Page 2 of Ferocious Nightmare

“You conspired with Rose to escape."

My mouth dropped open in shock. “Did you kill her?" My voice came out an unbelieving squeak. I knew Coulter could be cruel but this? How could he?

He laughed, the sound low and bitter. "You really think so little of me, don't you?"

My lips parted but no words came out. His fingertips on my collar burned, holding me to the wall not by strength, but by the sheer determination of his barbed gaze.

I scowled. Slapping his hand off me, I folded my arms across my chest and tilted my head upwards to stare at him menacingly. "Quit playing games. Tell me what happened to Bourbon and Rose."

He slid his hands in his pockets and tilted his head to the side to study me. "You care about my brother now?"

It was then that I noticed the flower in his suit pocket. All throughout the wedding, he'd had a red rose, just like all of the other grooms…except for one. The man who’d worn a chocolate cosmos, my favorite flower, pinned to his suit as a sign from Rose that he was the groomsman who was going to help me escape.

Now, Coulter was wearing that same flower.

Had he killed that guy too, and was wearing the flower as some kind of fucked up trophy?

Snapping my hand forward, I grabbed the flower and held it up to him. "What is this?"

His lip tilted upwards in a half smile as he glanced at it, then back at me. "You finally noticed that, did you?"

I threw it to the ground. "Tell me the truth, Coulter. What is going on? Where is Rose and Bourbon? Did you hurt them?"

His eyes searched mine and the room descended into an eerie silence as a cold detachment came over him. "You really believe I'm capable of that, don't you?"

"I don't know!" I threw up my hands. "I barely know you."

His gaze hardened and his hand snapped out, wrapping around my throat as he pressed me into the wall. "Since you barely know me, here's an introduction to the man who will be your new husband." I opened my mouth to protest my new standing but he didn't let me get a word in. "My name is Coulter King, the new heir to the Las Vegas Mafia because our good little doctor tested Bourbon's DNA. Now Nero has discovered that Bourbon is not his son at all. He is the bastard son of my uncle, who had his head cut off and his eyes scooped out.”

“The cake.” I clasped my hand over my mouth, feeling ill. My throat was suddenly full, my chest heaving at the reminder of how Coulter made me come all over his fingers while staring at that cake. It was revolting.

“And now, you," he continued, his thumb stroking my throat, "are engaged to be my wife, as one of the lost Petrov princesses and therefore mafia royalty. And you will marry me if you want to keep Rose and Bourbon alive.”

“So they’re safe.” I choked out the words, relief flooding me.

He nodded.

“You got them out. He was going to kill them at the wedding, and you got them out before it happened. That’s why he was so agitated at dinner.” I shook my head in disbelief. “He was going to kill Bourbon at his own wedding.”

“Announcing our upcoming nuptials was the only way to appease my father. Otherwise, his men would be searching the earth for both Bourbon and Rose.”

My heart lurched and I clasped his wrist, exhaling a breath. "Why didn’t you tell me the plan before— “

“You. Preaching communication?” he sneered.

I gripped his wrist tight. “You should’ve asked me to marry you first. Before you told everyone.”

“And if I’d asked you,” his gaze seared into me, “would you have refused?”

“If you’d told me the truth, of course not.”

“Then it doesn’t matter.” His face was so hard, his eyes so empty. "For now, all that matters are that my father is trusting me. And that’s only because I've vowed my loyalty to him. That, and I will produce an heir within one year of our marriage."

Oh God.This was really happening. I felt the bars of my new cage closing in around me. I was never leaving this place.

"As much as you may hate and despise me," his voice was so cold, so cruel, the sickening feeling sunk into my bones, "you will be my wife to save your sister’s life. After you've produced an heir, I will let you have your little escape. Then you can join Rose and Bourbon, as long as you swear to leave my son with me."

"Coulter." I hated how cold he was being, how small my own voice sounded. "I didn't betray you."

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