Chapter thirty-six
Tower Hamlets Register Office, London
Violet
The five of us stand in the dressing room glancing between each other. The registrar whimpers at the end of my father’s gun with her eyes screwed shut. She shakes visibly. “Fucking pathetic,” my father mutters.
“How did you get in here?” I snarl at the two men I hate most in the world.
Their appearance is a shock. Harry has been anal about our security detail since Christmas.
He had multiple meetings with his team to discuss how I would be protected today.
I’d drawn a line at having a security guard in my dressing room, but our enemy must have navigated around at least ten men to get in here, including my man on the door.
Aiden holds up a small knife soaked in blood. “With force,” he says with a smile. “There will be a few corpses to clean up.”
“Marley, tell your men to hold their position and secure any of the bastards still breathing,” my father barks.
“I’m sure the groom isn’t aware of our arrival yet; the operation has run smoothly so far. I want our entrance to be a great surprise.”
His focus moves to me. “How many men between us and the ceremony room?”
“I don’t know,” I reply with a shrug, feigning confidence I don’t have.
“Daughter,” he snarls, “be careful how you respond. I will make your worst fears come true.” He gestures to my stomach.
“Two.”
“Take three men, and take them down quietly,” he says to Aiden. As he turns to carry out the instruction, Samantha speaks.
“Is this him?” she snaps. “The married prick who fucked you over?” Aiden nudges her with the muzzle of his revolver. “Spineless idiot,” she continues. “You should be ashamed of yourself. First, you live with her under false pretenses, and now you’re gate-crashing her wedding.”
“Don’t push it blondie,” he growls. “I’d be happy enough to fuck you, then put a bullet in you. Keep talking, and I’ll stuff that pretty little mouth with my balls so you can’t speak.” He leans in and runs his tongue up her neck.
“Ew, gross,” she squeals. “Violet, I am severely concerned about your taste in men.”
My mouth drops open at her bravado. She looks at Aiden and glowers.
“Do you seriously think this is the first time an asshole has pointed a gun at me? I’ve given men head for money; you don’t scare me.”
She lifts her foot and slams her stiletto down hard on his highly polished shoe.
He yells as she elbows him in the ribs and wriggles from his grasp.
He clicks off the safety, pointing the weapon at Samantha’s head. She groans and rolls her eyes.
“Don’t fucking think about it, Marley,” my father warns. “Tie her hands together and put her in the corner. We can deal with her later. Right now, I want to focus on my beloved daughter.”
Aiden pulls his belt from his dress pants and proceeds to secure Samantha’s arms to her sides, before removing his tie and wrapping it around her neck like a leash.
“Good girl. I can’t wait to receive a cock suck from you,” he says, squeezing her breast with his free hand, then yanking the restraint hard.
She stumbles, the heel of her shoe snapping in the process.
“Dickhead,” she hisses, and he tugs it again.
“Sit,” he orders. “Little bitch, do as you’re told, and I may even rub your belly.” He ties the belt to a heavy chest of drawers then leaves, returning a few minutes later. “The team is clearing the way,” he says and grins wickedly.
“I’m meant to be getting married in ten minutes.” I look at my father and his eyes come to mine. “If I don’t appear, they’ll come looking for me.” A dark smile flickers on his lips.
“I’m counting on it. You will be getting married, just not to the person you intended,” he replies. He tightens his grip on the registrar’s arm, and she squeals. “The name of the groom will be changing; you’ll need to update your records.”
“I can’t do that, sir,” she stammers. “All marriages in England are subject to twenty-eight days’ notice.” He lifts the gun and hits her on the side of her neck with the butt of it.
“It wasn’t a request; it was a fucking order.” She falls to the floor, cowering and shaking like a wounded animal waiting to be eaten. “By whatever means necessary, this will happen.”
“Why do you care who I marry?” I say, interrupting him and regaining his attention. “You’ve disowned us all according to Connor. Bloody leave us alone.”
He walks toward me and pushes at my stomach with his finger. “This is mine,” my father says viciously. “I’m here to collect my property.”
“Take your filthy hands off my baby.” We lock gazes and I glare at him openly. Suddenly, I’m not afraid. He’s nothing but a spoiled bully used to getting his own way. “You will never see your grandchild. As far as I’m concerned, you never existed. They won’t even know your name.”
