After that, a DJ comes onto the stage, and Julian approaches, all feline grace and wicked intentions.
“A dance with my beautiful new daughter-in-law,” he says, but it’s not a question, more like a demand.
“Lilly?” Ash asks, and my heart swells, my knees a little weak at the concern in his eyes. He’d refuse his father, for me, and I love him all the more for it.
“It’s fine, Ash,” I reply with a saccharine smile, and one of his brows lifts. “Can you ask the DJ to play Lilly’s request please?”
“Of course,” he assures me, his tone laced with confusion as he leans down to place a kiss on my cheek. “I hope that you know what you’re doing, Princess,” he whispers into my ear before pulling away. With one last scathing glance at his father, whose eyes are trained on me, he turns and heads to the stage.
Julian steps close, pressing his body against mine in a move that makes me shudder, swallowing bile. He pulls me into a hold, one hand just above the swell of my arse, the other gripping my palm.
“Quite a show you’ve just given you guests, daughter,” he purrs into my ear, and I clench my teeth when I feel something beginning to harden against my lower stomach. Fucking hell! He’s turned on by calling me daughter!
The opening bars of an upbeat pop song start playing, and Julian falters just as a wicked grin spreads across my lips. I hear Loki’s braying laughter as he recognises Fuck You by Lily Allen, the song that has just started playing. You see, I asked the DJ in advance if, when I gave the request, he would play it. I knew that Julian wouldn’t be able to resist being his cuntish self and trying to assert his disgusting dominance over me.
Julian’s grip becomes bruising, digging into my soft flesh, but I’m uncaring as I lean away from him so that I can look up into his face.
“What’s wrong, Julian? Don’t you like the song?”
His face is like granite, all hard lines and cold planes, his eyes silver fire as they try to burn me up. I can’t resist poking the bear.
“I’ve had my lawyers look into Black Knight Corporation, and imagine my surprise to learn that I own more of your company than you do,” I tell him, my smile genuine and wide. His nostrils flare, and I have to forcibly relax my face when his grip becomes painful.
His jaw clenches, his teeth grinding together as he continues staring into my eyes, our silent battle starting to be noticed.
“Didn’t you want to dance? You wouldn’t want to let your adoring public down now would you? Where are they?” I tip my head to the side, looking around as if searching for them. I catch Ash’s worried gaze, his brows lowered over grey eyes just as Julian bends to whisper in my ear.
“I see that you learn your lessons slowly, daughter.” This time he practically spits the word out, and I can’t stop the flinch that escapes me, and see Ash start to head towards us. “Enjoy your honeymoon.”
And with that, he drops his grip, turning and striding away from me, shoulders tense. I look after his retreating back, worrying my bottom lip with my teeth.
“Princess? Are you okay?” Ash asks, suddenly at my side, the others surrounding me in a protective circle. I blink, turning my confused gaze to Ash’s.
“He told me that I learn my lessons slowly, and then wished me an enjoyable honeymoon,” I tell him, watching his forehead crease, his hand coming up to my lower back, resting exactly where Julian’s did.
“You don’t go anywhere alone tonight, Baby Girl,” Jax rumbles, grasping my cold hand in his large warm one. My eyes lock onto his, the blue churning with worry.
“Hey,” I say gently, stepping closer to him and cupping his face with my hand. “He was just being an arsegoblin.” I’m rewarded with a quirk of Jax’s lips, an almost smile.
“All the same, Pretty Girl,” Loki adds, brushing my cheek with his fingers, my head turning until I’m lost in emeralds. “Stay with one of us for the rest of the night, yeah?”
I look at Kai.
“I agree, darling. I don’t trust him or any of the board,” he tells me, stroking my back with his warm hand.
“Ash?” I question, not quite believing that it’s as serious as they’re making it out to be.
“Better safe than sorry, Princess.” His hand rubs the spot that I know will have Julian’s bruises, like he knows that his father has hurt me already tonight.
I shrug. “Okay, sure. Now can we just dance?”
I give a little wiggle of my hips, earning relieved smiles from all of them, though there is still a tightness around each of their eyes that causes unease to unfurl in my stomach.
A couple of hours later, I’m sitting with Loki, a pleasant tiredness settling over me as I watch Lex and Ryan on the dance floor, having a great time. Willow is up on stage with the DJ, looking like she might score tonight, and when she glances over to me, I raise my glass of pink lemonade in salute.
Jax is sitting with his mother, who insisted on coming today even though he was adamant that she still needed to rest. I can see him hovering, her small hand in his large one as she smiles and taps her foot to the beat of the song that’s currently playing. Kai was called to his uncle’s side, something about talking to some new tech developers that Black Knight has an interest in. I hate that he has to go near that monster, worried that he might try something. But I can see him across the marquee, talking to some men in dark suits, which calms my worry a little.
“Should we rescue Ash?” Loki murmurs in my ear, his long fingers pushing back the hair from my neck and sending electricity skittering across my skin.
I look over and chuckle to see Ash being hounded by an older couple, apparently some long-distance relatives.
“Nah, I need a piss,” I tell him, heaving myself to my feet and grateful that I took my heels off some hours ago, replacing them with simple ballet pumps.
“I love it when you talk dirty, baby,” Loki groans, laughing when I whack his rainbow covered bicep.
We make our way to the exit of the marquee, posh portaloos having been set up outside, nestled in the trees, and down a path lit by strings of bare bulbs in rainbow colours. As we approach the doorway, someone steps up to Loki and I see that it’s his father, Chad.
“A word, son,” he says, voice cold, and ignoring me completely.
“Just give me a minute,” Loki replies, his voice just as devoid of warmth as his father’s.
“Now, boy,” Chad hisses, grabbing Loki’s arm and halting his steps. Loki glares, his gaze scathing.
“It’s okay, Loki. I’ll just be a moment,” I assure him, unable to wait any longer as the urge to empty my bladder becomes desperate. I hurry off, not waiting for a reply, and rush to the loos, making it just in the nick of time.
After taking care of business, I wash up and head back outside to find a man, partly in shadow, waiting for me.
“Adrian?” I ask, squinting, then straightening up as the moon emerges from behind a cloud, highlighting his features. His grey suit is tailored to perfection, his black hair littered with more grey than when I saw him back in England.
“Lilly, congratulations again,” he replies, his voice smooth, and a little detached. “Oh, and happy birthday,” he adds, again like he doesn’t give a fuck. A fissure of anger runs through me at how this man, my only blood family, cares less than my chosen family.
“Thank you,” I respond tightly, stepping to one side to pass him and head back to the party. He steps with me, and the anger that had been coiling in my stomach turns cold.
“I hate to do this here, today of all days, Lilly. But, I’ve had news. About your mom,” he tells me, stopping me dead as ice travels down my spine.
“About mum?” I repeat, taking a step closer to him. My heart races and my palms sweat as his words sink in. “Have they found who did it?”
Before he answers, something sharp stings my neck, and my hand flies to the spot to bat the bug away. Only my hand doesn’t make it all the way there, suddenly feeling too heavy to lift as my knees go weak.
“What the…” I trail off, my lips unable to form the rest of the sentence as my tongue grows heavy in my mouth.
My legs give out, and I hit the forest floor with a thud, unfeeling of the twigs and stones that poke my body, my head slamming on the dirt. A dark shape leans down, a soft touch brushing my hair from my face, as words caress my ears.
“Enjoy your honeymoon.”
I vaguely recall someone else tonight saying those exact words to me, but my brain is sluggish, and I can’t seem to make the connection. The sounds of the music from the party fade, the bright lights of the marquee dimming, before everything goes black.
