Page 8 of Vengeful Vows

“Not like you come from a family of saints.” Paige chuckles.

There’s a brief knock on the door just as Lara finishes blowing out my hair, and when I glance over at the mirror, I have to admit that she did a good job. Paige also made my makeup look really natural, and the green eyeshadow shows off the green in my hazel eyes.

“Come in,” Paige calls.

Gray walks in, and I stiffen as his intense blues eyes zero in on me.

“You girls done primping?” His demeanor is so different. He still looks intimidating, but he has a bit of a smirk on his face.

Relax.

I stand up, although I can’t imagine my face looks like I’m feeling anything but dread.

“I’ll walk you down the aisle.” Gray sticks out his elbow.

“Lovely,” I mutter, but I loop my arm through his.

I take a breath. I just have to endure this until I can get away, and then my father will drown the city with their blood.

3

DECLAN

What in the absolute fuck is going on here? My family have all gone nuts, and I don’t know how it happened. When I suggested kidnapping Bree Murphy, I definitely didn’t have any idea that it would go this way.

I thought we’d hold her for ransom, scare her, freak out Niall so that he would act. Da had seemed so into the idea, but now I wonder if he had these plans all along.

How the hell do I get out of this?

My sisters stand as if they’re bridesmaids, both dressed in chocolate brown dresses that I suppose they just had hanging in their closets.

Unless the family planned this ahead of time? It took a couple of days before I was able to grab Bree, so maybe....

God, was this all planned behind my back?

I’m panicking, and I don’t know how to hide it. I don’t understand how this is happening, and why the hell I’m going along with it. I guess it’s because I always listen to my da, no matter what.

I’m married to the life, married to doing exactly what my father needs, and I never thought I’d be here. I certainly could have never imagined I’d be marrying a Murphy.

I’m wearing my best three-piece suit, in black, with a silk blue undershirt, and when Bree comes out into the foyer, she’s wearing an ivory dress with embroidered flowers all over it.

And if I had to be honest, she looks stunning. She was a sight before, all sweaty and pale, but now she’s one of the most gorgeous women I’ve ever seen with her long, auburn hair flowing down her back. There’s a slit up one side of the dress and her shoulders are bare and the flashes of skin I can see are mouthwatering.

She has her small hand looped through Gray’s arm, and her face is absolutely blank. There’s fear in her hazel eyes, too, but also... she’s tough. She hasn’t cried, hasn’t screamed or had any temper tantrums. There's something hard about her that intrigues me.

But did I want to marry her? No.

I can understand what my father is thinking, although it seems insane.

This will piss off Niall Murphy, maybe even more than holding Bree for ransom. He’ll be out for blood after this. It will kill him to learn his daughter was taken from home and forced to marry under duress.

Gray walks her up to me, and as she gets closer, her hazel eyes blaze as she looks into mine.

She’s not just afraid. She’s pissed off, and I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I thought she’d just be scared, like everyone else I’ve ever put in that panic room.

As she gets to my side, Father Hannigan starts his spiel, and I’m barely listening. She’s glaring up at me, making eye contact, and it’s making my breath catch in my throat. There’s something very attractive about how angry she is, how it’s overtaking the terror in her eyes.

“I do,” I say, after Father Hannigan asks me if I’ll take her as my wife, still shocked that this is happening.

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