Page 66 of The Bourbon Bride

“This is Hayes Olsen.”

She looks up at me and I nod.

“My husband.”

The color drains from Caroline’s face and she stumbles against her husband. He catches her with his own stunned expression.

“Paige, what have you done?” she gasps, clinging to William.

At least I know she hasn’t caught wind of any gossip blogs and the press that may have picked up on our quick Vegas trip.

“What is the meaning of this?” William snaps my way. “How dare you force a child to marry you? This is a disgusting act of coercion.”

“That’s rich coming from you, Daddy.” Paige’s voice crackles with her frustration. “Marrying Hayes was my choice. It sure beats the business deal and arranged marriage to a predator that y’all thought was so perfect for me just last week.”

“We have your best interests in mind and know the alliance with the Daniels will lead to a better future for you. We would never make you marry a predator, or someone nearly twice your age,” William responds, his eyes flicking to me.

The audacity of these people. I guess I have to drop this truth bomb on them right away rather than introducing the subject gradually. I let it rip.

“Garrison Daniels is a rapist.”

My flat tone has all of them looking at me, mixed emotions playing on each face.

“He has assaulted no less than six women since what he did to Paige in high school. His parents discreetly paid for the silence of each of his victims when the truth was threatened, which is why he’s practicing law and walking around a free man. By not reporting his heinous treatment of Paige as a teenager, and by accepting his family’s hush money, you allowed a predator to remain free and hurt far more women in even more awful ways.”

Caroline becomes even paler as she takes in the hard truth.

“That’s impossible. We would have known.” Her hand moves to clutch the pearls around her neck and she steals a glance at Paige that I think holds the tiniest hint of guilt.She knew.

“What is he talking about, Caroline?” William asks his wife, obvious discomfort straining his voice. If he still doesn’t know, his wife is more deceitful than I imagined.

“It’s nothing, William. Paige was confused about something that happened back in high school.”

Paige makes a huff of frustration next to me at her mother’s words. I want to throttle Caroline for downplaying what happened to her daughter and continuing to cover it up even now. Before I can tear her a new one, Paige speaks.

“Daddy, he tried to rape me.” Paige’s voice is small, full of shame, and breaking my damn heart. I want that piece of filth to pay.

“Oh, Paige, no, it can’t be. You never told me,” William says, his face a contorted mess of anger and hurt. His expression wars between fury and heartbreak and I know the exact feeling.

“What Paige says is true. Garrison Daniels is a sexual predator who tried to ruin your daughter when she was just fourteen. Your wife was aware of the situation and chose not to act when Paige wanted to report the incident.”

I turn to take in Caroline, the shrewd, heartless bitch. She meets my disgusted look with her own.

“By not reporting it,” I say, pointing at her, “you allowed him to continue. I have the names of his victims and the amounts the Daniels paid to each of them if you would like proof. His most recent victim was less than a year ago, so he certainly hasn’t changed much, despite studying law and knowing just how in the wrong he is.”

William’s face is ashen as he looks between his wife and daughter. Paige tucks herself in closer to me but meets his eyes and nods and I see the truth settle on him.

It sickens me to have to share this information knowing they were prepared to give their daughter to this monster in exchange for what, a manufacturing deal with the cretins who preferred to cover up their son’s proclivities? What the fuck kind of business do they run if they refused to check into the background of the people they were getting into bed with, which, for Paige, would have been literal. It’s abhorrent.

Paige places a gentle hand on my chest to steal my attention that is riveted on her parents, imagining the kinds of torture that befit their negligence and greed.

“Thank you for making your point. I think they’re beginning to understand just how bad that particular match was.”

She steps away from my side and I reluctantly release her. I don’t want her far from me, or any closer to the people who were ready to put her in the path of the same deviant that wanted to steal her innocence. She holds her hands out to her parents anyway.

“I know this is hard to hear, and we are giving you a lot to think about. Please come in so we can get you something to drink and sit down. I’ve missed you.”

Her parents both soften at her admission and in that moment I know they truly love her, despite their flaws. William holds out his arms and Paige returns his embrace. They whisper to one another, and I am sure he is apologizing for not having known. It’s encouraging to see that they are not all expectations and ruthless negotiations that balance on their daughter’s unwilling submission.

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