Page 26 of Theo
Cormac smacked his palm with his fist."I love a fair fight.Don't worry, Lacey, those security dudes are all bite, no bark."
"Got that backward, dimwit," Theo said.He walked over to me."We'll go out and talk to them."
"What?No.Let's just stay in here.Maybe they'll give up and go away."Even as I said it, I knew that wouldn't be the case.I searched around for my purse and pulled out my phone.My mom called almost the second I looked at the screen.
I answered."Mom?"
"Lacey, everything all right?"Her voice was thin and reedy, which told me she'd been crying.
"I'm fine but I think Joan sent her security after me."
There was a long pause.
"Mom?"
"Sweetheart, you need to come back and get married."
"What?What's going on?Did Joan threaten you?"The question put Theo on high alert.
Mom sniffled, and Dad was suddenly on the phone."This little stunt will cost us everything we own.The Plunketts said that if you don't come back and get married, we will pay for the whole wedding.It's over a million dollars, Lacey.We can't pay it.We'll have to sell everything."
"I should have known she'd pull something like this."A knock at the door startled me."Dad, I'll take care of this."
"I want you to be happy, sweetheart, but these people have far too much wealth and power.They'll destroy us, and we were just starting our retirement."
"I'm so sorry, Dad.I'll fix this.I promise.See you in a bit."Those words were the first thing to startle Theo.He looked at me across the small room.The knocking continued and got louder.
"You can't go back," he said.
Tears instantly filled my eyes."They're threatening my parents with financial ruin.I'll go back and see if I can do some negotiating.I can't imagine that George wants anything to do with me anymore."I walked toward Theo and gave him a short hug.
"Fuck, Lacey, I can't believe you're going with them."
"I have to.Don't you see?"Tears were running down my face, and I could taste the salt on my lips.
Theo reached up with his thumb and wiped away one of the tears."Come back to me, Ace.Please."
I nodded weakly.That was all I could do.I pushed my feet into the sandals, hugged Crusoe and Cormac and stood at the door in my crumpled dress.I'd had so many fittings to make it perfect, and now I was wearing it like loungewear.I'd loved the dress when I picked it, but now I hated it.
I glanced back at Theo.He stared at me with a look that broke my heart in two.He was the only person in the world with that ability, the ability to break my heart.I dragged my gaze away from him, took another deep breath and opened the door.Three security guards were standing in the narrow hallway looking entirely out of place.
"Miss Michaels, we've been instructed to drive you back to the Plunkett Estate."
"Yes, I know.Let's get this over with."I walked with them back to the SUV and climbed into the back for a proper cry.It was an eight seat SUV, and I sat in the middle with two men up front and one behind me.They looked fairly uncomfortable with the fact that three of them had been sent to pick up one sobbing, runaway bride.It probably wasn't what they'd trained for.As hard as it was to leave Theo, I was glad to avoid any kind of fistfight.It was the last thing I wanted or needed.I was in such a terrible mess now that I had absolutely no idea how to get out of it or how any of this would play out.
The tears finally stopped, and I took a few good deep breaths.I was going into the dragon's lair, and I needed all my wits and stamina.
The man in the passenger seat held up a cold bottle of water."Thought you could use this."He gave me a sympathetic smile as I reached for the bottle."And I'm sorry about all this."
"No, not your fault."This was all on me, I thought wryly.
FIFTEEN
THEO
"Look, man, she probably has to figure shit out on that end, then she'll come back to you."Cormac pulled out onto the highway.I wasn't in the mood to drive.We'd stopped at a liquor store, and I bought beer for the drive home.I downed both bottles in minutes.When I first heard that Lacey was getting married, I'd ended up in a dark funk.I kept insisting it wasn't happening, even though Griffin assured me it was.I was drinking way more than I should have and even ended up missing some workdays because of hangovers.Worst of all, my riding took a hit.I fell behind on my training, and I wasn't even placing in races.When I finally came to grips with what Griffin had been telling me all along, I kicked my ass into gear.I cut back on the drinking and partying and got back into a training routine, one that kept me too fucking tired to even think about Lacey Michaels and her future husband.It seemed I'd gotten back on track with my life, my racing and my heart.Then she sent that fucking text, and I was spinning again.
I took off my seatbelt and stretched out on the back seat.Her intoxicating scent filled every breath I took.I closed my eyes trying to bring back the last few hours in my mind.It had been as if we'd never parted.Everything felt real and natural with Lacey.She was never going to be happy with that asshole.
