the calm facade Maddoc always projects to his crew, the blank mask Logan wears like a shield, the way Dante disguises his killer instincts behind warmth and charm. I remember having each one of them inside me, and I use that to pull my own armor on, drawing on everything they mean to me.
Austin narrows his eyes at me, but this time, I don’t give him anything.
“Pick her up,” he snaps to his goons, turning away and stalking across the room.
The guy who carried me in here yanks me roughly to my feet, holding me steady as my legs try to crumple again. I hate that I appreciate it, but I do. There’s no fucking way I want to let myself look weak right now, even if those damn drugs they gave me mean it’s still true.
I blink a few times in an effort to get the room to come into clearer focus as I try to remember how long it took Chloe to shake off the effects of the drugs they used on her after we got her back from that West Point safe house.
Actually, that doesn’t matter. And not just because I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but because Austin heads my way again, but this time, I can see clearly enough to make out the guy he brings with him.
More importantly, I can see the distinctive collar around his neck.
He’s a fucking priest.
“Ready to say some vows, baby?” Austin asks, rubbing his hands together like some kind of cartoon villain.
I press my lips together tightly, knowing I can’t say no even though my stomach flips at the thought of pledginganythingto this man. But I knew this was the end game. It shouldn’t feel like such a shock even if I didn’t realize it would happen this fast, because of course Austin isn’t going to waste any time. All he wants is my inheritance, and marrying me is how he’ll gain access to it.
The priest doesn’t even look at me, and he sure as shit doesn’t pull out a bible. “This is your fiancée, Mr. McKenna?”
“This is her,” Austin says with a sadistic grin, tunneling his fingers through the back of my hair and digging them into my scalp as he yanks me forward. “Let’s get on with it.”
The priest glances down at the paper he’s holding. A marriage certificate. “Do you take Riley Suth—”
“Sutton,” Austin cuts in, snatching the certificate from his hands and glaring at one of his minions. “Pen?”
The guy fumbles one out of a pocket and hands it over. Austin scribbles a quick correction on the form, then thrusts it back at the priest. “Yeah, Father. ItakeRiley Sutton to be my wife.” He smirks, then winks at me. “Your turn now, baby.”
My stomach clenches tight and I glare at him, my heart trying to pound its way through my chest.
“And you, Ms. Sutton?” the priest asks me in a flat voice, not making any effort at all to pretend this “ceremony” has anything to do with love or what I actually want. “Do you take Austin McKenna as your lawfully married husband?”
