ICE-BLUE EYES so round stare up at me. It reminds me of how she looked at me after I caught her seeing me kill James. The shock written all over her face. Her plump lips close and her throat works, swallowing. “I … I don’t believe you,” she mumbles.
It’s the same thing she said to me when I told her I didn’t love her in the bathroom at the house of Lords when she came barging in demanding that I tell her the truth. That I wasn’t just using her. She was right. I had been lying to her. She was more to me than a fuck. She was my wife. “I’m not lying to you.”
Shaking her head, she takes a step back. Those wide eyes go over to her father, but he has no clue what I’ve done. If he did, he’d probably try and throw me out of this house. He’d have to kill me first, and by the looks of him, I’m not worried about it.
“I’m marrying Chance,” she whispers, licking her lips.
“You were going to marry Chance because I told him to. He was doing me a favor.”
Her dark brows scrunch together. “No,” she growls, getting angry. “You and I didn’t have a wedding…”
“You don’t need a wedding to marry someone,” I state, and her eyes widen once again. “All you need is a marriage license signed by two people. And an officiate to sign off on it.”
“But I didn’t—”
“You did,” I interrupt her. “I slid it into the stack for you to sign when we closed on this house. You signed it. Not even bothering to read it.”
She gasps.
“We’ve been married ever since.”
She frowns, her eyes falling to her bare feet after a long second. She then looks up at me and I bite back a smile at the angry look in her eyes. There’s my little demon. She shoves my chest, but I don’t budge. “So what about Chance? You were going to make me think I was actually married to him?”
“I needed it to look real,” I say defensively.
I knew her mother would make a big fuss about it. Hundreds of Lords were supposed to be there. A couple of them were already aware she is my wife, but the ones that mattered didn’t. It was going to be my best-kept secret.
“For your own sick pleasure?” she barks out. “Another way to make me look like an idiot?”
“No,” I snap. “To set up Linc.”
“You manipulated me! But why? Were you going to let him fuck me?”
“Fuck no!” I shout, the thought making my blood boil.
He’ll never get near her again, let alone touch her. Chance and I had a plan. He was going to bring her back to her house and have Linc meet them here. I was going to be waiting on them. And the moment he went to touch her, I was going to intervene. I had proof that he had already forced her to her knees for him in her bedroom before the engagement party, and she was already my wife. I never wanted him to touch her, but I saw that too late, otherwise I would have stopped it before that had even happened. Consequences be damned.
“The moment Linc got near you, I was going to step in. It’s a crime in the Lords’ eyes to fuck someone else’s Lady without her Lord’s permission.”
She throws her head back, giving a rough laugh. “I forgot a Lady can’t get dick anywhere else, except from her Lord, but he can fuck whoever he wants.” She places her hands on her hips. “Just like you’ve been fucking Amelia this entire time we’ve been married. So instead of being your sidepiece, I’m going to be the one you come home to after you’re done fucking them.” She gives another rough laugh. “You’ve made my dreams come true, Sin.”
I suck in a deep breath at her words and step into her. “You’re the one who has spread her legs for others.” She gasps. “I, however, haven’t fucked anyone other than you.”
“Well, I don’t believe you.” She places her hands on her hips and pops one out. “I saw you.”
The video my sister had mentioned. “I can explain that…”
“Of course, you can. I’m sure it’ll just be another lie that I won’t be able to prove. But I’ll be honest with you, I sucked Linc’s cock.”
She tries to make it sound like she wanted it. As if he didn’t blackmail her into it. I get it. She wants to hurt me like I hurt her. But she has no clue what I have and haven’t done.
“How’s that make you feel?” she barks out at my silence.
I step into her, pushing her back into the counter, and she sucks in a breath when I cup her face. “I watched you on your knees in your bedroom for him, Elli.” Tears start to fill her eyes at my confession, her lips beginning to tremble. “I know he forced your hand. And I know you did it for me.” Sighing, I add, “I’m sorry but I saw it after the fact. I’ll never forgive myself for not being able to protect you.”
