Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“I’ll do it,” she said. There was no way she’d allow her mother to suffer.
Daemon smiled. “Shall we?” He put her hand through his. There would be bruises on her wrist. They wouldn’t appear right away, but they’d be there.
On her twenty-first birthday, she was getting married to a man she didn’t like, and tonight she was going to have to lose her virginity to him. What if he didn’t want to have sex? To consummate their marriage? She was going to be sick.
Taking deep breathes, she refused to vomit, to give in to him. There was no way she’d allow Daemon or any of these club members see weakness.
They got to the aisle. Petal had already walked down and she stared at her friend. The concern was there. The church had gone eerily silent and Rosalie glanced across the altar. There was the priest. Again, her mother had insisted. She looked at her … groom.
Colt stood there dressed in a suit. He was the only one who’d not worn his leather cut. All the bikers wore their leather jackets, a combination of leather pants or jeans. Some of the women wore skimpy but casual dresses. Kim had insisted on it.
Why was he wearing a suit? When her mother asked, she knew Colt had refused. What had changed?
The music started up and her father’s grip made her freeze inside. Stepping down the aisle, there was not a single friendly glance from either side.
The Evil Fuckers MC hated her for marrying Colt. The Satan’s Death Riders MC hated her because she was related to Daemon. There was no winning here. There was a brief smile from Warden, which she didn’t return. Then there was a beaming smile from her mother, who looked so happy.
Behind that smile, Rosalie knew her mother was holding on by a thread. These bikers that surrounded her were testing her resolve. She had hoped to keep the wedding small but again, her mother had insisted and Kim made sure it happened. Did her mother even realize that both clubs would be in residence today?
Colt stepped off the altar and came toward her. Her father placed her hand in Colt’s. His grip was just as tight, if not a little tighter. Following him up the steps to move in front of the priest, Colt didn’t let her go.
Everything was happening so fast, a little too fast. There was no way to escape. She couldn’t look away. Staring into the eyes of a man who hated her, who was going to marry her, was one of the most terrifying things she had ever done in her life. He’d promised to make her life miserable.
If she went through with this, Daemon would leave her mother alone. Could she do this? Should she do this? Rosalie couldn’t look away. Her life wasn’t more important than her mother’s. If she messed this up now, her father would come for her. Not only would he hurt her, probably kill her, he’d destroy her mother. Gabrielle wouldn’t stand a chance.
There were no vows. Colt didn’t have any, neither did she. The priest seemed a little perplexed by this, but he cleared his throat and carried on. No one stood up. Rosalie hoped the woman from the bar would have something to say about Colt marrying her, but nothing. The bitch didn’t say a freaking word.
It was time for him to kiss the bride.
She didn’t want to kiss him. Colt wouldn’t be her first kiss. She’d kissed other men, no, not men, boys. Colt was all man—a terrifying six-foot-something, brown hair, green eyes, muscular man. He didn’t look happy to be kissing her.
She didn’t wear a veil. There was nothing keeping them apart. Colt had let go of her hands and now he cupped her face. This couldn’t be happening. His lips brushed across hers.
The church erupted and Rosalie’s heart sank. They were married. She was now Colt’s wife.
He pulled away as soon as possible. Her lips tingled and before she knew what was happening, her mother was there, clapping her hands, tears in her eyes. She felt like crying as well, but she had a feeling it wasn’t for the same reason.
Her face was cupped and her mother dropped a kiss on her cheek. “You look so beautiful.”
As Daemon approached, the happiness in her mother’s eyes dimmed and she tried to move as far away without leaving as possible. Rather tricky, considering they were exposed in a church.
“Well done,” Daemon said. “You’ve made me very proud.”
Kim and Warden congratulated Colt, then turned to her, hugging and kissing her cheek, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. It wasn’t. This was all a fake.
Glancing over Kim’s shoulder at her father, he gave her a nod. What did that mean? Was it approval? Did he agree to leave her mother alone?