Page 64 of Captive Bride: Armani
“For better or worse, ‘til death do we part,” he says, without a hint of warmth.
“What? How?”
“In a legally binding ceremony performed by an authorized officiant, that’s how. The Marriage License Bureau is open ‘til midnight, 365 days a year. Convenient, isn’t it?”
“But…that’s impossible. I don’t even—why don’t I remember anything?”
Icy dread washes over me, along with the suspicion that this isn’t a hangover at all.
“You drugged me,” I murmur, suddenly dazed at the realization of it.
A frown quirks his lips. “I do regret that. I hadn’t planned to. But Clayton had to make a split-second decision in the heat of the moment. Regardless, it all worked out.”
My head is spinning, and not just from whatever Clayton knocked me out with.
“Whatall worked out? What the hell is going on?”
I’m fighting back tears, my mind reeling with confusion, but all I see on Armani’s face is a mixture of self-satisfaction and a distant, walled-off expression that tells me he’s got his guard up against me. He doesn’t trust me anymore. Not one bit. This isn’t the man I was falling in love with. In fact, with the way he’s looking at me, I barely recognize him.
It sends a shiver over my arms, and I’m suddenly very aware that the tide has shifted. I’m no longer in Armani’s good graces. I’m far, far from it.
My heart flutters in a panic. How did I let myself get into this mess?
Juliana warned me that something was up this weekend, but I didn’t listen. I insisted on tagging along with Armani on this trip, and then I saw something I wasn’t supposed to. It’s starting to filter back to me. The man with the tattoo on his neck getting shaken down, his face bleeding and bruised. The murderous look in Armani’s eyes when he caught me.
What happened after I lost consciousness? Is the tattooed man…dead?
“Armani, please, if you’ll just let me explain.”
I try to plead with my eyes, but his entire demeanor suddenly shifts from icy to hot as he launches himself onto the bed, backing me up against the pillows. His arms trap me in, and I let out a gasp of fear. He stares at me with murder in his eyes, and I know without a doubt that I am in very, very big trouble. I’ve never seen him so angry before.
“I know what you’re up to, Cassandra. I’ve known all along.” His tone is edgy, his purposeful use of my full name threatening. “Why do you think I asked you to move in with me in the first place? You keep your friends close, your enemies closer—or are you unfamiliar with the expression?”
“I’m not your…” And then my voice trails off, because I know it’s not true.
A friend wouldn’t spy on someone. A friend wouldn’t gather information about somebody to deliver to someone else who intends to do them harm. I am most definitely not Armani’s friend. But I never felt like his enemy until right now.
“I was going to tell you everything,” I tell him, but it sounds weak even to my ears.
Ignoring me, he says, “If you’ll kindly keep your lying mouth shut, I’ll be happy to explain how things are going to play out. You’re not getting out of this, so don’t bother trying.”
He moves off of me, off the bed, and gets to his feet again, calmly smoothing one hand down his tie. I can barely breathe. My chest is so tight. My brothers have backed me into corners before, but never like this.
“Listen closely,” he goes on, “because I’m only going to tell you once. If I have to repeat myself, there will be consequences.”
Almost immobilized by terror, I quickly nod.
“This marriage is nothing more than a maneuver to convince the Brunos that I trust you, so they’ll continue employing you as their mole. Except this time, you’ll be my mole instead.”
I frown. There’s no point trying to deny what I did, what I am. He knows the truth. But…
“You want me to work both sides? It’s too dangerous. They’ll kill me if they find out.”
“Not my problem,” he says breezily. “You’ll just have to make sure they don’t.”
“But the second they see this ring on my finger, they’ll boot me,” I insist. “There’s no way the Brunos are going to believe I’d actually rat out my new husband to them.”
“No, Candi, that wedding ring isexactlywhat they need to see,” Armani practically spits. “Because you are going to convince them that you coercedmeinto marryingyou, solely to ingratiate yourself with my family even deeper. You are going to convince the Brunos that you fully intend to live up to the deal you made with them. You are going toinsistthat you will complete the mission. And they are going to believe you.”
