Page 99 of Tangled Lies

Talon reached for the cardigan she had on, running his fingers under where it hit her bare shoulder.

“It says virgin wife material. Not that anyone here would get close enough to wife you up,” Talon said.

She shifted in her seat and got closer to the front, trying to see the warehouse.

“Is this another drug thing? Why does it matter if those guys think anything about me?” She looked down at the pale pink color of the dress.

“Are you worried blood will stain it? I’m sure a dry cleaner could get it out, and if not, is money really an issue?”

“Margaux, please stop your theories. No. It’s not a drug thing and no one cares if the blood stains, granted, remind Jett to order more black. This,” Ronan said and pointed to the building, “is where we plan to deal with the anger over the fact Barone wants you to go back.”

He tossed the crumpled invitation at her.

The paper was so soft it didn’t so much as crinkle as she unwrapped it.

“What? Oh.”

I watched her hands get tighter and tighter, pulling the paper back into a crumpled mess by the time she was done reading it.

“He wants me to go back to what? Finish that sentence.”

Ronan turned in his seat.

“He wants you to go back and marry Carrow Thorne.”

She stilled and the entire SUV was quiet.

“So do I get to punch something too?” she asked.

I’d expected her to be all sad and broken kitten. Not this.

“I'm sure we can find something for you to work off your anger with. No promises it will be punching though.”

The invitation was nothing but a ball of anger right now. She released it without much thought, and I watched it roll behind her leg and get lost somewhere on the floor.

“One more question. You said no, right?”

Even if we weren’t in tune with each other, that one question would have had the same impact. All four of us all turned to see her and only her.

“You’re ours,” I said. Jett pulled her into his body even as Talon moved closer.

Ronan wasn’t saying anything, but Jett had it covered.

“You know what that means, right, pretty girl?”

She didn’t say anything. And from what I could see with the sole lighting being the moon, she wasn’t crying either.

“It means you won’t ever be allowed to leave because we won’t ever give you up.”

If it wasn’t Jett, maybe those words would have been a threat, but from him? She seemed to take it for what he meant.

“So, angel, back to problem one. You can’t go in looking like prime fucking wife material because most of the fuckers in there have mental issues and mommy issues and you look like you’re trying to save their souls.”

She pulled away from Jett a little, enough that she reached for me. I hated the way her touch could soothe a storm that raged in me no matter the time of day.

“The only souls I’m willing to burn for are right here. So my dark devil, hand your shirt over.”

I was good at not showing any emotion, except with this creature.