“I’ll do it, and I won’t fight it this time. I promise. Just let Kai go. Please.”
He pinches my chin, stretching my neck as he tilts it up. “You’re just like all women. Ruled by your emotions.” He narrows his eyes. “But you have inner strength, and it’s why you keep pushing back. You’re not as easy to break as most women. That might make me proud, if you weren’t trying to fuck with my plans and ruin my reputation.”
He lets go of my chin, but my reprieve is short-lived. He slaps me across the face, and Drew pulls me back, shielding me with his body. “You hit her again, and I’ll put a bullet through your skull.”
The bastard laughs. “I think not, son. Or have you forgotten the things you’ve done?”
“You don’t get to hurt my sister,” Drew snarls. “You can do your worst to me, but you won’t put your hands on her again or you can look for a new heir because I’ll put a bullet through my heart before you can stop me.”
Silence descends for a few beats until he says, “I will deal with you later.” Father’s threat sends chills down my spine. “Come here, Abigail, unless you want me to kill the punk right now. I know Trent’s only dying for an opportunity to pay him back.”
I step forward quickly, and the bastard chuckles. “You make it too easy.”
“I told you I’ll do what you want. Just let Kai go.”
“Abby.” Kai stirs in his chair, attempting to lift his head again. Pain makes mincemeat of my heart as I look at my broken and battered boyfriend. “No,” he murmurs. “No deal.”
“Stop, Kai,” Drew says. “Don’t make this any harder on her.”
“If I let the punk go today, there’s nothing to stop you from running off with him,” the bastard says, “and while I can increase security, you’re a cunning cunt, and I know you’d continue sneaking around with him, so I need something more.”
“I give you my word.”
He cranks out a laugh. “Your word means shit.”
“I told you she was a lying, cheating whore,” Trent supplies.
“Quiet!” Father snaps, and Trent shuts up.
“What are you saying?” I work hard to keep the panic from my voice and my face.
“You will marry Charles today. Here. The minister is on his way.”
My head spins, and my stomach lurches violently in protest, but I maintain a cool exterior, nodding my consent because I don’t trust my voice to say the words.
“No, Abby!!” The chair shakes as Kai tries to move. He looks at me through his one open eye, pleading with me not to do this. “Don’t do it.”
“I have to. I don’t have a choice. Not if I want to keep you alive.”
“You can’t trust him,” Kai pants. “He’ll kill me, anyway.”
“He won’t.” Charlie pulls me over to his side. “It was part of the deal we made. I know what your death would do to Abby, and I need my wife to be present, not locked in grief.”
“Deal?” Charles Barron Senior steps forward. “What deal are you talking about, son?”
“Your son has the smarts you weren’t born with,” Father says, stepping in front of Charlie’s father. “Did you honestly think you’d get away with partnering with my enemies behind my back?”
Charles looks at Charlie, his face aghast. “What have you done?”
Charlie’s face hardens. “You were the one who told me love was worth fighting for.” Charlie looks at me momentarily before looking back at his father. “I did what I had to do for the woman I love.”
“You fool!” Charles shakes his head. “She’s in love with another man!” He points at Kai. His head slumps again, and I know he’s struggling to stay conscious. “She will never love you! Whatever you’ve done has all been in vain!”
“She will learn to love me.”
“God.” Charles shakes his head. “I thought we raised you to be smarter than this.”
“I am smarter than you.” Charlie squares off with his dad. “Your plan would’ve gotten Mom and Lillian killed! You sided with the wrong team, Dad. But it’s okay. I’ve cleared up your mess.”
“You stupid boy. You’ve no idea what you’ve done.”
“The only stupid one around here is you.” Father shoves Charles in the chest. “Your son will succeed where you failed because he does what is necessary to make things happen. You had a choice, Charles, and you made the wrong one.”
Dad whips a gun out of the back waistband of his pants, presses the muzzle to Charles Barron’s head, and pulls the trigger.
Sylvia screams as Mr. Barron falls to the floor on his back with a resounding thud. His glazed eyes stare up at the ceiling, and blood trickles from the bullet hole in his head. My hand shakes as I cover my mouth and glance at Charlie. His Adam’s apple jumps in his throat, and the vein in his neck throbs wildly, but outwardly, he looks like witnessing his father being murdered in cold blood has had no effect.
“Maurio. Clean up that mess before the minister gets here.” Father summons his bodyguard with a click of his fingers. Maurio and Benjamin drag Charles’s dead body from the room while we watch in silence.
“Now. Back to business,” the bastard says, like he hasn’t just murdered a man in front of us. I’m shaking all over and working hard to disguise it. Charlie tightens his grip on my waist, and I want to push him away because he makes my skin crawl, but Kai’s life is hanging in the balance, and I can’t risk pushing anyone’s buttons.
Father picks up some documents on top of the coffee table, removing a pen from his inside jacket pocket. “You just need to sign on the dotted line, and she’s all yours.”
Charlie takes the papers and starts reading through them.
“There’s no need to go over it again,” Father says. “It’s like we agreed. The shares in Manning Motors that transfer to you when Abby turns eighteen will automatically be reassigned to me. And when you graduate, you are both free to leave Rydeville provided you settle somewhere in the US and you continue to fulfil your duties to the elite and the order within Parkhurst.”
He sends a scornful look in Kai’s direction. “I won’t harm the delinquent or your mother and your sister.” He stares Charlie in the eye. “Provided you remain married to my daughter and she does nothing to damage the Manning reputation.”
Charlie flips through the pages and, seemingly happy, puts his scrawl on the last page. Ice replaces the blood flowing through my veins when there’s another sharp knock on the door.
Father strides to the door and opens it with a flourish. “Mr. Wittington.” He shakes his head. “It’s so good of you to agree to do this today of all days.”
“Anything for you,” Mr. Wittington says through gritted teeth, and I wonder if he’s someone the bastard is blackmailing. “Who’s the lucky couple.”
“We are.” Charlie laces his fingers through mine, stepping forward.
“Congratulations.”
“Abby, no!” Kai calls out in a tortured voice. “I’m begging you. Don’t do this.”