Page 24 of Tangled Lies
Hopeful?
Not alone?
I sighed. I finally had another choice. It wasn’t a great choice, I’d be the first to admit that. Knox was scary and Ronan angry. Jett was like a giant toddler, and I didn’t know what his real intentions were. At least he made me laugh. Talon? He hidbehind his sarcasm, and maybe it was good, but maybe it was just as scary as the others.
Those four men felt like some kind of sick, twisted choice. And I couldn’t stop thinking of them. I couldn’t stop thinking about Ronan and the way he watched me. Or the way Jett seemed almost protective when he gave me his shirt. Talon? He was smart mouthed, but he seemed to want to make me smile. And Knox? What was with the way he stole the air from the elevator with one single movement?
My uncle cleared his throat.
“Margaux, greet Mr. And Mrs. Thorne. Carrow, so glad we can finally meet.”
Those four men were becoming an escape, and I nearly forgot where I was for a minute.
Back to perfect little Margaux mode, pushing aside all the things that made me me.
I cast my eyes down because I didn’t trust myself not to try and kill any of them with my next glance. Or tell Carrow I knew his dirty little secrets. Not that it mattered. There was no love here. There never would be.
“Mr. Thorne. Mrs. Throne. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I did sneak a glance up at Mrs. Thorne, and her eyes were already glazed over. I couldn’t feel bad for her. Although I wished she would share whatever it was she was on. It was probably the wine. Her glass was already empty when the rest of us hadn’t even been served.
“Harrington, you’ve done well. What a beauty. Carrow, help your bride with her chair.”
It was harder to swallow down the vomit with the smile plastered on my face than I would have thought.
Shit. This was going to be a very long afternoon.
I kept the smile on my face and my eyes averted. I couldn’t keep my face from having subtitles regardless of the act. I’dworked too long and hard to make my uncle think he could control me, all so that someday I’d be able to get the hell out of here. But first? Well, suddenly I rather liked the idea of revenge on not just my dear, dear uncle. Suddenly, I wanted to avenge every poor woman who’d ever been caught in the trap of this pretentious ass. Still, I smiled.
“Thank you.”
I didn’t have to look at him to know just how pompous his face looked.
I went through the motions. Pick up the napkin. Unfold it. Put it on my lap. Listen to the mindless chatter of the rich people at the table. I did enjoy the way my not-future-mother-in-law was drunk. What a future this family would hold. It wasn’t obvious to anyone outside of the table. She wasn’t falling over or anything. But the way she would just let out a small giggle every so many words or the slight slur to very mumbled responses? I just kept my head down and sipped the water I was allowed.
Assholes.
The phone, the one that was not from my uncle, still confused me, but it also felt like a lifeline.
Why had they returned me?
I wanted to ignore the tightness in my throat. It was fine. This was my life. They weren’t anything but rich assholes.
But I wanted to know more. What was their game? There had been no ransom. They’d even fed and clothed me. They’d left me a virgin. That last part burned a different kind of anger. The man I sat next to was a reminder of what my uncle was capable of, and those four strangers? I was certain they could break me in a different way, if only I could figure out their price.
“What do you think, my dear?”
I looked up at my uncle's voice.
“Oh. I’m sorry. What do I think about what?”
He laughed it off. It helped that I played the airheaded little niece well.
“Holding the engagement party in five days. The Thornes have already stated their downtown hotel is open.”
Wedding. Right. Engagement party. Had the prick ever proposed? I would not roll my eyes. I would not kick him under the table. A single deep breath, and I smiled and nodded.
“Of course.”
