28. Ronan #2
“Margaux, we’ve done a lot for your uncle. I don’t appreciate being embarrassed. You tried to stand up our family. I’m sure you can understand I’ll turn a blind eye as long as you obey the family expectations from now on,” Mr. Thorne said.
The sick fuck watched Margaux move with far too much interest. She ran her hand over one of the empty plush chairs, giving the idea that it was more entertaining than her guests.
“Barone, you’ve been so quiet. Tell me, does Ronan know you sold me?”
My fuckhead father cleared his throat.
“He’ll do what is best for the family. I had an understanding with your father. He was smart enough to know he had a target on his back,” Barone said.
My father nodded to the senator, and Margaux’s eyes narrowed even if no one else noticed. But I did.
“A target from his own brother?” she asked, but there really was no question in the words.
The senator faked a laugh.
“Oh, Margaux. I’ve raised you like my own daughter. I can’t believe you would think such a thing.”
I watched her absently pick at a fiber of the chair before she met her uncle head on.
“Have you now? A daughter that you can abuse to become the prize pony? Most parents don’t stoop to measures like arranged marriages just to get control of a trust fund. Tell me, Uncle, what exactly is in this trust fund that you want?”
Her uncle turned, and I couldn’t read him anymore. My phone vibrated and I looked down.
T: Plan A. Poison is quiet.
I locked my phone and went back to watching my little bird as she seemed to stretch her wings.
“Nothing that I want. But they do,” the senator said.
Margaux had suddenly started to live for herself, and the way she looked at him now? She hid nothing from him.
“I see. And what do you get in return for giving them what they want? What did you get for murdering your own brother?”
The senator wasn’t reading the warning signs. Margaux inched her way closer to him, and if I had to bet on one of them, I’d bet on Margaux and the pent-up rage.
The senator didn’t see the flashing signs written all over her.
“My dear, I get all the funding and backing I need to remain right where I am. You don’t know the half of what I have done. My brother was one small stepping stone in the way. Did you know your father tried to bring a case against me? It would have ruined my career, and I couldn’t have that.”
The senator shifted in his seat and reached for Margaux. The jerk of her hand, and he missed.
“It’s sweet revenge to know I got to ruin his daughter.”
I don’t know if anyone else caught the way she straightened her back at his words, but I did.
“Miss Harrington, I’m a bit confused. Why is Talon here helping you and not Ronan? Ronan and the others are never apart,” asked my father, finally getting what was off in the room. He was the only one who would see any of this as wrong.
“It’s Mrs. Barone, father-in-law. I took Ronan’s last name, and you’re right. They aren’t far apart.”
Margaux nodded toward me, and she slowly backed her way to the ensuite hiding the others.
“Come out, come out wherever you are, boys,” she said, her tone teasing.
“What is the meaning of this?” Barone asked, his tone demanding. Too bad for him that tone had ceased to work on me years ago. “Took Ronan’s name? I haven’t approved the marriage.”
I stepped out.
“You didn’t have to. The state of Nevada did. The thing is, she could have married anyone of us, but the Barone name seemed to have the most impact.”
I stepped around my father while the other two brought out Carrow with a towel stuffed in his mouth.
The senator tried to move, but Margo surprised me again.
For a girl who had nothing but time to overthink things, she’d done a ton of the right moves to get away.
Too bad this world was against her, or maybe it wasn’t that bad.
Pride swelled in my chest when she held a knife out, ready to meet his eye.
He slowly straightened, and with it, Margaux adjusted her angle.
“Uncle, what do you think you can do? Roe, tell me you got his confession recorded.”
I tossed her my phone.
“I knew your paranoia wouldn’t let me down, hubby.”
All eyes were on her, and I really tried to fucking hide the fact she’d called me something other than Ronan. Hubby?
“Pretty girl, call me hubby next. It gives me the tingles,” Jett said, dropping Carrow on the floor with a thud. He cocked his gun and stood next to her.
“Ronnie isn’t the only one who said I do, even if the law thinks that’s the case.”
Barone looked toward me.
“What did you do, Ronan? How dare you defy me!”
I looked toward Jett.
“If we can avoid shooting anyone, that would make this a lot quieter.”
Jett gave me a quick little tick of his head.
“Got it. Margaux, watch the side of your uncle's neck. See the vein popping out?”
Jett stepped closer and teased the senator with the barrel of his gun while he damn near traced the vein.
“Cut that one, and he’ll bleed out quick.”
Thorne finally broke his silence.
“What the fuck is going on here? Is she with both of them?”
Knox’s deep voice scared the shit out of Thorne when he answered.
“It’s none of your business who she is with. But no. It’s not just the two of them, prick.”
I swear that guy never smiled, but for her?
