Page 125 of Merry Fake Bride

Never have I heard such quiet coldness in Kairo’s voice. He steps around the table until he’s face-to-face with Axel. “I won’t ask you again.”

“Oh yeah?” Axel sneers. “And what exactly are you gonna do, huh? Getting between a man and his wife is a recipe for disaster, you overgrown fuck?—”

His words falter as a hand lands on Axel’s shoulder from behind. Martin stands just behind him, his eyes narrowed and his brows so low that they almost merge into one.

Kairo remains silent as he leans a few inches closer.

He places his hand over the top of Axel’s around my wrist and speaks in a low, dangerous voice that would be all sorts of attractive if I weren’t stuck with alarm bells ringing in my mind.

“One more word. Just one more, and Martin will escort you out of here in pieces, understand?”

Despite his arrogance, Axel’s smart enough to know when he’s outnumbered, so he wrenches his hand away from me.

My wrist remains in Kairo’s gentle grasp while Axel shoves Martin’s hand off his shoulder and stomps away.

“Motherfucking rich cunts think they can fucking do whatever the fuck they want,” he spits, lunging at a nearby waiter. “This isn’t over, you rotten bitch!”

He’s gone, stumbling out into the frozen streets with Martin following him and taking up a position at the doorway.

Kairo gently releases my wrist and steps away from me, covering his chest with one hand.

“I–I can explain,” I gasp softly. “It’s not what you think!”

Forty minutes later, I sit on Kairo’s couch with a half-drunk mug of tea in my hands.

Drinking any more makes me feel sick and the only reason I had a few sips was to stop the drink from spilling over the edge and onto the floor.

Kairo and Martin stand in the kitchen talking quietly, but Kairo’s gaze never wanders away from me.

How is this happening?

I can’t wrap my head around how I’ve ended up here.

A few days ago, I was in bliss, enjoying Kairo’s company and daring to think of the future.

Now I’m back at square one with Axel hanging over me once more and a baby inside me.

A baby that feels like an afterthought with everything else going on, because how can I consider bringing a child into this worldwith Axel threatening me and Kairo surely about to tell me he never wants to see me again?

That would make leaving all the easier, though.

After clasping Martin’s shoulder, Kairo walks closer to me and stops about a foot away.

He’s giving me space, but it also feels like he doesn’t want to be near me.

The pain clashes with the anxiety in my chest and the cup between my hands trembles.

“Devon?” Kairo’s voice is steady. “I need you to tell me the truth.”

“About what?” As if I don’t know.

“That man, Axel.”

I close my eyes at the sound of his name. “What about him?”

“Is he really your husband? Why didn’t you tell me you were married? Is he…”

Kairo pauses and lifts one hand to his jaw, rubbing his chin. “You lied to me.”