Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“Congrats.”
We both turn to Clinton who’s standing in front of us, his eyes moving over to me then to Whiskey. “Congrats.” He holds up his drink, then takes a sip.
“Thank you,” I reply.
“You two really are a thing, huh? That kiss…” He shakes his head and looks to me, I never enjoyed kissing him. “I assumed it was all a lie.”
Emma’s hand touches mine under the table.
“But that kiss,” he says again, looking from my lips to Whiskey. “You’re a lucky man.”
“That I am,” Whiskey says back to him as he leans over and kisses my temple.
Clinton walks off after that.
“Someone wants what I have.”
I shiver. I hated being kissed by Clinton.
“Too bad you blackmailed me for it,” I whisper, so only the people at the table can hear. Barry looks to me then turns away.
“At least you don’t have to deal with Clinton anymore. That’s a win, is it not?”
“I can handle him,” I say.
“I’m sure you can,” he patronizes me.
“When is this over? When can I leave?”
The waiter slides my food in front of me.
“At least until dessert, darling,” he says in a sweet voice as the waiter places Whiskey’s food down in front of him.
“Thank god,” I say, turning away from him and back to Emma.
“The tension is thick,” she whispers to me, giggling. “You should just fuck him and get it over with.”
I smack her arm. “No. Don’t suggest that.”
Wiggling her eyebrows, she says, “How are you meant to make him fall in love with you then?”
Before I can answer, my parents walk up to the table and are standing in front where Clinton was before. “Congratulations,” my mother says, and my father nods. “Where will you be going for your honeymoon?”
I look to Whiskey.
Oh shit! That wasn’t discussed. I don’t want one of them.
“We aren’t. Not yet at least. Lottie can’t leave the bar.”
My mother’s eyes train in on me. “Well, how about you take our lake home for a few days?”
“No,” I say it too fast, and my father’s eyes narrow in on me. “Whiskey’s right, I don’t have the time to take off at work. We will do something, just the two of us, when the time is right,” I reply, leaning into him.
His hand goes straight to my thigh, but I shake it off.
“Well, make sure you mingle with your guests,” my father says.
Of course he would say that.
I can barely contain the eye roll I so badly want to unleash in this moment. Not once when I was ready to walk down the aisle did he ask me if this was what I wanted or was I okay to do this.
He was happy with who I was marrying, and that’s all he cares about. To be honest, it made me mad. Even though, as a child, I wanted to please him. And even as an adult, I still do. I shouldn’t have to sacrifice everything in my life for him. Which is what I’m doing right now.
“We can go,” Whiskey whispers.
I turn to Emma. “Come over later? Or tomorrow?” I ask her.
She looks past me to Barry, then back to me. “Tomorrow.”
I smile, but it’s forced. I was hoping she would say tonight and maybe even stay with me.
Someone who I don’t recognize walks over and leans down to Whiskey’s ear, whispers something then walks off.
“If you’ll excuse me.”
“Where are you going?” I ask him, he just smiles and walks outside. I sit at the table watching the door like a hawk, guests are mingling and eating, Barry and Emma are talking over me on either side of the table as I sit there and wait. The music changes and someone says something to me, but I don’t answer as he walks in. He wipes his hands as he walks closer to me, and when he sits, I look at the towel he was using and see blood.
That’s the second time I have seen blood on him.
Why?
“Where did you go?”
He just smirks, and when he does, I see the thing I’ve heard about Whiskey—that while he is an amazing businessman, he is also very, very deadly.
“That was blood,” I whisper. He stands, I do the same. We walk out for our first dance; he grips me to him and pulls me in tight. His hands on my waist.
“Why was there blood?” I ask him.
“Do you want the truth?” I nod, and he leans in so close that his chin is on my neck.
“I just killed someone who thought they could sneak around on me, right now my men are removing his body.”
I pull back, the shock on my face. He laughs, leans in, and kisses me on the lips. I know people are watching so I kiss him back quickly and pull away. He follows, and we go outside the cold air hitting me.