Page 48 of Red Retaliation
“They’re here somewhere.” Liam pats his pockets. “Anyway, if the worst comes to the worst, there are spares you can use over there.”
I blink.He can’t mean...
I pale.Mine and Roberto’s rings? They’re in here?
Nausea floods me as I follow Liam’s hateful stare to a large chest I haven’t noticed before in the corner, and it dawns on me whatelseis in there.
Red lurches towards Liam, no doubt reaching the same conclusion: his brothers have brought Roberto’s body into this office.The man I killed is in that chest.
My legs buckle, stopping Red from going for Liam as he leans in to support me.
“Ah, here they are!” Liam exclaims; his tone sickly sweet. “They were here all along! Fancy that!” Striding over, he ignores Red’s withering glare. His fake niceness doesn’t fool me either. The hatred oozing in my direction is thicker than ever.
I get through the rest of the ceremony, repeating the expected parts, while Red’s face remains thunderous. How my legs hold me up, I do not know, but I manage not to look back in the direction of the chest.
“...It therefore gives me great pleasure to pronounce you are now husband and wife. You may now kiss each other.”
Fuck! What now?
Before I can react, Red leans towards me and delivers a quick, chaste kiss on my lips.
Like a traitor, my eyes close, my body wishing for more, but nothing else is forthcoming. Before I know it, we’ve signed the register and I’m escorted back up the corridor.
CHAPTER
33
Red
I’M PULLING Arianna away from my office too fast. I should slow down, but I have to get away from that room before I’m unable to control my actions.
Liam crossed the fucking line. Bringing Bristoni’s corpse into my office just to get a cheap fucking dig? I can barely believe it and could gladly kill him.
I might yet.
Brother or not, I definitely would if things weren’t so fraught.
“Red, wh...?”
“Please don’t ask questions, Arianna,” I snap. “I’m not in the mood.” And I’m not. I’m absolutely furious. When Arianna walked in before the ceremony started, just for a short time, I forgot what my life entailed. I forgot that my entire existence is a web of lies, bullshit and contrived agreements to ensure my firm runs smoothly. I forgot everything comes at a price - usuallymine.
I should be used to it - and I am, but just for a split second, I glimpsed what it might be like to live a “normal” existence, where things happened because youwantedthem to.
Arianna looked like a dream.
She still does.
I risk a quick glance at her as she clatters in her heels along the corridor to keep up with me. What Liam did was a dig at her more than me, and a cruel one at that. “Are you all right?”
She doesn’t speak, just nods as I continue my rapid pace. I haven’t gotthe time to factor in the length of her wedding dress. She’ll just have to keep up and hope she doesn’t fall. I need to get this announcement over and done with. “Remember to act the part in front of the press.”
“Press? W-What press?”
I frown as I continue walking. “I’ve invited them here so I can give a statement about our marriage. As I said before, we must come across as believable.”
The mood I’m in now, I’m unsure if I can, but I must push Liam and all of his shit out of my head and do what I usually do - flick the switch and be whatever I need to be - the master of disguise.
As we near the casino staff entrance, I turn to Arianna, the worry clear on her face. “Leave everything to me. You don’t need to say a word. I’ll do the talking.” I force myself to grin. “Just smile and pretend you love me.”
