Page 1 of Wed to the Devil

ChapterOne

DARE

Iswing my gaze around the packed living room of the Morgan Estate, sipping my tumbler of whiskey. Clusters of men in suits stand around, talking about their new crypto investments. Women in elegant cocktail attire bend their heads close together, whispering about their handsome tennis instructors. I take in the crowd, absorbing how self-centered and shallow they must seem to an outsider.

Talia could probably take them down a peg or two, given the chance. Or maybe it’s just me that she accuses of being an out-of-touch rich asshole. Lucky me, I guess.

Sweeping my eyes over the burbling crowd once more, I sigh and look at my watch. Talia excused herself to find the bathroom quite a while ago.

I can’t help but wonder what is keeping her from returning to my side like a good little wife.

I’m distracted for a moment by a woman falling over with a yelp. She’s giggling and holding up her wine glass, expecting someone to refill it. As I look on, her red-faced husband helps her up and forcefully steers her out of the room, muttering angry words into her ear the whole time. Everyone else is happy and drunk, seemingly having forgotten that only fifteen minutes ago, they were watching a showdown.

My twin brother, Burn, and I stood in the middle of a large circle of people, parrying and thrusting, trying to cut each other to pieces with our words. It was a surprise to me that this whole party was even taking place. Burn threw it together at the last minute, to dig in the fact that he is marrying the girl he stole from me.

But I got the last laugh. When I pulled Talia close and announced that we had been married this very day, Burn gave me a look that would turn any other human to stone.

I smile to myself and slide the melting ice cubes in my glass of blond whiskey with a faint clink. It was a very satisfying moment and I’m still floating on a cloud of satisfaction.

My Uncle Felix cuts through the crowd with his sharp elbows. A concentrated little frown is on his face and he shoots one lady a disdainful look as he shoves his way past her, brushing off his hands where he manhandled her shoulder.

“Damn bartender says that they are out of scotch,” he grouses.

“Did you hear anything more from the lawyers about the site where we plan on drilling? From what the lawyers have told me, the state of Maine is being an extraordinary pain in the ass about giving us a fucking inch.”

I arch a brow and shake my head. “No. I haven't heard anything from them all week. Then again, I've been pretty distracted with Talia.”

My eyes rove around the gathering. The crowd ripples and a swell of laughter bursts free from a large group of men in the corner. Talia is nowhere to be seen and I can only hope that she hasn't been waylaid by a distant cousin or something. All of my extended family are a bunch of grasping, greedy vultures and Talia doesn't know that makes her vulnerable to their invasive insinuations.

My uncle is not even looking out at the crowd at the moment. He has a slumped posture, his arms crossed, his expression rather dour.

“You need to get your head out of your new wife's pussy and pay attention to what is going on. The lawyers have to be reminded that they work for us. You wouldn't think that they'd need a reminder that a big paycheck is waiting for them at the end of this journey, but you would be surprised at how lazy they can be.”

I glance at him, my eyes narrowing. Try as I might, I can't find my usual vim and vigor for venting my feelings about the millions of dollars wasted on lawyers. I just nod and shrug, adjusting my tie as I look around the room again. “Have you seen Talia? She left almost twenty minutes ago. I'm afraid that Daisy has gotten ahold of her or something.”

A brief moment of anger flashes over Felix’s face. I'm not sure whether he is angry about Talia or something to do with Daisy, but in the next second it's gone from his expression. He shrugs and spreads his hands wide, gesturing around him. “I have been standing here with you. I'm sure that your new wife can hold her own.”

I squint and run my tongue over my teeth. “I'm not sure about that. She isn't hardened like us. She's still a soft touch.”

Felix rolls his eyes. “If you can't trust your wife to go to the bathroom by herself, you don't have a wife. You have a child.”

A derisive snort leaves my nose. “Helpful. I should go look for Talia.”

Felix looks like he is about to say something else but I turn and shoulder my way through the crowd toward the door. I head out into the crowded hallway, looking left and right. All I see is a sea of blondes and brunettes. Not a single flash of coppery red hair to be seen. I turn left and head down the hallway to the library. Talia could have gone to any of the restrooms on this floor, but this was definitely the direction that I last saw her heading in. Turning the corner toward the library, I immediately see Frick and Frack. Their dark heads of hair stick out above the crowd, their shoulders ending at the top of everyone else's heads. They are facing away from me, moving silently through the crowd, their eyes scanning every face. But I see no sign of Talia anywhere near them.

Where the fuck is my wife? My pulse starts to speed up.

I head toward them, my eyes narrowing, my expression as serious as a fresh grave. Frack turns around, his face in profile looking like it was carved from granite. His dark eyes find me and he stops, muttering something out of the corner of his mouth to Frick. Her ponytailed head swings around and I see that they are moving toward me. It's funny because I have long thought that my size made people in a crowd nervous enough to move away from me automatically. But watching Frick and Frack approach me without so much as having to touch another suited or gowned partygoer is nothing short of amazing in a crowd this size. It takes less than a minute for them to be in earshot.

“Where's Talia?” I demand.

Frack scowls and Frick narrows her eyes. They are both impeccably dressed this evening in a pair of dark suits and starched white shirts. Frack moves towards me, his brow creasing.

“We were just searching for Mrs. Morgan. We thought perhaps she was with you.”

My heart squeezes inside my chest. I give them a dirty look.

“She is not with me. And she's not with you. So where the fuck is she?”

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