Page 81 of Ruthless Reign

“No, I’m fine,” I said. “Stay. Take care of our guests.”

He narrowed his eyes and glanced around, seemingly uncomfortable with letting me out of his sight, but ultimately nodded. “Be quick. Or I’m coming to find you.”

“Always.” I kissed him one more time before turning to head back toward the farmhouse. I greeted the two Roses from New England standing guard by the door as I went inside and held my dress up as I climbed the old creaky stairs to the second floor. I went to the restroom in the bridal suite, did my business, and washed my hands. Then, I stared at myself in the mirror and wondered what I was doing—reallydoing.

The people I thought were my enemies had turned out to be the kindest, most loving allies I could ever ask for. And the ones I considered family were more likely to stab me in the back as to help me anymore.

I grabbed my phone when it buzzed, indicating a text message, and I frowned.

Della:Run!

Run? What did she mean?—

Movement in the mirror caught my attention and I jumped, gasping when a man in a staff uniform stood in the reflection, the same man I thought I’d recognized earlier.

It hit me in a split second. He’d been at Roman’s house the night of the attack. He was a Hell’s Knight.

Terror launching me into action, I only had a moment to reach for my knife before he wrapped an arm around my neck to put me in a headlock.

But I wasn’t the same woman who’d been attacked weeks ago. I stomped on his foot, causing him to let go enough for me to wiggle out of his hold. My blade was still sheathed on mythigh, but I had a million pounds of fabric between me and it. I tried to yank up my dress, but my attacker recovered enough to punch me in the face.

Agonizing pain splintered down my cheek and into my neck, and I stumbled back, unable to defend myself when a different pair of arms wrapped around my chest.

“Good to see you, blood traitor.” The voice ricocheted through me, and I froze. Suddenly, I wasn’t in the bridal suite bathroom anymore. I was back in that dusty cabin in the woods with those men kicking me and beating me. This wasn’t one of my uncles’ men or one of Chesco’s. No, this was the disgusting, sick bastard that worked for Gabriella, the one that took delight in making me cry.

“No,” I tried to say, but blood filled my mouth, tasting like copper, choking me.

“Oh, yes,” he said, fisting my hair to yank it back. “You didn’t think you’d lay this trap so easily, did you?” He laughed and pointed a gun at my head. “Oh, you stupid bitch. Of course, you did.”

“Lenny,” came a chilling, familiar tone from the doorway. “Enough.” Gabriella stood with her dark hair in a tight bun and her lips painted dark red. She wore her finest clothes, a suit imported from Italy no doubt, and the rarest jewelry. I bet she cost more than my trust in just what she had on. “Let’s go say hi, shall we?”

Then she set her gaze on me and shook her head like I was the biggest disgrace our family had ever seen. “Bring her.”

I struggled to walk with Lenny holding my hair and my face pounding in time with my racing heart, but we somehow made it down the stairs. When we got outside, I gasped at the two Roses slumped over. They weren’t bleeding, so they hadn’t been shot, but somehow, my aunt’s cronies and the other motorcycle clubs had knocked them out to get inside.

The roar of motorcycles echoed up the road, and a swarm of them appeared on the horizon. Hell’s Knights and Kings of Carnage, no doubt. But how did they get past the Roses guarding the perimeter?

We kept going, kept walking, and when we got to the tent, Gabriella strolled inside like she’d been a part of the ceremony since the beginning. The music cut off. The crowd parted as she passed. When the other Roses saw me being manhandled by one of her minions, they reached for their weapons.

But the wait staff reacted by pulling guns seemingly from everywhere—under tables, behind the bar, in holsters under their aprons. Castor was right. They’d been here the whole time. They infiltrated our reception staff and now stood with their pistols aimed at the Roses, who pointed their guns back at them. It had gone from a fake wedding to a real standoff in a heartbeat. The horde of Gabriella’s MC cronies parked their bikes and stormed toward the tent, and suddenly, both armies were pitted against each other.

This. This explains the knot in my stomach. God, I’d been so blind. I didn’t see this coming.

I locked eyes with my husband, who stood at the lover’s table with his hand on his nine, pointed straight at Gabriella.

“Easy now,” Roman said, shaking his head. “No one make any stupid moves.”

Sulli and Frankie walked out of the house to stand along the tent’s edge, Chesco at his father’s side with a scowl. I tried not to look at him. I didn’t want to give the game away, but I didn’t see my brother. Where had Leo gone? Did Gabriella snatch him too? Or had she already killed him?

“Well, well, well,” Gabriella said, stopping in the center of the crowd. “Is this all for me? I’m touched, truly.”

She nodded at Lenny, and he threw me to the ground where I landed in a heap at Gabriella’s feet.

“She’s got nothing to do with this,” Roman said. “Let her go and you and I can?—”

“Nothing to do with this?” Gabriella laughed. “My guess is this isallher doing.” She stared down at me with disdain, her nose scrunched, her eyes evil and menacing. “Oh, my dear.” Gabriella tutted and shook her head. “A coward, I’m afraid. Just like your father. It runs in the blood, you see.” She looked at Roman. “But what did I expect for someone who would whore herself out to a disgusting piece of Rose garbage?”

“Coming from you, that’s a compliment,” Roman said.

---