Page 50 of Tangled Lies
I wanted to ask what he meant. I wanted to ask if he knew my father, but the moment he pressed his lips against mine hungry and angry and desperate, I forgot logic.
His mouth moved like he was just as starved for affection as I had been. This wasn’t the kiss of the playful Jett, no this was the dark sin this man promised, and I craved both.
Ronan consumed the oxygen in my lungs, and before I knew it, I was going to pass out if I didn’t come up for air, except I didn’t want to. I wanted him to devour me.
I panted as he pulled away. His brow furrowed as he studied me.
“Don’t fucking leave us if you ever want out of your cage, little bird.”
That was all he said before he grabbed my hand and moved away, dragging me through the door and back into the hall leading to where the auction would be held. Too bad I was too dazed to care about the fact my uncle reached for me and Ronan pulled me into his body, making sure my uncle missed me. Jett, Knox, and Talon moved in close, never far from each other. They blocked me from view.
What had been an expansive room now seemed suffocating. The only reprieve was the way these four men seemed to orbit me like I was something they needed to protect. I couldn’t get lost here, not with them. I didn’t even care when they guided me to a row of seats directly in front of where the Thornes stood ready to sit, because the worst they could do was watch. Watch me defy their perfect plan.
Of course, ruining their plan meant I was helping with another. Everyone wanted me for something. Carrow’s family wanted me for money and my uncle wanted them for whatever this whole land thing was. I guess the only silver lining I was getting is that at the very least these four men didn’t benefit my uncle at all.
Was I okay being used?
Someone reached for me as I went to step into the row. I looked down at my arm and watched as a larger calloused hand reached for the manicured one.
“Remove your hand.”
I looked in the crimson face of Carrow.
“She is my fiancé.”
Ronan wasn’t letting go.
“She was mine first. Go ask James Harrington.”
There was doubt etched in the lines of Carrow’s scowl. Whatever was going through his mind made him release me.
“Glad we could see eye to eye, Mr. Thorne,” Ronan said and he slid his hand around my waist, pushing me further into the row of seats.
Everything about tonight settled like one pebble on top of the other, filling my stomach in unease.
My four mafia princes had mentioned marriage. Carrow wanted marriage. I swallowed pretending like I was fine. I could play my part as the rich heiress being protected by her uncle, and the cost was only my soul.
I watched each of the four of them as they settled into seats. Not once had any of them brought up what I was worth. Maybe they’d pushed me to stab a man for proof of my loyalty, but I supposed it was fair when I’d watched them murder someone else.
I’d been so focused on getting the hell out of Vegas and out of my uncle's reach that I’d never considered selling myself to someone else. My bank account had a few thousand in it, but I wasn’t dumb. How long would that even last me? And right now, I was out of time. It was Carrow or the mafia boys.
Maybe all along I should have looked at my other options. Sell myself to someone I chose. Of course I’d never met anyone not approved by my uncle until I’d taken matters into my ownhands. I would never escape this hell. Classical music filled the time before the auction, giving me time to think.
Knox had helped me wash off the guy’s blood, that had to count as being a gentleman in someone’s book.
Jett wielded some kind of magic and got me dresses to try that all made me feel human even.
Talon, well he was just honest. Brazen and himself. I stopped when I looked at the man next to me, Ronan. Had my parents really chosen him? There didn’t seem to be any reason for him to lie. He didn’t look like he was hurting for money either, so what benefit was there for him without my father alive?
There was nothing to do now except watch these four. What did they want from me and would I be willing to pay their price?
I didn't know until now that I had a thing for men in suits. I looked around the room, finally not just watching my uncle and my fiancé and seeing the candid glances from women, some even on the arms of other rich bastards.
In fact, two women slithered their way into the seats directly in front of us and turned to look at everyone but me.
“Hello,” one of the women said and held out her hand to Knox, ignoring me sandwiched between him and Ronan.
The other girl held out her hand to Talon. Neither man moved, and I betrayed my mask of the perfect little girl and smirked.
