Page 59 of Sunshine & Ink

I opened my mouth but he broke in.

“I don’t want to hear a damn word about who your pops or your granddaddy had a grudge against either. If you want this done you’re going to need someone with experience. And there’s only one MC Prez with that.”

Fuck. He was right.

“Fine,” I said. “Make the calls.”

“Now,” I said, “let’s go do some reconnaissance.”

CHAPTER 21

Sunni

Iwas thinking about what a damn steamrolling brute Raker was as I walked to the grocery store. He really thought he could just put an announcement of our engagement in the newspaper and that wouldfixeverything.

The way I had almost choked on my cup of tea when I saw that item! I handed it wordlessly to Elise as Willow patted me on the back.

“How do you feel about it?” Elise asked me quietly.

“This gesture is wasted on me,” I said bitterly. “I’m not going to marry him just because he pulled this ridiculous stunt. And what about Leo?” I added quickly.

“What about him?” Elise retorted. “Would he do something like that for you?”

I was thinking darkly about Raker’s methods of reconciliation when the limo pulled up beside me. I got one glimpse of the line of shopping carts and the horrified faces of the other customers, before hard hands shoved a bag over my head and pushed me into the limo.

My arms were immediately around my belly, desperately cradling my baby inside as I was pushed roughly onto a slippery leather seat.

“What—where are you taking me?”

“Don’t worry, you little slut, you won’t get hurt as long as you stay quiet and do your job of getting Raker over here.”

I recognized Elizabeth’s cruel, cultured voice immediately and I tried to calm my breathing, but it was spiraling out of control as I took shallow, hasty gasps, making my head swim with nausea.

“You can take the hood off,” Elizabeth continued, “she’s too big to try to escape anyways.”

“Do you think he’ll go for this?” Command asked.

I felt hard hands, hard bodies beside me, the scent of leather cuts in the air.

The limo must be filled with Righteous brothers.

What was the plan exactly?

How would they trap Raker?

What were they going to do to him?

I tried to force my breathing to slow, but my heartbeat was pounding an ache in my chest.

When we arrived, they dragged me out and ripped off my blindfold, and I heard a rustling beside me. Blinking in the sudden bright sunlight, I turned to see Elizabeth elegantly attired in a pure-white wedding gown.

“White,” she said, her smile feral. “White for a virgin.”

Was this the plan? Trap Raker into marrying her?

There was something almost unbalanced about how she was clutching her flowers, the way her discreet pink lipsticked lips were stretched wide over a bright smile.

“Oh, so you claim,” I said, just to see how far I could push her. “Prove it.”

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