23. Margaux
MARGAUX
“ D o they really need to be sitting out in the lobby?” Reina asked.
I stood on the platform looking at myself in the mirror.
“Reina, I don’t think I could talk them out of it if I wanted to. They rented out the whole bridal shop just to make sure I was safe. Anyway, what do you think of this one?”
I had always thought of my wedding as a death sentence, and now that I was here, picking out a dress I wanted, I hated the way my eyes burned.
“I think this is the one, isn’t it?” Reina stood up from the plush chair she’d been sipping wine in. She reached for the train alongside the lady that was helping me.
“Can we try a veil?” Reina asked.
I nodded.
“Actually, the gentlemen out there let me know that whatever dress you choose you’ll need a cathedral length veil and, well, is this the dress?”
She smiled at me warmly, but I was certain it didn’t hurt that this dress cost as much as a car. I looked once more at the mirror and nodded.
I ran my hands down the bodice. The off-the-shoulder sleeves were soft, sheer fabric. The skirt was A-line, falling in layers of sheer fabric with tiny little silky butterflies. I didn’t know why I liked it. Maybe it was something about the idea of finally feeling free.
The lady came back.
“The sleeves can be altered to be removable, and then you can wear this lace bolero. Your fiancée’s family appears to be very traditional.”
Traditional?
I smiled. I supposed mafia families were. Old money families?
“Yes, they are.”
Reina handed me my glass, and I swallowed the rest of the wine in one sip.
“I still can’t believe you’re getting married and not to Carrow the giant asshole. The news has been quiet about your disappearance and the wedding getting called off.”
“Here, let me help you,” the lady said. She helped me down from the pedestal.
“I wouldn’t say called off. They might very well be delusional about the whole thing. It won’t matter soon enough. Once I marry Ronan, they can’t touch my trust, and I will be of no use to them.”
We walked back into the fitting room where I stepped out of the dress.
“I’ll let your fiancée know about the dress. It needs very few alterations, so you’re lucky, we can make the tight timeline.”
Reina snorted.
“You’d make the timeline no matter what. I know that little horde of men out there is paying you three times what the dress is worth to make sure she gets everything she wants. So don’t act all Mother Teresa about it.”
I licked my lips as I tried to hide the amusement.
“Right. Sorry, miss. Please finish getting dressed and call me if you need anything.”
She took the dress, zipped it up in a bag, and walked out. I looked at Reina as I grabbed the skirt I’d worn here.
“Does Uncle know about your new style?” she asked.
I rolled my eyes.
“Have you heard if he knows where I am yet? It feels like it’s been years. A part of me wants to go back to get a couple of things that mattered to me, but the other part of me doesn’t want anything from my old life.”
Reina reached for my tank top and handed it to me.
“I don’t know honestly. Daddy hasn’t been home much lately. I’m sure he’s figured out where you aren’t. Carrow called me though. In fact, he’s called me every day since you disappeared.”
I pulled on the shirt that went over the tank top.
The skirt was short, the top tight, and everything about it was just me.
The guys liked it. Ronan and Knox said I couldn’t leave their sight dressed like this, but Jett and Talon?
They were far too appreciative of the outfit to care.
I wasn’t sure what style this was, but it had been in the piles of clothing from the store Jett had ordered from.
The wedding dress had been the first purchase I’d ever picked out for myself, and I stood there for another minute letting it all sit in.
“Alright. Not even that can ruin this moment. What did he have to say?”
Reina took out her phone, tapped on the screen, and then tossed it my way.
“When I stopped answering, he started texting. You can look.”
One text after another got shorter and angrier.
“Has he ever heard you catch more flies with honey?”
She took the phone back.
“Don’t think so. I also don’t think he’s ever heard the word no,” Reina said, pushing me to the door.
“Don’t tell them about Carrow’s?—”
I stopped dead in my tracks, Reina running into my back as the door opened and four angry glares stared back.
“Don’t tell us what?” Knox asked.
“Why are you guys back here?” I asked in return.
Ronan’s hands were in his pockets, but I wasn’t sure if that wasn’t to stop himself from strangling me.
“Jett missed you and you were taking too long. Turns out, you’re hiding something from us,” Ronan said, stepping around them. “So tell me, little bird, what is it?”
He stepped closer to me, and I closed my eyes as he raised his hand to my face. The touch gentle as he brushed some loose hair out of my face.
“What are you hiding from us?”
Reina grabbed my hand and tried to pull me around Ronan, and Ronan let me go, but the other three at the door didn’t.
