Page 12 of Professional Liar
“Okay.”
“Anything I should know about your family?”
“I don’t have much left. The extended family will likely ignore you and your family. Bianca won’t though. Be nice to her, please.”
He ducked his head to force me to meet his eyes. They looked black from the shadows of the limo and the tinted windows. “She means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”
I shrugged. Considering she was the reason I sat here in a wedding dress, I thought it didn’t need answered, but I didn’t want to say that so he didn’t question my words or intentions again.
“Are you ready to go inside? My guards will be in there roaming around. So we should be safe.”
I sighed heavily, as best I could with restricted lung capacity. “Let’s go make nice with two hundred people who probably want one or both of us dead.”
“It’s probably only about a hundred and fifty. Many of the kids haven’t been taught to hate either of us yet.”
I snorted, and as if he knew when to let us out, the door opened again, and Pierce climbed out to pull me to my feet. “Thank you.”
As the heavy wood swung in so we could enter the hall, Pierce leaned in. “By the way, the second I get you alone, I’m stripping you bare. I want to see every single inch of what’s mine.”
His words heated and enraged me at the same time. I lifted my chin and pasted on a smile. “We are on the same page then. I’m going to take that bowtie off you with my teeth. Once I get you naked, I’ll be taking inventory of what’smine.”
The corner of his mouth tipped up, but we didn’t have time for more back and forth as we joined our guests.
The hours wore on, my face hurt from smiling, and Pierce didn’t leave my side for a second. Everyone sighed and oohed as my aunt caught the bouquet. Everyone ribbed Pierce as he dove under my dress for the garter.
As things began winding down, I leaned in to ask if he wanted to go when something shattered across the room.
Near the dance floor, one of Pierce’s brothers, Irin, held Bianca’s wrist tight in one hand, her glass of champagne broken between them. We both surged to our feet, Pierce faster as I fought my dress to get up and around the table.
Pierce made it there first. I only caught the low whispers as I approached. His brother jerked away from Pierce and headed for the exit. “What the hell was that?” I demanded staring between him and Bianca.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Pierce said.
Anger had slowly been building since I saw Irin with his hand on my sister. Now, it exploded through me. I leaned in and jerked him down by the tuxedo lapel. “You do not tell me what I need to worry about,” I whispered loud and urgently.
Bianca backed away and skittered toward the bar for a new drink. Pierce broke my grip on his jacket and tucked my hand in his hard, pasting on a polite smile. “Let’s go.” His tone said the opposite of the soft upturn of his lips.
Damn him. Damn. Him.
This was the exact reason I’d fought against marriage, especially to him, for so long. The second the ceremony ended, they assumed they owned you.
I ripped my hand free, gathered my dress up, and marched toward the door without his help.
He needed to learn I didn’t answer to him. I got to the sidewalk before he joined me. The driver pulled the car up just as I came outside. I went straight for the door handle, but Pierce grabbed it first and opened it. I glared as I climbed inside.
He followed, and the car took off. The tension filled silence cracked and popped between us until I couldn’t stand it anymore. “What the hell was that?”
“You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
I rolled my eyes and dropped my head onto the leather. “Typical,” I said. Then louder, “Driver, please take me to my penthouse.”
He didn’t acknowledge the order. Pierce shifted closer. “He’s taking us to my house, not yours.”
“Why? My house is better.”
“My Italian marble would disagree with your quartz countertops,” he said and grinned.
I didn’t match it, still angry. “I’m not playing with you. Take me home.”
