Page 21 of The Hitch
I tilt my head back and peek at him. "What could youpossiblywant with me?"
"You're going to be my wife."
A braying laugh explodes from my lips, and my entire body quakes. I can'tstoplaughing. My lungs burn, and tears roll down my cheeks as he looks at me in shock. I gasp in breath after breath before I'm finally able to speak. "You're fucking insane."
"One might say the same about you,Melody.How's Charlie these days, hmm?" He smirks at me and cocks an eyebrow.
Thatfucking sobers me right up. If I wasn't sure before, I am now. This asshole knows who I am. He knows what I've done. Phil might not have sent him, but he sure fucking knows.
"Wh-who?" I stutter out, but he waves my words away.
"Don't play dumb. We both know you're smarter than that. I was just making a point," he says and pokes my chest. "But that's irrelevant. Youwillbe my wife."
"No the fuck I won't," I scoff out, trying to inch myself away from him. He leans in closer.
"Yes, you will." He kisses me gently on the cheek, and my skin is electrified, like he's a live wire personified. "You'll marry me. You'll give me an heir. And in return for just a measly three years of your life, you'll get thirty million dollars and a clean passport."
What.
Three years. Ababy.And then I get enough money to fuck off forever? I won't say I'm not tempted—everyone has a price, but this man has stalked me. He's haunted me like a goddamn ghost for the better part of a month. He stalked me, he broke into my house—I don't even know how many times—and he waited here for me, on my bed, like some kind of sicko freak.
"No. Absolutely not. No way, no thank you, nope." I gather my strength and try to shove him away, but he holds fast.
"That's an unfortunate stance you've taken, dearest. And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?" He lays both hands on my wrists.
"Nothing in the slightest," I snarl back at him. His hands clamp down like vices.
"Forty million."
"No."
"Fifty."
"No!"
"A hundred."
"What's wrong with you? A hundred million? Fuck off, dickhead!" I spit back at him, and he just smirks.
"Back to that, are we? I can't say I've missed it very much." He shifts himself, and quicker than I can comprehend, something sharp and cold stings my arm.
My body feels warm and floaty, like I'm swimming in a vast hot tub. The room swirls behind his piercing green eyes. I try to lick my lips, but my mouth feels so dry. Time slows to a crawl, and everything goes black.
A whooshing roar fills my ears, and bright lights shine behind my closed lids. I scrunch my eyes shut tight and roll my head back and forth. The roar melds into the background and I hear… applause. Applause?
I peek one eye open and see a group of very well-dressed people seated in a small chapel. There's enough money in this room to pay my rent for the next ten years, let alone get me out of the country. I shuffle my feet and nearly fall, but someone catches me with ease. Someone in the crowd whoops happily, and they all laugh.
Where the fuck am I?
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Lyons!"
What? No. No, no, no, no. That motherfucker. I move to step away from him, to run, but the ruffles of my dress—a monstrosity of a dress, really—weigh me down. I can't run.Fuck.Tears fill my eyes, and I feel something cold, something solid on my left ring finger.
It's the biggest diamond I've ever seen in person, set atop a brilliantly gold ring—and it matches the thin, elegant wedding band it's stacked upon.
"Holy shit," I breathe, unable to form more coherent words.
"Beautiful, isn't it? Just like you. Now smile for the people, dearest." Dante flings his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in close. I think I'm going to be sick.
