Page 75 of Made for You

Mom leans in to me, “Wait until you hear Larry’s announcement soon.”

She is beaming with excitement. “What is he announcing?” I ask her, weary of her answer.

“You’ll see soon!” She answers with a kiss on my cheek as we part ways into the party.

I steel myself with a fake smile, ready to play the happy doting daughter to Larry Archibault.

After twenty minutes of people congratulating me on my new job at Blue Manor with Christoff, I see the worst possible person walk through the front door.

Alexander.

He doesn’t look around for anyone, or try to mingle, he goes straight to Larry.

Fuck. I should have believed Liam from the minute he tried to warn me about him. I knew something was off the moment I saw him and I should have trusted my gut about the situation.

They whisper between the two of them for a moment before Larry rings his wine glass with a spoon.

I guess this is the announcement that Mom is excited for. But what does Alexander have to do with it?

“Good evening everyone, thank you so much for being here tonight with my family and I. We are thrilled to host you all. Could I please get my beautiful wife and daughter up here with me?” He smiles widely, gesturing toward the crowd for us to come up and join him.

I close my eyes briefly, willing my feet to move forward.

Just as I step up onto the stairs where Larry stands, I see Liam walk in the door, dressed up in a freaking tux of all things. If I could melt into a puddle right here from how amazing he looks, I would. The tux is a little tight, hugging the curve of his ass and thick thighs. His usually messy hair is swept over to one side, and he got a beard trim. His bright blue eyes shine against the all black tux.

His eyes find mine, and lock in with me. The intensity of his stare has me squeezing my legs together. His gaze roams down the plunging neckline, and circles around to my back where the plunge is even further to rest atop my ass.

Larry clears his throat, reminding me where I am, waiting for some big announcement. I’m acutely aware that Alexander is to my right, a shit eating grin on his face as he looks at me. Ihope that Liam doesn’t think I’m in on whatever this is. I take a step away from Alexander.

“While we have you all here, Linda and I wanted to make an announcement about our family. A growing family,” gasps are heard around the room, including my own. “We are so pleased to announce the engagement of our daughter, Violet to Alexander Williams.”

Alexander steps over toward me, taking my hand in his and kissing my cheek. I’m frozen in place. I can’t move, I’m so shocked.

“Like hell she is!” A voice booms from the crowd.

The crowd parts letting Liam come forward.

“Excuse me, who are you?” Larry steps down to confront him.

“I’m Liam Keaton, you should know me since I own the inn you were trying to take from underneath my family by sending your little spy here to my inn for the last month.” Liam’s head is held high, and his shoulders squared back. I’m so proud of him for finding his voice.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Larry signals for his security team to come.

“You do. Don’t play dumb. And Violet isn’t going to marry that asshole, because I love her. And she loves me. And I’ll be damned if I let you con her into marrying someone you can control for the rest of her life.”

He turns to me, glances at my hand still laced in Alexanders, then steps toward him before punching him square in the face. He crumples to the floor in pain.

“That’s for trying to take my inn.”

Then he kicks him in the balls, “And that’s for trying to take my woman. She’s mine, and you will never so much as have the privilege to look in her direction again.”

“Liam,” I whisper out to him.

He turns to me, security closing in. He grasps my face in his hands and kisses me like it’s the last time he’s going to see me. Two large men reach us and slap their hands on his shoulders pulling him away from me.

He shrugs them off. “I’m fucking leaving. Don’t get your tits twisted.”

He comes back to me, scooping me up into his arms and carrying me through the parted crowd once more. I look behind him at the scene we just left, Larry and my mother staring at us slack jawed. Security is helping Alexander off the floor, the pain evident in his scrunched face and inability to stand up straight.

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