Page 37 of August 20

Brooke refused to look at him. She wrapped her arms around herself. Her trembles were visible. He'd taken the one thing that meant the world to her—a feeling he understood too well.

Knowing what she was going through, he focused on what needed to be done. Once it was over. She would have Skye back. And so would he.

"Brooke." He swallowed and let his throat settle down before he continued. "You're coming with me, and you'll sign for a marriage license."

Her gaze snapped to him. "No."

"Don't cause a scene, and we'll pick up Skye on the way home." He coughed louder. "If you refuse to sign the license, you'll never see Skye again."

She shook. "You won't do that."

Holding the base of his neck under his beard, he cleared his throat. He wasn't changing his mind. Brooke had shown her alliance early on. She would never leave Skye. This was a way to get her under his control, to protect his back.

Nobody would lose.

Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a wrapped peppermint drop. He put the candy in his mouth and stuffed the wrapper in his pocket. Normally, sucking on something failed to help his throat, but he needed to talk while at the courthouse without having a coughing fit.

Brooke must understand he would not allow her to call out for help or cause a scene.

"Say a word. I call Dio, and he runs with Skye." He furiously rolled the mint around his mouth, trying to soothe the tension in his neck.

"Why are you doing this?" Brooke sniffed. "You're hurting Skye."

"Because I couldn't kill you." He stepped closer. "Because you wouldn't take the money and leave."

"So, so you're forcing me to marry you?"

He nodded. Brooke stared him down, but he refused to entertain her idea that she wasn't getting married. She was. He'd make sure of that.

"Ready?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No." He rolled the candy across his tongue. "Hand."

Several minutes later, she put her hand out in front of her. He removed her driver's license from his pocket and handed it to her.

He motioned toward her pocket. Once she'd put it away, he clasped her hand and left the house.

He waited in the car until she buckled up, then drove down the driveway. Once the marriage license was acquired, he could get married on Thursday.

He parked Brooke's car in front of the two-story courthouse.

"I'm going to yell for help the moment I'm inside," she whispered. "I'm going to scream until everyone comes running, and then I'm going to have the police arrest you. I'll make sure you go to prison for the rest of your life."

"No." He didn't believe her.

"I will." She lifted her trembling chin higher. "I hope the police shoot you."

He grasped that stubborn chin and pulled her within an inch of his face until they were nose to nose, lips to lips. Inhaling deeply, he could smell the fear coming off her.

"If you yell. If the police come." His voice gave out, and he swallowed repeatedly until he could speak again. "Havlin will make sure you never see Skye again."

She jerked out of his clutch. He let her go. While she sat back in shock, he got out, coughing until his chest wheezed. He'd done too much talking.

He stood outside the car for several minutes, waiting for her to realize he wasn't joking.

Finally, she opened the door. He halted her on the sidewalk.

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