“I won’t see them,” he says, openly furious at my disrespect.
“I’ll fucking own them.” He leans in, his nose inches from mine.
“Now daughter, listen to me—this is what is going to happen.”
I take a step back from him, and he grabs my wrist.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me.” I pull it from his grasp, and he slaps me hard across the face.
“Today, you will marry Aiden as I instructed you to. But not before I kill that traitorous boyfriend of yours, and perhaps your brothers.”
***
Harrison
“Where is she?” I hiss to Russell. He’s standing beside me as my best man. His hand grabs my shoulder in support.
“It’s normal for the bride to be late,” he says, jovially.
Today he’s been annoyingly bright, in complete contrast to his usual broody self.
“I’m more concerned we’re missing the registrar.”
He runs a hand through his dark hair as he senses my nerves.
Two days ago, Violet thought she was in labor.
We rushed to the hospital, gaining a speeding ticket in the process.
It turned out to be a bad case of indigestion, which resulted in the most expensive box of indigestion medicine ever purchased and a clipped alloy wheel.
“If she’s gone into labor and fucked off to hospital, I’ll bloody throttle her,” I grumble, and straighten my tie for the thousandth time.
“Calm down, Waite,” he cajoles. “I’ll go and see what’s going on.” He saunters off down the aisle I’m waiting for my bride-to-be to walk up. Connor smirks at me.
“Cold feet?” he suggests, raising an eyebrow. “Maybe she’s a runner. Though she couldn’t run very fast. I’m sure we could catch her.”
Russell disappears through the double doors which lead to the small ceremony space we stand in.
It’s plain and simple, with white walls and terrible pine woodwork.
The chairs set in exact rows are red velvet and badly worn.
I’m standing in front of an old wooden table with a few neat piles of paperwork.
It looks more like a meeting room than somewhere you would get married.
Violet never bothered with any of the fancy trimmings you normally get at a wedding.
Not one wedding magazine had appeared in the apartment.
No flowers, chair covers, or tiaras were purchased.
She ordered herself and Samantha a dress each, told me to wear my best suit, and that was it.
Damon balked handing over the one-thousand-pound wager he lost, but I leaned on him hard enough to get it anyway.
We spent it on my bachelor party—most of it disappeared into the slot machines of a casino in the city while we drank champagne.
A few minutes later, Russell appears back.
His eyes find me, and the look on his face tells me we have an issue.
I hear Edward Chase before I see him. “I understand congratulations are in order,” he calls across the room.
“I am disappointed, Harrison, that you didn’t have the courtesy to ask my permission for my daughter’s hand in marriage. With the education I provided for you, you should know better.”
It takes me a moment to survey the scene.
Violet walks in front of her father and next to a woman I assume is meant to be marrying us.
Samantha is being dragged along with something tied around her neck by Aiden.
They all stop at the top of the aisle. Violet stares at me, her face blank.
Her hands are placed protectively over our child.
“There has been a slight change in the proceedings,” Edward says with a sly smile.
“You’ll all be pleased to know there will still be a wedding today, but not the one you were expecting. I’m delighted to invite you all to attend the marriage of my daughter, Violet, to Aiden Marley.”
Marley claps his hands together then walks over to stand next to my girl, pulling Samantha along with him.
He’s carrying a gun in his hand. Damon, Marshall, and Hunter move to stand, but I signal for them to stay seated.
Marley wraps his free arm around Violet’s waist, then leans in and kisses her cheek.
He nips the skin between his teeth and bites.
Her hand shoots out and pushes him hard in the chest, and he stumbles backward.
“Bitch,” he snarls lifting his hand to hit her.
Russell grabs his wrist, crushing it between his fingers.
Aiden turns the gun on him, aiming it at his forehead.
“Russell, Aiden, this is no way to behave at my daughter’s wedding,” Edward growls. Aiden glares at his opponent, then drops his weapon to his side.
My eyes dart around the room in search of the security detail we employed.
They should never have gotten near the place, never mind being able to abduct the bride.
My despair and fury war with each other.
It’s clear for every man we have, Edward Chase has two or more.
