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She’s facing a nightmare and stares out at it with open defiance.
Not defiance that she won’t go through with what is expected of her, but defiance that she won’t let it break her.
Meanwhile, my hands are clenching into fists, and the violence inside me is gnashing its teeth.
Locking my stare on her father, I have to hold myself back from rushing forward to snap his neck, from dragging his lifeless body to lay at her feet as proof her chains are gone.
This fucking engagement.
Nobody understands it.
We just know Mason and Emily’s families will do anything to ensure the marriage happens.
As to why… Yeah, your guess is as good as mine on that bullshit. None of us can figure it out. Not that we haven’t tried.
Still, Emily stands like the queen she is, while I fight to contain the beast.
It feels like I’ve held my breath the entire time the announcement was made, my muscles locked in place even after it’s over and we’re all free to leave.
I can’t drag my eyes away from Emily, though. Even as she’s devoured by the group of women surrounding her, their excited congratulations no doubt scraping against every last nerve she has.
“Did you find anything?”
It takes effort to drag my gaze away from her to look at Jase.
“Nothing. Most of the desk drawers were locked, and he kept the surface of the desk clean.”
Jase smirks. “Tanner and Gabe won’t be happy about that.”
“Tanner and Gabe can fuck off,” I grumble. “Ivy and her dad are Gabe’s problem. We all have our marching orders.”
Mine had been to distract Emily and find a way into the Governor’s office. Gabe should be happy I’d managed to accomplish both.
I glance around to notice only Damon and Taylor are still standing near us. “Where did Shane and Sawyer go?”
“Shane said he had to take care of another problem. He also said you’d know what that meant.”
My lips quirk at that. Somebody’s night is about to get a hell of a lot worse if Shane is on the hunt.
“Want to fill me in on what they’re doing?”
“Not really. That information is slightly above your pay grade.”
He laughs. “Asshole.”
After finishing a conversation with Gabe, Mason walks over to us, but I’m less interested in what he has to say than I am what Emily is doing slapping her hand against Gabe’s chest in the distance, her blue eyes narrowed on his face as she talks.
Every instinct in me is screaming to march over there and drag her away from him, but judging by Gabriel’s posture and the way his head turns to follow where Ivy is going, I know Emily is simply a momentary distraction he’ll sidestep as soon as he can.
Looking away from them, I lock eyes with Mason. The poor bastard looks like he’s been wrung through the wringer a few times, tension obvious in his jaw and razor sharp over the thin line of his lips.
“I need a drink,” he gripes. “Don’t care where. Don’t care with who. But it needs to happen soon before I lose my shit.”
Cocking a brow at that, I watch him waver on his feet.
“Didn’t you just finish taking out a bottle? You might be good for the night.”
Jase must notice how Mason is unbalanced on his feet as well. He steps close enough to pin his shoulder against Mason’s to keep him from falling.