Page 82 of Single Mom's Christmas Wish

“He’s upstairs, passed out,” Maddox replies. “Callie here has something to tell everyone.”

“No, I don’t,” she shoots back. “It was consensual.”

“He’s drunk, isn’t he?” I mumble, nausea still testing me from every fucking angle.

Maddox gives me a hard look. “No, he’s passed out. This bitch drugged him.”

“Callie?” I ask, suddenly staring at my sister with sheer disbelief and astonishment.

She rolls her brown eyes at me, crosses her arms, and lets out a heavy sigh. “I had to stop this wedding somehow,” she says. “It’s not like I could simply ask you to just call the whole thing off.”

“She slipped him a roofie, didn’t she?” Archer is quick to conclude and just as surprised. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“It worked,” Callie replies with a shrug.

All I can do is keep staring at her. “Why? Why would you do this?”

“That’s a stupid question. It’s eighty million dollars, Dakota. Did you really think I would just sit back and watch you take my inheritance? Of course not. I’m a Monroe. Monroe’s fight for what’s theirs. And you’re not worthy of all that wealth.”

“Wait, so you’re telling me Reed had no part in this?” I ask Maddox, choosing to ignore my treacherous sister altogether. I’ve already figured out how it happened. I just need confirmation that Reed is also a victim. My heart demands it. “He had no idea…”

“She slipped something into his drink,” Maddox confirms.

Callie scoffs. “I needed a way in. He gulped the whole thing down. All I had to do was mount him and wait for someone to come looking for the groom. I didn’t think it would be you, Dakota, coming through the door, but hey…”

“Is he okay?” Archer asks his brother.

Maddox exhales sharply. “He’s really out of it. I don’t think he’s up for the ceremony. I tried waking him up. Cold water, slap on the face, a good ol’ shake… nothing worked.”

“I gave him the good stuff,” Callie giggles.

I slap her so hard across the face that her eyeballs damn near fall out. She cups her reddened cheek and stares at me, holding her breath while her brain plays catch-up. I’m fuming, fury burning through me with scarlet tongues of fire as I try to figure out what happens next.

“You’d better be thankful I’m not doing a hell of a lot worse,” I say, gritting my teeth. “You inserted yourself into my life under false pretenses, lying your ass off while pretending you were actually happy for me. God, no wonder Katherine didn’t want toleave you the money, Callie. What you did today does not make you a Monroe. It makes you a piece of shit.”

“Ah, there we go with the self-righteous bullshit when we all know you were only marrying Reed so you could get your hands on my money.”

“It’smymoney,” I reply. “If I remember correctly, Katherine named me in the will.”

“Under specific conditions,” Callie sneers. “You don’t have a groom, so the wedding is off.”

Archer chuckles dryly. “Dakota is still getting married today.”

“Reed’s out of it,” I mumble, giving him a troubled look.

“But I’m not,” he says.

I need a moment to register the statement. But even when I do, I still find myself confused. “What do you mean, Archer?”

“I’ll marry you,” he replies, smiling softly. “I’ll marry you right here, right now.”

“My lawyer will have so much fun tearing you all to shreds,” Callie says in a most obnoxious fashion, prompting Archer to take a deep breath. “This will never stand.”

“Maddox, do me a favor. Take this bitch inside and make sure she doesn’t leave until I put a ring on Dakota’s finger. I want her to watch as she loses any chance she ever had at that money,” he says.

Maddox gives him a crooked smile. “Say no more, bro.”

“What?” Callie croaks before he pulls her away and takes her into the wedding hall.

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