Page 9 of Dearly Betrayed

“Smart girl.”

“Stupid man. You should’ve been politer.” I step forward, hands balled into fists. “Now I know you’re just a selfish little prick going through with this because your big brother’s making you. And that’s fine, I’m only here because my big brother’s doing the same damn thing. Now we know each other and we don’t have to smile and make nice noises on our wedding day. When the priest calls for a kiss, don’t bother.”

He seems surprised, but schools himself again, a tight smirk on his lips. “Actually, now I’m looking forward to tasting that smart mouth of yours.”

A shiver runs into my core. I nearly let out a moan. He wants to taste my mouth? “I suspect you’ll be like a rotten apple. Not for me, thank you.”

“And I suspect you’ll be like a juicy peach.”

“You’ll never get near this peach, love. Don’t worry on that front.”

“You are a vicious one, aren’t you?”

“I know men like you, Costa. Men that think they’re in control, when really, it’s your little desperate ego driving everything you do. So now we’re square, and we can be done.”

“It was nice meeting you, Fallon Grady. Soon to be Fallon Costa.”

“And it was a pleasure seeing the real you, Jayson Costa, you big fucker.” I whirl around and take a step away, but pause to look back. He’s staring at my ass, which is oddly gratifying. “By the way, to get a proper annulment, we can’t ever consummate the marriage. So good luck fucking me the way you so clearly want to, you big, stupid bastard.” The shocked look on his face, followed by the steamy smirk, is totally worth the embarrassed flush that rushes into my cheeks. I storm away, heart racing, lips numb and tingling, hating everyone and everything.

I don’t know why I thought I had a chance at building something real with that man.

And I don’t know why I’m taunting him with sex as if I know anything about it.

Jayson Costa isn’t interested in a relationship. He doesn’t want a wife, much less some random Irish gangster’s daughter. I’m nothing to him, just an inconvenience, and he’ll spit on our marriage the first chance he gets.

An idea starts to cohere. I hate that arrogant fuck so much it burns. Now that I’m not looking at his handsome face, I can think clearly, and my brain’s filled with nothing but nasty ideas.

He killed Papa. And I won’t forget it.

“I take it that didn’t go well,” Rian says once I rejoin him and the two stupid goons. They’re busy pretending like I don’t exist.

“How’d you know?”

“You’re not good at hiding how you feel.”

“Well, fuck you.”

“Fair. That bad, huh?”

I stride past him and he has to hurry to keep up. “Costa doesn’t want to marry me and I don’t want to marry him. At least we’re square about it.”

“Fallie, wait.”

“No, don’t make me stop walking, because if I do, I might turn around and go back to that big fuck and try to strangle him to death.”

“Alright, don’t do that.”

“I mean it, Chim, keep moving. I’m beyond pissed.”

“I can see. Worse than that time I colored in the eyes of all those shirtless pop star guys you hung on your walls? Remember that, when you were like thirteen? I ruined your precious posters and you stomped around for days.”

A vindictive grin spreads across my face. “Made you pay in the end.”

“Yes, you did. You waited a few weeks before you got your revenge.”

“Slashed the tires on your bike right before you had a big footy match. Those pretty twins you fancied were going to be there, but you didn’t show up.”

“Ah, god, the Doyle twins. Lovely girls. Lacy Doyle kissed Todd Pendergast that day and I’ve never forgiven you for that.” He strokes his chin. “I wonder how they’re doing, and if they’re interested in a plural marriage.”

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