27. Margaux
MARGAUX
“ M iss Harrington?”
Reina opened the door to the bridal room.
“Complimentary champagne and water from the groom and the groomsman.”
Reina went to grab the bottle, but the woman pushed past her. I shot up.
“Excuse you. My maid of honor can pour it just fine for us. But thank you.”
The woman flashed me a smile that screamed pretentious bitch rather than humble server.
“Sorry, miss. I was told to make sure you got it. I work directly for the Barone family, you’ll have to excuse my disrespect for your friend.”
What the hell? Something seemed off.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think we need the drinks. I have water already.”
To prove a point, I grabbed the large bottle of water that already had a straw in it as I attempted to not mess up my makeup.
“Well then, niece.”
I looked up at the door and the bottle in my hand slipped free.
“Uncle?”
I tried to keep the surprise and fear from my voice, but it wasn’t possible.
“You do look beautiful. Wonderful day for a wedding. Too bad you’ll be missing this one. Be a good little girl and drink the champagne.”
I saw the sudden movement of Reina and almost felt something hopeful, until I watched the server hit her on the back of the head. Reina dropped to the floor with a thud.
“Now, now. There’s no need for violence. Margaux, Carrow is still willing to have you. I was disappointed to see the wedding invitation even after all my efforts to make sure the Barone family got what they wanted and I got what I did. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
I reached behind me for my phone and something else to throw. All I came back with was the water. Fine. It was just him and the server. I could maybe get around them. I just needed to get to the hall where someone would hear me screaming.
I threw the mostly full bottle at my uncle and grabbed the skirt of the wedding dress to sprint around him. I tried to stay low and shove my shoulder into his stomach as I passed him.
I screamed the second I got to the door.
“Ronan, Knox, help.”
I couldn’t get out anyone else’s name and didn’t get any further into the hall because of the damn dress.
That server was clearly not just a server and I knew that, but I was still out of options.
I grabbed my phone and got it unlocked in time to push whatever favorite my thumb hit and I started to scream.
The woman behind me not only stepped on the dress so that I fell, but she didn’t bother with hitting me.
No. I got a sharp needle to my neck. I fought whatever was in that needle for a few seconds and quickly shoved the phone down the front of the dress, seeing the writing on the wall.
I’d tried to fight, but with the weight of her on my head and the burning of the needle, I wasn’t getting far without help.
I heard the ripping and knew the dress wasn’t going to make it even if I did fight her off. I grabbed for anything, but it was getting hard to breathe.
“Fighting just makes the drug pump through you faster,” said the woman I didn’t know.
“Margaux, be good. You wouldn’t be in this predicament if you would have just died with your parents, now would you?”
My uncle’s words sent a sharp bolt of pain cutting through my chest, and I faltered, giving them the time they needed.
Suddenly the world was quicksand and I was trying to swim upstream against the thick, viscous air.
“Good girl, Margaux. Just give in.”
He lifted me when I couldn’t stop him. I heard the shout of Jett from somewhere, but with the quicksand came the drowning. His words were distant and muffled. I wasn’t sure where I was going. The room went in and out of focus until I was being shoved into a car of some kind.
“She’ll be there,” my uncle said from somewhere nearby.
My body was flung down on the seat like a rag doll and my arms were tugged, but I couldn’t feel much. My eyes grew heavy.
The anger that burned inside of me though? I held onto that. I wouldn’t allow my uncle to get away with killing my parents. The one thing I got from this was his confession.
I closed my eyes, but I tried to keep myself from losing against the need to sleep.
I refused to sleep. I wanted to kill him.
My boys had given me a knife this morning, and it was strapped high on my thigh.
Breathing seemed harder and harder. Like remembering to do anything had become an Olympic sport.
“You’ll get the deed when we get access. In return, you’ll stop fighting us on the casino.”
I blinked against the pounding in my head. One voice was my uncle’s, but who was he talking to? Where was I?
The place smelled clean, but I couldn’t get my eyes to focus on shit. I moved my arm an inch just for it to fall against my will.
“Do you have the marriage license? I can’t get hold of the lawyer yet, but we need the marriage to comply with the fucking stipulations.”
I blinked again. That was Carrow, I was almost positive.
