Page 83 of Desperate Measures
Ilooked at myself in the floor length mirror, feeling more than a little foolish.
The deep cowl ivory gown clung to my curves, showing the right amount of cleavage while dipping scandalously low, all the way to the base of my spine, in the back.
Below my knees, the stretchy satin material turned sheer, giving shadowy glimpses of my legs beneath the material and the effect was really quite lovely.
I’d always imagined wearing this dress to an event like this, dancing with someone I loved. I looked at the ruby glittering on my finger and I wanted to cry again.
My entire family now knew the truth of my arranged marriage to Liam O’Doyle to pay off a debt I owed his sister.
I should have known better. My mother was rightfully upset that I didn’t come to her when all that crap went down with the DJ at that club, and I knew without asking my uncles were already tracking the creep down.
It was difficult keeping secrets from them, and really, I shouldn’t have bothered. But I was so young, so desperate for my independence.
Now they all knew what a fool I was. I couldn’t imagine how they felt. Didn’t know how I could bear the weight of their disappointment, even though it was deserved.
Swallowing whatever shreds of pride I had left, I straightened my shoulders and joined everyone in the ballroom. There was a live band playing Christmas carols on a small dais.
Family, friends, a few local politicians, some professional athletes, and entertainers mingled with the folk from Volkov Industries and Sigma International.
I recognized many of the faces and smiled in greeting as I walked through the crowd to find Lucy and Clem.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Clementine asked.
She was staring at me like I was an idiot.
“What do you mean?”
“Um, your husband is in the study with your dad, and mine, and all the uncles,” Lucy said.
My heart stopped beating.
“What?”
“Yeah. Liam pulled up and Uncle Ad went for his throat. But Dad whisked him away to the study before anyone else could see. Now they are all in there—hey!”
I bumped her shoulder, spilling her drink, as I raced towards Uncle Josef’s study.
My heels slid on the slippery, polished floor and I gasped, holding the wall as I turned the corner way too fast.
I opened the door, pausing when I saw my father and Liam in deep discussion with half a dozen men surrounding them.
Their voices were impossibly low, but the tension in the room was palpable.
They stood by the window where snow was visible, falling from the sky in soft white puffs, and the glow of the outdoor lights cast long shadows across their faces.
My father’s broad shoulders were tense, as if the weight of whatever they were talking about was bearing down on him.
My uncles stood close by. Showing an enormous amount of reserve, they remained silent with their arms crossed and eyes narrowing as they listened intently to whatever the two were saying.
My dad’s gaze flicked to mine, like it always had when I was growing up. He seemed to have a sixth sense whenever I was around.
Seeing Liam after confessing everything to my family stung more than I expected.
I felt the distance that had cropped up between us ever since I saidI love youkeenly. As if the connection we once shared had frayed, thread by thread, over even that tiny span of time.
My heart squeezed in my chest, an ache settling deep inside me. Still, I was too worried about what my father had begun—dragging Liam in here to chew him out or threaten him—to move.
Granted, it was probably time to admit to myself Liam didn’t and wouldn’t ever love me. But I didn’t want him hurt, or worse, by my powerful father and my equally notorious uncles.