Page 132 of Tormented Kings

Dread fills me. “I don’t know what you mean. I’ve done what you asked. I’ve stayed away from Sadie outside formal meetings.”

“While that might be true. You were doing so well. Until your little slip-up at the wedding.”

“The wedding?” Fuck. Fucking fuck.

“Your little show in the parking lot with the girl. You couldn’t just keep your hands to yourself, could you? She's a taken woman, Collin. You're a taken man. Do you have no shame?” he tsks. My heart pounds, a wave of nausea hitting me. If he saw,if he knows, what is he going to do to Sadie? I’m too terrified to ask. If he even thinks about hurting her because of this, I will go to his house and put a bullet between his eyes right fucking now and pay the consequences. I’d rather spend the rest of my life in jail than see any harm come to my Sunshine. “Of course you don’t.” He laughs again, and my hand grips the phone so tightly the screen cracks, but the call keeps going. “Because you’ve been doing so good at keeping away from her, and it’s Christmas, I’ll give you this one-time lenience. I won’t do as we talked about before,” he continues, making sure to keep things vague to cover his tracks. “But because I can’t trust you to do as you’re told, the wedding will be moved up.”

“What!” I bark. “You can’t do that.”

“I can and I will,” he snaps.

“When?” I growl.

“New Year’s Day. Be at the chapel at noon, or you won’t like what happens next. Don’t disobey me, Collin,” he warns dangerously.

He doesn’t give me a chance to argue before hanging up on me.

My chest heaves, anger coursing through my veins. “Fuck!” I roar, sending my phone crashing against the wall. It shatters into pieces, but I don’t fucking care.

I hate him. I fucking hate him, and I want him to die. He’s a twisted man; the shit I’ve dug up on him has me sick to my stomach, especially since I have his DNA.

But what I have is not enough. I can’t take it to the police because it won’t stick. I could get them to open an investigation, but my father would just find ways out of it like he has before.

The cops have been trying to pin him with something for a while, but nothing ever fucking sticks.

We need one thing, one golden fucking ticket that could get him locked up for good. Rosie’s contacts are working on it, andthey have an idea for a lead but haven’t fucking told me anything more yet. Whatever it is, it better fucking be enough to nail him. Or I’m going to just be done with it all and fucking kill him myself. I can’t keep living like this.

I’m stressed all the time, worried that something is going to happen to Sadie. I can’t be there for her, because if I’m caught, game over.

But we were caught. I was stupid and couldn’t keep my hands off of her. I fucked up. Now I don’t know what to do.

New Year's Day is only six days away. There’s no fucking way I’m marrying that woman.

Grabbing handfuls of my hair, I try to think of what to fucking do. But I can’t come up with anything; my brain is spiraling, and I’m fucking panicking.

The doorbell rings, and my eyes snap over to the door. Fuck. Sadie.

Rushing over to the door, I swing it open to find her gorgeous face smiling up at me. “Hey,” she greets, stepping inside. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be here sooner. I didn’t want to leave my mom to clean everything up and—Collin?” her brows furrow. “What's going on? You look like you're seconds away from exploding.” That’s because I am.

“My father called,” my voice comes out low and gruff.

Her face falls. “W-what did he have to say?”

“We fucked up. No.” I shake my head. “I fucked up. Someone saw us in the parking lot at the wedding.” Her face pales, fear twisting her features. I don’t like that look. I never want her to be afraid of anything. It’s my job to keep her fucking safe!

“Is he going to–”

I stop her question. “He’s not going to fucking touch you, Sadie.”

“So he’s just going to let it go?” she asks in disbelief.

“No,” I growl. “The bastard moved the wedding date up. And we don’t have anything solid to use.”

She’s quiet for a moment, blinking at me. “When?”

“New Year’s Day.”

“What?!” she shouts. “No. Collin, no.” I hate the break in her voice. “Please. Don’t marry her.”

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