Page 78 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 4

“You do?” she blubbered.

“Baby girl, your dad is a mess without you. He hates that we had to make this quick trip, but we plan to get on a plane tonight and come home. We’re bringing my mother and two siblings with us.”

“I’ll get to meet your family?” she asked, a bit more chipper.

“Yeah, we’re going to all be together. One big happy family. Very soon. And we’ll be planning the wedding, and of course, you’re going to be in the wedding.”

“Really? As a real bridesmaid? Not just the flower girl?”

I chuckled. “That’s right. And of course, I’ll need your help with every detail, if you’re interested…”

“Oh my god! I get to help plan your wedding and be a bridesmaid? My friends are never going to believe how cool this is.”

“I’m glad, honey. Now you start looking online for dresses and keep a list of all the ones you like. We’ll look at them when we get home. Deal?”

“I’m so excited!”

“I’m glad, Em.” I smiled as I stared at my feet. “We will deal with your mother when we return, but are you okay? Dad’s busy right this moment, but I could have him call you when we’re on the plane.”

“Don’t bother, I’m fine,” she gushed, her mother’s drama pushed into a corner while this new shiny thing had her attention. “I have so much to research about weddings! Love you, Maia. Can’t wait for you guys to get home.”

I shook my head and toed the ground, my phone pressed tightly to my ear so I could enjoy her happiness for a moment.

“Okay Em. I’m going to let you go. Love you too. See you soon.”

“Bye!” she said and hung up.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a pair of dress shoes appeared on the ground in front of me. I moved to glance up and stared straight into the eyes of my worst enemy.

Derrick.

On my chest, I felt something hard and circular prodding me.

A gun.

“Scream and you die right here,” Derrick grimaced. “Now be a good girl and start walking.” He nudged me with the gun, gesturing for me to cross the street.

I looked over my shoulder as I moved forward, the gun now pointed at my head from behind. On the ground near the SUV about ten yards from where I’d been walking, I saw the big beefy security guard knocked out cold. His chest was still moving thankfully.

“Derrick, what are you doing?” I snarled even though my hands shook, and fear flooded my veins.

“What I should have done a long, long time ago. Taking care of our family’s little problem.”

“Which is what?” I glanced over my shoulder at the house where Rhodes was, hoping another of the guards might notice me missing or their colleague on the ground. No such luck.

“Move, you little slut. Even now in that dress. Showing your tits and legs off like you always did. Asking to be fucked.”

“I’m wearing a perfectly respectable dress for a funeral, you asshole. It’s men like you that think they can take whatever they want just because they are men,” I bit out.

“Women are the weaker sex,” he snapped. “Your kind are here only to serve us. Any propaganda otherwise is nonsense.”

“You’re so fucked up in the head. The only way you can get anyone into your bed is by force. Is that what gets you off? Assaulting your sisters?”

“That space between your legs is just a hole to fuck, which I’m about to do before I put a bullet right between your eyes and solve all our problems for good.” He pushed me through the back gate of what I assumed was his house.

Over my dead body would that man touch me again.

I searched the area for a weapon of any kind. Leaning against the wall near the back door was a rake. I knew if he got me into that house, I’d never make it out alive.

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