Page 4 of A Twisted Arrangement

I slip my hand down my dress to where a knife is hidden in a custom pocket. A little poke in his side should shut him up, right? No real harm, a little blood and a ruined shirt.

After what my family did to me, I swore to never be that helpless again. I enrolled in every self-defense lesson until I was more than capable of protecting myself.

“I’ll go fetch us some drinks.” Liam escapes just in the nick of time.

It’s for the best. There’s no way I could jab him without him screaming.

“I’ve been dying to meet you.” A cheerful voice pulls my attention toward them, and for the first time today, my smile turns genuine.

Damon’s standing in front of me, face stern as his wife, Misty, grins. She’s stunning with her lavender hair bouncing around her shoulders, dressed in bright colors that both have no business here and completely belong.

Damon’s watching me, cautious as to how I’ll respond. Will I try to snub his beautiful wife, like no doubt countless idiots have done since she’s been introduced to our fucked-up society?

I grab her hands and pull them into mine. “I can’t believe you married this ogre.”

“He’s not that bad.” She laughs.

“Sure. I’m excited to get to know you. Whoever tames this guy must be amazing.”

A slight blush covers her cheeks. “I’m not sure I had a choice in the matter.”

I freeze at the idea of another girl being stuck in a forced marriage, but her tone is light and playful, earning a smirk from her standoffish husband.

“Well, I owe Damon a lot.” No doubt the only reason I wasn’t murdered along with my family. “So I’m happy to see him so content.”

I point at him. “Don’t mess it up.”

He wraps both arms around Misty’s shoulders in an affectionate display that stands out here. “Don’t worry. I know exactly what I have. So, you’re getting married? I didn’t think that guy was really your type,” Damon asks with one raised brow.

I shrug, not bothering to lie to him. No point anyway. All of the Everette brothers can spot them.

“He’s not… Surprise proposal. I’ll deal with it later,” I grumble.

Misty snorts, and her smile takes up her whole face. “I hope to see more of you. You should come by sometime.”

“Yes, that sounds great,” Liam says, appearing out of nowhere. No way he’d miss his opportunity to speak directly to a Lord. Too bad for him Damon’s looking at him like a bug to squish.

“You weren’t invited,” Damon says, voice flat.

“Of…of course not. Girls’ date, right?” Liam tries to recover, poorly.

Damon talks circles around my soon-to-be ex-fiancé, who has no idea that he’s being repeatedly insulted, as I let my gaze drift over the crowd.

Pretending I don’t know who I’m looking for, I scan the room. No matter how hard I try to forget Matthias Everette, I can’t help but search him out. From the second he’d dismissed me all those years ago, he treated me like I had some kind of plague, and it pisses me off.

A hint of movement catches my eyes, and for just a second, I think I see the unmistakable curve of Matthias’s jaw. I blink, and it’s gone.

“Scarlet. Are you listening?” Liam cuts in, annoyance edging his tone at my inattention. “Mr. Everette asked you a question.”

My head snaps back to a smirking Damon, who’s looking over at my shoulder to where I’d been staring.

“What?” I huff out, tired of everything that’s happened today.

“I said if you need anything for the wedding, let us know.” Mischief is evident on his face. He’s making fun of me.

I wouldn’t call us close, but he’s always taken an interest in watching over me from afar. As if he owes me for helping him find his brothers.

He’s wrong. It’s my family’s fault they were taken to begin with.

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