Page 47 of Cruel Revenge

She flips me off, stalking past me in a black silk slip dress that falls to the middle of her calves. The slit on the right climbs impossibly high, showing off her toned leg and nearly the little spot on her hip I know my finger bruised.

“You’re going to wear something else once we go in there, aren’t you?”

She looks down at her dress. “There’s something wrong with what I’m wearing?”

Fuck. The way the neckline drapes low shows off the curve of her breasts and the dip in her waist.

Then my gaze drags lower, to the way her nipples press against the fabric.

“You’re going to walk into a room filled with other men, looking like you’re trying to get them to sleep with you when you’re supposed to be married to me. And then I’m going to have to kill people at our wedding reception.”

Skyla scoffs, her eyes narrowing as she draws closer to me. “I don’t think you get to dictate what I wear when you left me on the side of a cliff last night. You’re lucky I don’t tell my brothers about it.”

I butt out the cigarette and stalk forward, meeting her halfway. “You want to tell your brothers about how you continuously disrespect me and then act like I owe you something?”

Her entire posture stiffens. “If you think my brothers would have a problem with that, you don’t know how important family is to Aiden.”

“I don’t know much about your family beyond what’s public because you’re not willing to tell me anything.” I tuck my hands into the pockets of my slacks, nodding to the people that pass us with a smile.

The last thing I need is for everyone I know to find out that me and my new wife are already struggling to get along. It would make its way back to Grady, and then I would have a hell of a time finding another way out of marrying his daughter.

Skyla pulls her hair over one shoulder. “You know what you need to know. It’s not like you tell me everything either, but unlike you, I don’t ask about other people’s business because it’s rude.”

I could kill her right now. Kill her and then walk into our reception like she doesn’t make me want to jump off a cliff onto sharp rocks.

It’s a tempting thought, but it’s one that will only end in me standing at the end of the aisle and waiting for another woman to marry me. A woman I despise.

I would much rather stick with the one I have. I may not know everything about her life, but there’s also not much she can do to hide it from me when I start digging.

Besides, I think I’m getting kind of weirdly attached to her. I want to know who she really is.

My gaze drifts to hers once more, and she stares back at me, her lips pursed before her shoulders slump.

She takes a deep breath, and it looks like she’s letting out whatever nerves are going through her right now before she pulls herself together and stands up.

I think this might be the first time I’ve ever seen her as anything less than sure of herself. It makes her seem a little more human. And fuck if this thing we have between us doesn’t pull me harder to her.

There’s an easy smile on her face as she takes my hand. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to do this alone. I hate being the center of attention.”

I hold her hand a little tighter, walking through the opening in the brick wall that surrounds the exterior of the building and into the stunning yard.

The trees are draped with sparkling lights, and there’s a live band playing at the far end of the gardens. Everything looks like a lush fantasy.

As soon as they notice us, they surge forward.

Except it’s not me they want to talk to.

Two younger women brush by me, looping their arms through Skyla’s and dragging her away.

Aiden stands in front of me with his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face. “I don’t know what the hell it is you think you’re doing with my sister, but if you fuck her over, I’ll help her hide the body.”

I glance around, making sure that others aren’t listening to us as we step to the side near the building and away from the main view of the garden. “How much do you know?”

“Enough.”

“Man of few words, then.”

Aiden shrugs, eyes narrowing as he looks me over. “I don’t like you or your brother, but we need you. For now.”

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