Page 320 of The First Taste

“Hello,” Remy grates out. “I’m so glad you could all be here tonight. My grandson Burn and his fiancée Daisy have set a date for their wedding. I never thought it would happen, honestly. But you know.” He pauses and everyone laughs a little uncomfortably. He raises his hand and beckons to the back of the room. “Burn, Daisy, why don’t you come up here?”

Burn and Daisy aren’t the only ones moving. Dare clenches my hand and practically drags me to the front of the audience, elbowing his way past everyone else. Remy glances over at Dare and I, his brow knitting. But in the next second, Burn and Daisy step out into the circle that has been cleared to a room full of applause.

“There they are now,” Remy says pointing at Burn and Daisy. “My grandson. The spitting image of my father, I always said.”

Burn has the audacity to bow and wave to everyone, a smirk on his face.

Dare, raising his hand. “Actually, Remy… We have an announcement to make as well.”

Burn and Daisy immediately turn their glares on us. If looks could kill, we would be pillars of ash by now.

Remy, pulling at his ear. “What’s that, Dare?”

Dare starts moving forward, causing me to stumble. But he doesn’t even seem to notice me at all. His gaze is fixed on Remy as he moves to the front of the room, trying to display me to everyone present.

“Remy, I would like you to meet my wife,Talia. Darling, this is my beloved grandfather, Remy Morgan.”

Remy’s face could not be more surprised. He hobbles forward, leaning on his cane and extends his hand to me. I take it and he grips my forearm. I glance down at his fingers against the flesh of my arm. It looks like five stubby, spotty, bumpy red slugs are now trying to work their way under my skin.

I open my mouth thinking of all the things I could say to Remy. How he’s a bastard. How his money and power have corrupted this town. How he has screwed my family over again and again.

Dare must have a sixth sense about this because he puts his hands on my waist and squeezes. I stand upright and look Remy in the eyes.

“Hello, Mr. Morgan,” I say softly.

Remy looks me in the eyes and then releases my arm, stepping closer and cupping my cheek. “I see you married my grandson. I hope you’re fertile.”

My mouth drops open, but Remy turns away, hobbling on his cane once more.

“Everyone go back to the party,” Remy shouts. The Morgans begin to talk amongst themselves.

He claps Dare on the shoulder.

“Good job,” he growls. “Now get her pregnant.”

He hobbles off toward Burn, who is still staring at me like he could strike me down at any moment.

Dare eases his grip, putting his hand around my waist and exhaling a huge breath. But before he can truly relax, a red-faced man wearing a rumpled suit and nasty expression steps in front of us.

Dare sighs deeply, his possessive grip on me growing even more tense.

Dare throws up his hand, stopping the man before he can even say a word. “Look, Dad. Not tonight. Okay? Surely there is a bar somewhere that you should be plundering.”

Dare’s dad leers at me, wiping his mouth. His words come out slurred and loud, the exact way you could only assume that he spoke. “I am Tripp, Dare’s dad. I know that Remy acts like he’s Dare’s father, but I am. And I am here to tell you that it is not too late. You can still get an annulment. Because if I am sure of one thing, it’s that this one… He’s awful.”

His breath is bad and I take a half step back to avoid him spitting on me as he talks.

“I know who you are,” I tell Tripp, wrinkling my nose.

“Dad, stop. You’re embarrassing yourself,” Dare says.

He pushes me behind him, holding out a hand to ward Tripp off. But Tripp doesn’t even seem to notice Dare. His eyes are locked on me.

“He’ll let you down. He’s never been anything but a disappointment. If his mother were here, God rest her soul, she would tell you the same.”

Tripp’s drunk words make me madder than I can ever remember being. I don’t know that much about Dare’s family, but I have seen his dad twice and both times he was drunk. Gives me a pretty good idea of just why Remy was the stand in father for Tripp’s kids.

“Dad, fuck off. Don’t talk to her. She doesn’t want to be involved in our little family squabbles.”