I can only assume they’ve been taken down one by one.
“Shall I walk you down the aisle, my daughter?”
Violet’s father says, moving beside her and linking her arm through his.
They walk slowly toward us, followed by the rest of the party.
“Any funny business and I’ll shoot the mouthy one,” he says.
“Tell the few men you have left to stand down, Harrison. You wouldn’t want to be responsible for the death of Violet’s best friend, would you?”
Four more men I don’t know appear at the back of the room, each one holding a firearm. I glance at Connor; he nods in the direction of the men in acknowledgment. This is going to end badly. My only concern is to get Violet and our baby out alive.
Hunter sits silently, his eyes trained on the floor. Damon crosses his arms across his chest and pushes back on his chair, surveying the scene as it unfolds. Someone is going to have to make a move. The question is who will it be?
“What do you want, Edward? Where are our men?” I ask, deciding to try to take control of the situation. It’s the first time I’ve used his Christian name to address him.
"Dead, maimed, or trussed up I expect,” he says with a smile.
“They put up a good fight, but you’re all amateurs, that much is clear.”
He laughs boldly, confident that he has won.
“Step down, then you and your friends can walk away unscathed. Violet will marry Aiden here as she was meant to. You can return to your city-boy life with your fast cars and cheap women,” he says.
“Say goodbye to one another, as you won’t be seeing each other again after today.”
He pushes Violet firmly in her back. She staggers, and I catch her in my arms.
“She’s fucking pregnant,” I snap, and he laughs.
“That is something I’m aware of. The father of the child, my grandchild, is also mindful of the situation. Hence why we are here today to ensure the correct man marries my daughter. After the birth, Violet will return to Chicago with Aiden, and the baby will stay with me.”
All eyes fall on the old man speaking. “That was our agreement.” He looks to Marley, who nods. “As of today, I have disowned each of my children. None of you will inherit anything from me. This child will become my sole heir, and as such will be raised by myself and my wife.”
“Over my dead body,” Violet screams, pulling herself from my arms and throwing herself at her father. A gun fires, then the whole hell is let loose. All the men jump to their feet, running into the chaos. We are outnumbered. The room is filled with feminine screams.
I search frantically for Violet then I spot a bundle of white fabric lying between the chairs. Samantha is crouched beside her, desperately trying to wriggle from her restraints.
As I weave between the warring bodies, Edward’s arm hits me square across the chest.
I look up into the eyes of the man I used to consider a father figure.
A man who spent hours helping me learn to read.
A man who gave me opportunities beyond my wildest dreams but also applied pressure to my life that took it out of my control.
“We need to talk,” he says sharply, lifting his gun to my chest.
“Turn around and walk to the back wall.”
I follow his instructions, my eyes searching the room to try to figure out who’s winning.
Bodies are scattered across the floor; men kneel over men throwing punches wildly.
“Put your hands against the plaster and spread your legs wide.”
I feel the gun muzzle touch the base of my neck.
“You, Harrison, surpassed any expectations I ever had of you. You became everything my sons failed to be.”
He tuts softly under his breath. His lips come to my ear as he stands behind me.
“Until a few months ago, I was proud of you, but then you set your sights where they weren’t allowed, defying me in the process. In this family, we do not tolerate betrayal.”
He takes a step back, and I feel the gun rise against the back of my head.
“Today, I am rebalancing the scales.” He presses the cool metal harder against my flesh.
“Goodbye, my son.” And the gun goes off.
***
Violet
I stand over my father holding the smoking gun.
The blood drains from his face as my waters break.
Harry spins to face me, his eyes running from the top of my head to my toes.
I crumble to the floor, and he drops down beside me, wrapping me in his arms.
“What’s happening?” I whisper, terrified to look at the scene behind me. “Who’s winning?”
“We are,” he tells me. “The boys are securing them all now. The police will be on their way. It’s over.” I glance at my father; he’s looking up at the ceiling with vacant eyes. “You were incredible. You saved me,” Harry says, fiercely, and kisses my cheek.
“I think you need to call me an ambulance.” Panic flits across his face with my words.
“Are you hurt? Did they hit you?” he splutters, his hands running over my body, looking for a wound.
“No, I’m in labor.”