“Careful there, Knoxy-baby. Your face might crack,” Jett said, earning a quick flick of the bird from Knox.
“I don’t fucking care what kind of slut you raised, Harrington. Is someone going to tell me why my son is tied up on the floor?”
Thorne went to move, but I mirrored his lethargic movements. He wasn’t much of a threat.
“All I have to do is call, and I’ll have people in here. How dare you tie up my son!”
Margaux turned.
“Oh, and stabbed. How dare I stab and then tie up your pervert of a son? That’s what you meant, right?”
I watched as my father’s arm shifted and knew he was going for a gun. Between him and Thorne, he was the only threat. I moved before he could notice and hit him in the back of the head, right where I knew would be the best chance for him to pass out.
Barone slumped.
“Got it,” Talon said, holding up a black bag in his hand as he pushed through the already questionable door.
“Got what?” Margaux asked.
Talon shook the bag.
“Wine, right?”
Margaux nodded.
“Right. Drinks. Will it help with their shock?” Margaux asked.
“Yup. It’s good for shock. Really settles the nerves,” Talon said.
“Gentleman, sit. Please. Oh and Uncle, where is my nanny? Wouldn’t you have invited her to the wedding?”
Her uncle glared daggers, but as Jett moved, he tried to mirror the movements.
“No. She’s done raising you, and will go back to being my housekeeper. There is no reason for her to see you off with your new husband. Although now I realize he wasn’t capable of getting you in line.”
Thorne Sr. took the chance to move since I was still by my father, and he got a few steps closer to his son.
“This is outrageous. Do you have any idea how much money I’ve agreed to just to keep the Barones off my back? You’re getting twenty percent of all the event sales for the first two years.”
“Great, anything else you feel like volunteering, Old Man Thorne?” Talon asked, handing over a glass of wine.
The man took it.
Now her uncle.
“I’d love to say it’s nice to meet you, but it’s really not. Here, drink this.”
Talon shoved the other glass at Harrington.
“Bottoms up, sweet cheeks,” Jett said, taking his gun and pushing Harrington’s cup up closer to his mouth.
“Oh and, Carrow. Here you go. A toast to your lost bride.” Talon walked over and pulled out the towel from his mouth.
“I don’t want wine, you fucker. Fuck, if you want her pussy so bad, just negotiate with us. We’re not stupid. Business is business.”
Knox knelt down next to Carrow, grabbing his chin and yanking his face up.
“There is no negotiating. You lost that chance. And her pussy? Well, she was never yours to begin with.”
Knox grabbed the wine and poured it down Carrow’s throat.
“I suggest you drink now,” I said.
Harrington still fought it, but Thorne Sr. sighed and brought the glass to his lips and paused.
“What is it? Will it just knock us out?” he asked.
Talon lifted the bottle in the air as if he were giving a toast.
“Maybe. If you’re a horse. But considering your body weight, although a little heavier than it should be, is less than that of a horse, I’m pretty sure this counts as an OD. Sleep tight, sweetheart.”
Carrow’s eyes bulged as it all hit him.
“One down, three to go,” I said and turned back to the two left standing. My father was down for now.
Harrington took his glass, and before I could stop him, he tossed it at Margaux. Jett grabbed her, but the dress was still stained in red.
“So we’re doing this the hard way then?” Knox asked, kicking Carrow and leaving him to die.
Jett still held Margaux, looking at her dress.
“Wow. That was really rude, Uncle. How much did this wedding set you back? Good thing she hated this dress anyway.”
Margaux reached up behind her and patted Jett’s cheek.
“He is rude, isn’t he? Thanks, pretty boy, for the support. Now it’s my turn to repay my uncle for all his kindness.”
Maybe Harrington was really a bad guy, but the way Knox grabbed him and twisted his arms behind his back made him look more like a small rag doll.
“Margaux, do the honors.”
She stepped toward Knox and her uncle, holding the knife firm just like she’d been shown.
“If I cut really slow, will he scream too loud?”
Talon stepped forward with a blue silk handkerchief, the one from his suit pocket, and shoved it in the guy’s mouth.
“Not anymore. The music in the banquet hall is loud enough that no one is going to hear through these walls either. Enjoy, princess.”
I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, but it was Thorne throwing back the glass of wine.
“I don’t need this shit. I always knew you were going to be my ruin, Harrington.”
Thorne flopped down to his knees in defeat.
“Now that’s better. Have a good sleep, see you in hell,” Talon said.
Jett turned to Harrington next.
“Seeing as you decided not to comply and Margaux has a thirst for blood, maybe we take this outside.”
Knox hit the senator, knocking him out.
“Great. Let’s go finish up the wedding,” Jett said, picking Margaux up in his arms and waiting for the rest of us to do the heavy lifting.