Page 8 of Forbidden Sins

He didn’t know the time, or even what day it was until he went to the smart TV that was mounted on the wall, and was shocked by what it told him.Saturday. Five p.m.He’d somehow slept through most of Saturday. And Ellie, his wife, was nowhere to be found in the suite. He pushed back his hair and pulled on his boxer shorts, which he’d found at the foot of the bed. Then he saw it on the desk—a second platinum band, smaller and thinner than the one on his own finger, diamonds encircling it, on top of a piece of hotel stationery that bore the wordsGabe, I’m sorry—Ellie. She’d walked out while he was sleeping.

It was stupid—he barely knew the woman—but her abandonment still stung him like a great loss. He lifted the note, and underneath it was an official marriage certificate. Goddammit, their marriage had somehow been legit.

Walking through the suite, he saw the remnants of what looked like a wild night—his clothes strewn about, empty champagne bottles on the floor, liquid soaking the lush carpet—he remembered pouring it over Ellie’s body, and lapping it from her smooth skin—and a room service cart told him at least they’d managed to eat at some point.

The penthouse suite was empty, but not as empty as he felt. He wasn’t sure if it was the hangover, or disappointment from her absence. But he pushed past the sadness, the stupidity, the disappointment, when he thought of the legal ramifications of a marriage. Off the top of his head, he couldn’t recall Nevada’s marriage laws, but he knew that it would be a lot more than just signing some annulment papers. But not only that, Ellie, being a lawyer herself, through some legal maneuvering, could be entitled to his assets, and the Brotherhood’s assets. He could fight it, but so could she. Ellie wouldn’t come after him, his money, his house, the Brotherhood, would she? Gabe had no idea. He didn’t even know her.

“Oh God.” This is exactly why he never walked on the wild side. He’d potentially screwed up everything. He had to protect himself and his friends. He and Ellie had been beyond drunk, and he could argue intoxication as grounds for annulment. But he had to find her first. He checked the name on the marriage certificate. Ellie Carrington. He would have to look her up, find her. But first he had to get home, and figure out how to make everything right.

Ellie sat on her bed, her door closed, the blinds drawn and the lights off. She plucked a multigrain cracker from its sleeve and nibbled on a corner, trying to keep her stomach from revolting. She hadn’t had a hangover this bad in her life, and not only was she hungover, but once again, her drunken exploits had affected her sober life. She’d done quite a few questionable things under the influence, but when she’d awakened that morning, Gabe’s arms wrapped around her and a diamond-encircled wedding band on her finger, she’d panicked, slipped out of bed and, as quietly as she could, gathered her things and bolted.

She had somehow lost a night, and most of Saturday, with Gabe. Her head throbbed just thinking about it. It was a wild, incredible night. If only she could remember any of it.

It had been a long time since she’d had a night like that. Not since the hard-partying days ofold Ellie.The party monster with whom she’d been acquainted in her past had once again reared her ugly head and madeoverindulgencethe word of the day. She’d been drunk on alcohol, and drunk on Gabe. She had only the barest recollection of whatever had passed for their wedding ceremony, vaguely remembering Gabe slipping the diamond wedding band on her finger, and the Elvis impersonator declaring them husband and wife, and wishing them a “rocking life together.”

This is so fucked-up.How was she going to get out of it? They could get an annulment, but she would have to find Gabe—why had she taken off without waking him and not stayed to talk about what they’d done? “Like an actual adult,” she muttered to herself, reaching into the sleeve for another salted cracker.

Ellie had had an amazing night with Gabe, and when she’d woken up that morning, she felt the need to get out of there. To put her slip back intoold Ellie’sworld behind her.

She’d needed to leave, and hoped he would forget about her, or that their wedding hadn’t been real, or legal. But that morning, as she’d zippered her dress, and took one last look at his sleeping form—that incredible, strong body—her only regret was that she wouldn’t get one more night with him.

A knock on the door made her wince, the noise vibrating around inside her head, against her brain. Knowing it was Rachel, she said “come in.”

Rachel opened the door a crack. The light coming into her darkened room made her squint her eyes shut. “Just get in here and close the door.”

“Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?”

“You do not. What time did you get in last night? Or should I saythis morning? I was thinking about calling the police with Gabe’s information, but you sent me this.” Rachel produced her cell phone. Ellie looked at the screen and a picture of Gabe, Elvis and herself, smiling and standing in front of an altar left over from 1979, holding a small bouquet of wilted pink carnations.

“What happened to you last night? You got married? You’re lucky I had to work this morning, because I would have definitely come out and hauled your ass home.”

“Yeah. I kind of wish you had.”

Rachel picked up Ellie’s left hand. “Where’s your ring?”

“I left it in a penthouse suite at the Bellagio.”

“This is unbelievable. I don’t even know what to say. You’re married.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“I take it you aren’t a thrilled blushing bride.”

“Why would I be? It was stupid. A drunken mistake. We need an annulment.”

“What did you guys decide to do?”

Ellie winced again, and the pain in her head now had nothing to do with her piercing hangover. It was regret. “Nothing. I snuck out before he woke up.”

Rachel’s mouth hung open. She picked up a small pillow and threw it at Ellie. “You...did a walk of shame after your own wedding night?”

“It wasn’t awalk of shame.” She tried to defend herself, but knew it wasn’t going to work. “It was a bad decision. I didn’t know how to face the guy. I needed to get my mind right, organize my thoughts, before I see him again.”

Rachel looked at Ellie, and laid down on the bed next to her. She took a cracker from the package and popped it into her mouth. “This is you organizing your thoughts?”

“As soon as the room stops spinning, I’ll start organizing.”

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