Page 30 of Broken Saint

I searched through several cabinets before finally hitting the jackpot. I snagged the first bottle I saw, which happened to be tequila, and then went in search of a shot glass or anything else that would work. By the time I took the first shot, I was ready to bail on the whole thing.

Screw them all. I could still run away.

It wouldn't be long, and someone would come looking for me. Ronin most likely, but I wouldn't put it past my girls to grill him to death and then come find me for more of the same. They'd have a lot of questions I was not prepared to answer. Beginning with why in the world I didn't tell them about my arranged marriage.

I poured another small amount of tequila into my glass and quickly swallowed it down. This time I barely grimaced from the burn. That liquor had nothing on my life. Between Rock, Ronin, my father, and the diamonds I'd stolen still hidden in my safe, I'd weaved quite the complex web. If only I knew exactly how to use it to get what I wanted.

I'd been counting on my father to send me someone a little less temperamental than Ronin Kavanaugh. Honestly, I figured he'd punish me by handing me off to someone triple my age. Ronin's blood-soaked world worried me. Someone that prone to violence wouldn't be easily manipulated.

As I was about to pour my third shot, I heard a strange sound in the distance. I glanced around the kitchen looking for the source. It sounded like something fell. When I saw nothing out of place, I shrugged it off and downed my liquor.

Paranoia certainly wasn't going to help me find my way out of this situation. Maybe if I simply told Ronin the truth, he'd be willing to negotiate. He'd given me no indication he didn't plan to go through with our farce of a marriage, but he couldn't possibly want it any more than I did.

Another sound hit me from behind, and this time it was louder, yet still muffled. What the hell was that?

I eased from the stool I'd perched on to drink and headed toward the only door in the room other than the exit. Was someone in Zia's office? I probably should have gone and found someone else to investigate. The last thing I needed was to get involved in someone pulling something in Zia's Kitchen. But I had four shots of liquid courage blazing through my blood, firing me up and making me brave.

I heard it again, and that time it definitely sounded like something being knocked over. I peeked through the small circle of glass but it was too hard to see into the darkness and from my tippy toes. The noises inside were getting louder, and I could just make out what I thought sounded like voices.

I took a deep breath and yanked on the door, hoping against hope that I wasn't about to find Vincent and Zia doing the nasty on her desk or something.

"Get out," a gruff male voice I definitely recognized demanded. What the hell?

"Ronin?" I fumbled along the edge of the wall for the light switch until I found it and flicked it on. Light flooded the space, and for a second, my eyes had to adjust before I could see anything.

"Shit." That wasn't Ronin. Not unless he suddenly sounded like a woman. My eyes focused and straight up horror filled my mind and made me freeze in place.

"What in the hell is going on?" I don't know why I asked when the answer was more than obvious. The woman I'd heard was laid out on the desk, her skirt pushed above her waist and her pussy fully exposed. Ronin stood between her legs, his face turned to me with another of his cocky smirks that I wanted to punch off his face.

"You should go. We can talk about this later." I heard his words, I know I did, but the anger surging through me was all I could focus on. That motherfucker had announced to all my friends that he was my fiancé and then come back here with—

Wait a goddamned minute. I stepped further into the room so I could get a better look at the woman. This was a private party with an extremely limited guest list. Who the hell was he...?

Oh. My. Fucking. God.

No. No. No. This was not happening.

"Lana?"

The girl's head popped up and her eyes narrowed for a moment until she finally recognized me.

"Hey, uhh, Nova. How's it going?"

Ronin's smile faltered, but he said nothing more. Meanwhile, my head was about to explode.

"You asshole. Do you even know what you've done?" He didn't smile or smirk, but he didn't look like he gave two shits, either.

"Lana. You need to get back to the party. Now!" Fortunately, she didn't argue and pulled her skirt down as she nodded her head.

"Or you could mind your own business," Ronin snarled.

"You are such a bastard. First, you insist on crashing this party with me, then you tell everyone you are my fiancé, after which you sneak off with my boss's seventeen-year-old sister. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"What?"Ronin turned back to Lana."You're seventeen? You said you were twenty."

Lana had stopped moving and looked like she was about to explain.

"Lana!" I warned, making sure she got my message. She needed to get out of here, now. Thankfully, she did get the message, and she scrambled off Zia's desk and scooted around me to the door.

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