The world is made of marshmallows. I never knew that.
You’re drugged.
My head sways back and forth, like one of those bobble guys people stick on the dashboard of a car. Am I a bobble person?
Stay awake.
“Bring Mia inside and take her out the back,” Cade says, but it sounds more like bwiiing hurrrr emsideee…
Wait.
Where are we?
I try to blink and draw in some deep breaths as my arms are gripped and someone half drags me somewhere.
“Cwade,” I try to call out but can barely speak.
No one replies.
Suddenly, there are loud voices all around me, and I’m shoved onto a soft surface. A sofa. Oh, yes, I can curl up and go to sleep.
Don’t sleep, Mia. Run.
“So, this is my bride,” a man says. But it doesn’t sound right.
I’m Connor’s bride.
That’s not Connor’s voice.
I start to panic. Where is he? He needs to help me.
“Cwonner, cwona,” I moan, trying to lift my hand.
“Jesus, did you have to drug her so much? Talk about a hit to my ego.” The man laughs.
“You want to marry my sister, then here she is,” Cade says.
No, no, I’m marrying Connor.
“Of course, I want to marry her. Hot piece of ass, she is,” the man replies, and I feel him cup my breast. Then he grunts. “Put your fist away, Mancini. In less than twenty minutes, she’ll be my wife and mine to do with as I please.”
No.
I try to lift my head, but it keeps flopping onto my chest.
“Cwadeee.” My voice is barely audible, even to me.
“Shut her up,” Cade says to someone, and they put their hand over my mouth.
Oh God.
No. This can’t be happening. Why is he doing this?
Where is my father?
Tears slide down my face as I wriggle and try to move, but I’m held in place. Then there’s a door opening, and the hand over my mouth is removed.
“About fucking time,” the man who I now suspect is Salvo Vitale says. “Father Michael, this is Cade Mancini. His sister, Mia. You will marry us tonight.”
Like hell.
“Father,” Cade says. “Excuse my sister’s appearance. She doesn’t hold her liquor well. Let’s call it a bachelorette party.”
“She looks drugged,” the priest says. “She needs to be able to at least speak, for goodness sakes.”
“You will marry her or get a bullet in your forehead. You decide,” Cade growls.
Oh God, oh God, oh God. This cannot be happening.
He’s handing me over to Salvo, and they are going to force me to marry him. My freedom, my life, my…fake marriage. It’s all gone.
“Fine, but by law, she needs to give consent,” the priest says, less sure, and he should be. Nothing about this is my choice.
Chairs drag on the ground as Cade growls.
“She will give consent.”
We all know I will. I have no choice.
Blurry figures move around me when I open my eyes, but my eyes fall closed. I’m no longer fighting—I know how this works. There’s no getting away from here. The priest won’t help me, or Cade will kill him.
He’s killed before.
“Get her up and hold her,” Cade says. “Remember the deal, Salvo. You marry my sister, and then you get ten minutes with her before we leave.”
I let out a moan, my stomach lurching, as two men pull me to my feet and prop me up.
Tears pour down my face.
Connor.
I know he’s betrayed me, but my heart still wants him. I want it to be his face I see as the priest speaks his words. His hands holding me as I say my vows. His eyes on mine as I promise to love him forever.
I think I will anyway.
Despite everything.
“I’m ready. My men are ready,” Salvo says. “First my bride, then our empire.”
“Enough with the dramatics, Vitale. Just make sure I’m covered when I step into the restaurant and tell my father his time has come, and I am taking over,” Cade says, and it hits me like a ton of bricks.
He’s going to assassinate our father.
I begin to wriggle, but I’m dropped to the ground as a dark familiar voice speaks behind us.
“You can tell me yourself now, son,” my father says.
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