“Come on, guys. You promised us lunch. Can’t we just go eat?” Reina asked like she was going to get past the wall of muscles. I pulled my hand away from hers and whispered to her as I passed.
“Let me try,” I said.
They all watched me as I headed toward the weakest link.
“Jett, make them let us eat.”
I reached up on my tiptoes and tried to kiss him. The fuckers were just tall enough that even in platform Converse I still couldn’t get him to do anything he didn’t want to.
I moved to Talon.
“Talon, you’re still not fully healed. You need to eat to keep up your strength.”
Talon grabbed my wrist and pulled me against him.
“I’m fine and you know it. Tell us what you’re hiding, and I’ll reward you later. After lunch, princess.”
My heart fluttered.
“What? Can I give you more sponge baths?”
He moved in closer.
“Princess, I’ll let you touch me anyway you want. If you don’t tell us though? Well, we can get creative on torture.”
I swallowed when his free hand slid down my side, playing at the hem of the skirt.
“Exactly who is she marrying again?” Reina asked from behind me.
Ronan pushed her aside, grabbing her phone.
“None of your fucking business. Tell me, what is on your phone?”
He held it up to her face and unlocked it. The texts from Carrow were still there.
“Tell me, Reina, can Margaux trust you? He doesn’t need to know where she is,” Ronan said, passing the phone to Knox, who showed it to Jett and Talon.
I pulled away from Talon and glared.
“Of course I can, honey.”
I stepped closer to Ronan, and it surprised me to see a strange look on his face. He was caught between a smile and anger, I thought.
“Honey?” he asked, his eyebrow raised.
“What else would I call my fiancée? Sweetheart? Darling? Captor?”
He gave me a slow shake of his head.
“Don’t hide this shit from us. The Thornes aren’t publicizing anything that’s happening, but the wedding is still being planned. So we’re heading to city hall.”
I swallowed.
“What? But lunch?”
Knox handed the phone back to Reina.
“We don’t have a lot of options here, angel. They won’t stop until they get the trust fund. Once you take the Barone name, you’ll be protected by the family. It should stop the Thornes and your uncle since they won’t have shit to gain.”
I looked at the others.
“You’re not kidding? But what about the dress? You said I could pick whatever I wanted.”
Talon’s fingers traced along my arm.
“That’s for the family. You still get to walk down the aisle in the dress. Everyone knows your marriage was already arranged, so they expect the wedding as planned. City hall is to make sure we control the game, princess. Life is full of backup plans,” said Talon.
Reina pushed Ronan aside.
“What exactly aren’t you telling me, Mar? Barone? How did you get?—”
I just shook my head.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Reina followed behind the four men that weren’t letting me an inch too far.
When we got to the SUV, Reina was forced into the third row seat, and I tried to climb in after her.
The hand up my skirt, grabbing my thigh so high his hand pressed against my pussy, had me sucking in a breath and trying to stop my body from reacting to its latest addiction.
“Pretty girl, you sit between Talon and me. Your friend is fine back there, alone,” Jett said when I looked over my shoulder.
Jett’s hands moved, and the next minute he had me around the waist and moved me aside so Talon could get in.
“Margaux, blink twice if you need me to rescue you,” Reina said from the back seat.
“We are the fucking rescue squad sweetheart. Just sit back there, watch her get married, and then we’ll feed that annoying little mouth of yours,” Knox growled from the front seat.
“Geesh. You guys are intense. I don’t get it. She’s marrying Ronan. Is this how the mafia works? You’re all protecting boss jr’s lady or something?”
Jett slammed the door and then grabbed the back of my neck, pulling my face to his where he slammed his lips against mine. I forgot to care that Reina was here. I forgot to care that it wasn’t normal, because when in my life was anything normal?
Never.
Talon pulled me away from Jett the second he let me up for air.
“Not just his, little friend of Margaux,” Talon said before he kissed me, hungry like I hadn’t kissed him this morning.
My body sure remembered just what she hadn’t gotten, not from Talon. Not from anyone this morning.
His kisses slowed and he moved away.
“Princess, we’re heading to city hall, but maybe we ditch the friend first?”
The voice from the back broke my trance and made me smile.
“No fucking way am I not seeing her say I do to the big guy up front and then wondering who gets the wedding night with her. What the ever-loving fuck, Mar? You could have shared the goods.”
Ronan stepped on the gas, throwing Reina back into her seat. He also turned up the music, loud heavy metal drowning her out.