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He grins now. “Oh, I like it. She has teeth now. How cute. I’m glad you’ve steeled up that spine of yours. The last time we talked, you were a weeping, pathetic mess. At least you aren’t crying this time.”
I clench my hands into tight fists. What would happen if I punched him in the face?
“And I’m far worse than a bully. I’m a monster, sweetheart, and I will destroy you without even blinking if you try to fuck any of this up. I’d much rather be the person who does the stepping than be the one who gets stepped on. So far, things have been working out just fine for me. He waves at the room and the opulent furnishings.
“Yeah, I’m sure life for you has been fucking peachy,” I growl, barely recognizing the venom in my own voice. “It says so many wonderful things about you when you take your anger and frustration out on your son. Hoping that one day he will turn into a version of you. News flash, he did. A better version. A man I’d be proud to take as a husband, but only when we decide to do it on our own, and not when we’re forced at the hand of some psychopath.”
Drew’s father holds his hands wide and smiles a slimy smile. “Well, in a perfect world, sure, but you can thank your bastard brother for forcing our hands. If he didn’t make such stupid choices, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
He reaches out to touch my face, and I jerk back, stumbling. Drew’s there, his chest against my back, keeping me upright. I can feel the anger rolling off him, the energy in the room laced with malice and intent.
The mention of Sebastian has me on pins and needles. I know he’s part of the plan, but I can’t determine in what way.
“Stop bickering with each other. Can we get this done and over with so I can get out of this fucking suit?” Drew says over my shoulder. “Shall we?”
Drew’s dad smiles, and this time, I have nothing to say to stall things further. Fear of the unknown slithers up my spine. I glance back at Drew, hoping to see something, anything that might give me a hint on how far this is going to go, but there’s nothing to be seen. His mask is firmly in place.
He won’t actually follow through with marrying me, will he?
33
DREW
Ican feel Bel’s eyes on me, but I don’t budge. The slightest change in my demeanor could cost me the entire plan. While I want to soothe her worries, I can’t risk messing up. Instead, I look anywhere but at her.
I lock eyes on Richard, the officiant, who looks bored. He’s mastered the indifferent smirk most of us learn from childhood, but there’s something about the way he clenches and unclenches his hand in his coat.
I’m more aware of my surroundings than most people think. To others, his demeanor might seem normal, but he hasn’t even bothered to remove his hands from his pockets. It’s almost like he’s waiting for something to happen. Like he’s going to make a run for it the second his duty is done.
We move into position, and I wonder if he’s here voluntarily or if my father coerced him in some way. I also wonder if he’ll be an ally the second I put a bullet in my father’s head or a hindrance. I’m grappling with the idea of killing one person. The idea of killing two feels exhausting.
Then there’s Bel. I fear her seeing me so cold-blooded will just give her another reason to walk away, and it kills me. A person can say they understand all they want, but there’s a huge difference between saying and doing something, between watching a bullet enter someone's brain, and watching life leave their eyes, and simply saying you’re going to kill them.
My father steps behind me, and I remain as still as a statue, hoping he isn’t close enough to feel the imprint of the gun at my back. I nearly sigh with relief when his hand clamps down on my shoulder, his fingers digging hard into my flesh.
I barely restrain snarling at him as the pain from his grip ripples across my shoulder. He needs to take his fucking hands off me in the next three seconds or this is all over.
When he steps away to my right and waves at Richard, I breathe out a long exhale. “No point in dragging out the inevitable, so let’s go. I have plans this evening that I don’t want to miss.”
Which is code for I have a woman I’m waiting to fuck. Fucking asshole.
Richard lets out a sigh, then tugs an index card from his pocket, his gaze dancing between Bel and myself. “I guess we should make it official, then. I took the liberty of truncating the ceremony so we don’t have to waste anyone’s time.”
I assume on my father’s order, but I keep my mouth shut. We’re getting closer to the finish line. All I need is a clear shot. The second he cuts in front of me, I’ll end him. Right here. Right now. My only regret in all of this will be dragging Bel into this mess, but there wasn’t any other option. I just hope she can forgive me afterward. This isn’t going to be easy to witness.
The weight of my choices weighs on me. Hurry. I want this to end. I need it to end. My nerves are fried, and I’m barely keeping myself standing upright. The sound of shuffling feet over marble meets my ears, and then the closed office doors fly open, slamming against the wall.
Both Bel and myself startle at the intrusion. The goons my father usually has circling him like vultures stalk forward, two of them dragging a very pissed-off Sebastian. He thrashes his body back and forth, one of them nearly losing their grip on him. Fuck. The tension in my chest makes it hard for me to breathe, and I risk glancing at Bel, who looks fearfully between Sebastian and myself.
As if that’s not enough, a third guard comes stalking in behind them, his hand clamped tight around a man I recognize immediately. My mother’s old doctor. The one I went to the hospital to get answers from.
What the hell is he doing here?
He wasn’t a part of the plan. At least not my plan.
The guards release Sebastian with a shove, and he falls to the ground a few feet away from us. He’s pushing up off the floor and onto his feet in seconds. There’s no fear in his eyes when he makes a rush at the guard nearest him. The hulking giant gets him in a headlock, his thick muscled arm wrapped tight around his neck. “Give me a reason, pretty boy. I hate rich little assholes like you. It would be my pleasure to relieve the world of one more entitled rich kid.”
Sebastian’s deadly gaze finds mine as he claws at the man’s forearm. I give my head a little shake, trying to ward him off. We might still be able to salvage this, but only if he keeps it together.