Her teary eyes narrow on mine, and then she reaches up, slapping me across the face. “You son a bitch—”
“ENOUGH!” her father shouts, making her jump. I think she forgot he was present. I didn’t. I just don’t give a fuck if he knows or not. She’s mine. No one can take her from me.
She takes in a deep breath and her eyes meet mine, that first tear finally falling down her cheek. “I hate you,” she manages to say through gritted teeth.
The words mean nothing to me because it doesn’t matter. “Hate me all you want, I’m still your husband and no one can change that. Not even you.”
ELLINGTON
MARRIAGE?
I’m Mrs. Easton Sinnett?
He watched me suck Linc off in my bedroom? How?
My heart is pounding at his betrayal. At this point, I can’t tell what’s a truth or a lie.
“I think we need to sit.” My father breaks the silence and Sin takes a step back from me, giving me some breathing room, and I run a hand through my hair.
Following them into the living room, I sit on the couch, making sure there’s plenty of room between me and Sin. My mind yells at me that I should be pissed but it also says I told you he wasn’t done with you. I knew everything he said to me was a lie in his bathroom at the house of Lords. I was more to him than just a fuck. Wife never crossed my mind, though.
I’m married to Easton Bradley Sinnett. I wish I could scream it to the world. But it’s obvious we have to keep it a secret. I hope not forever.
Sin is the first to break the silence. “I spoke to Chance earlier. He’s calling off the wedding.”
I want to ignore him, but I can’t help but ask, “Why? You said we needed it to happen. Look believable.” My voice is soft. Shaking hands folded in my lap. I’m trying to calm my nerves. I want to slap him and fuck him right now. I’ve never been this confused in my life and that’s saying a lot.
“We did,” he answers. “But that was before your father was dropped off at our door.”
I look over at my father sitting across from us and he’s already staring at me. I drop my eyes, still not ready to tackle that situation. I tend to think I can handle a lot, but one thing at a time.
“Well, once I stopped Linc, I was going to make it a big scene, but things have changed.” He relaxes into the couch and jealousy makes my body heat rise at how calm he is right now after what we both revealed to one another in the kitchen. “A Lord is taught to show the world our power. That’s why we have confessionals at the cathedral. We string up those that do us wrong in front of our fellow Lords. And that was my plan for Linc, but now that’s no longer an option. We’ve got to do it quietly.”
When my father doesn’t say anything, I ask again, “Why?”
“Because to the world, your father is dead. We have to keep him hidden and make sure no one knows except the ones we want to know.”
“Which is no one,” my father states.
Sin frowns at him in question.
My father leans forward, elbows on his knees. “There were only two people who knew my brother existed and could have set up my death.”
“Who are they?” Sin asks.
“I’d rather not say just yet,” my father answers and Sin shifts, no longer comfortable.
“Are you serious?” he asks.
My father nods. “It would ruin several lives if I’m wrong.”
“Several lives have already been ruined,” I state, getting to my feet. Why is he here if he’s not going to help us? Who knows if he was even where he says he was for the last nine years. Who knows what he’s been doing? We may never know the truth.
“Elli?” Sin sighs my name.
“Forget it, Sin.” I wave him off. “He’s not going to help us. So whatever you did to get him out wasn’t worth it.”
My father jumps to his feet too. “Ellington,” he growls my name. “You don’t know what’s going on.”
“I know enough!” I shout at him. “I’m so fucking tired of the lies, the secrets. The Lords do nothing but fuck up everything. And all you guys do is make excuses and cover for them.” Turning my back on them, I head to the master suite. I slam the door shut and lock it. Not like it’s going to keep Sin out. If he wanted to, he’d kick it down.
Placing my forehead on the cool wood, I take in a deep breath and realize he didn’t follow me.