I closed my eyes and tried to will them to clear. Wherever they had me was at least soft, but I couldn’t be sure they meant to care about my comfort or not. Probably just the only place they felt comfortable, and I got to benefit from it.
“Is she awake yet?”
I kept my eyes closed when I heard Carrow ask. Fuck this. I focused on keeping my breathing even.
“Soon. I just gave her something to help get the drug out of her system faster. Patience, Carrow. You almost act like you’d enjoy marrying my niece.”
The laughter froze the blood in my veins.
“You’re really a shitty uncle, you know that?”
The tone in Carrow’s voice was teasing more than it was concerned. I hated him even more.
“She’s been hiding with the Barone family? What are her ties to them?”
I tried to peek under my lashes to see what they were doing. I really didn’t want to wake up. Not yet. I wasn’t sure what to think. What was my plan? This wasn’t on my damn bingo card, and now I had to fucking figure out what to do.
Fucking hell. If there was a heaven, I would really appreciate my parents stepping in right now.
I had to breathe. Plans. Plans were good. I needed one though.
“Her father had arranged a marriage with one of the Barone kids. My brother was deep in their pockets. It isn’t surprising.
He was just stupid enough to take the opposite side of me.
Too bad he was such a good damn lawyer. No doubt it’s why the firm he entrusted his will with is making things rather difficult for me. ”
I wiggled my fingers against the fabric of whatever I was on. That wasn’t helping me much.
I squeezed my eyes closed, the shadows of people moving around me. I braced myself when I swore I could feel them coming closer. Their voices were one of the factors but something inside me seemed to sense assholes. I almost flinched when I felt a finger against my cheek.
“I think she’s coming around. Do you think she’ll be worth keeping alive to deal with the Barones?” Carrow asked.
I couldn’t stop myself from holding my breath. Was I going to die today?
“Hard to say. Ronan Barone has a reputation. He doesn’t leave many alive, which is why he is so useful to Angelino.
The wedding today wasn’t supported by Angelino, which tells me we might encounter issues with Ronan depending on what was motivating him.
It doesn’t seem like it was the trust fund entirely, not with the deal I cut with Angelino. ”
My uncle was an asshole. He had no problem stealing someone else’s bride.
I couldn’t take it anymore and didn’t have any better ideas right now. I let myself wake up or at least let them think I was waking up. I blinked again and again, having the same issue of trying to clear my vision. By the time I could see, I regretted it.
Carrow was glaring down at me.
“There’s my bride. Did Ronan Barone keep you safe for me?”
He was way too close. Even as every muscle in my body struggled to find its strength again, I still managed to push myself to a sitting position.
“When you say take care, do you mean did he teach me how to please a big, tough guy like you?”
I liked the way his face turned a few shades of red before he reached for my throat. The thing was, I’d been ready and my heel met his chest in a thud. The wheezing that followed was rather satisfying. The lack of energy after? Not satisfying.
“Margaux.” My uncle was glaring at a struggling Carrow before coming to a stop by me. “I suggest you find a reason for him to want to keep you alive. Perhaps you should heed my training.”
This time, even though I was ready, he was still bigger than me.
I held my arm up to bar my uncle from being able to hit me, and the first two times it worked, but the third time he was far more angry than I'd ever seen him.
He grabbed my arm and yanked me up to him.
His fist found my stomach, and this time it was my turn to gag and wheeze.
“Much better, niece. Now, the Thornes expect to see their new daughter-in-law out there. Your appropriate dress is hanging right there. I’ll let Carrow supervise you.”
My uncle stepped away, letting go of my wrist, but in true lunatic style he wasn’t really done with his warnings. Instead of going for my stomach again, he pushed me down to the ground, and as he kicked me, I cried out when he made contact with my ribs.
“Carrow, pull yourself together.”
With that, he walked out and two women walked in. One went straight for my new dress and the other straight for the dress I’d wanted to wear.
I pushed the woman away as she reached for the ties in the back.
“Lady, no. Get away. I am not wearing that dress.”
“You will be wearing that dress if you want to walk down the aisle. I have no problem drugging you and dragging you down. Of course, Mom will be upset. She really hoped for a nice photo of her only son’s wedding.” Carrow said.
“I don’t care about your mom. Does she know your bride was bought?”
He grabbed my upper arm, and I flinched when his fingers dug into the skin.
“What the hell are you doing, Carrow?”