Page 10 of Sweet Wicked Vows
“Congratulations,” Benny said after signing the certificate. He smiled genuinely at Evelyn. “I wish you many happy returns.”
She frowned with flushed cheeks. “That’s what you say to someone on their birthday.”
“Is it?” Benny laughed. “Well, the sentiment is the same.” He dismissed himself and left the office with a wave.
She rolled her eyes and turned her focus to the plain white gold wedding band around her finger. No emotion registered on her face as she slowly rotated the metal.
The officiant returned and handed me an envelope with copies of our marriage certificates.
Our legally binding marriage certificates.
What’s yours is mine now,douceur.
“I need to return to Ontario for a day.” I interrupted whatever little thoughts tumbled around her head. “I will return tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be there when you tell your father.”
“Tell him what?”
I reached out and took her left hand, my thumb brushing against her wedding band. “Don’t you want to tell him our wonderful news?”
She tried to pull away, my grip tightening and heart pounding as an ember sparked into life in her eyes. A brewing fire thatdared to consume me whole. “You’re out of your damn mind if you think I want you there with me.”
“Now, now, dearest, is that any way to speak to your husband?” I purred, her nails biting into the back of my hand.
“Fuck you.” Her nails drew blood. “We’re not telling him. He doesn’t need to know. We need to think this through properly. Announce it the correct way. Maybe in a couple of months.”
“Why the long wait?” I toyed.
Her eyes narrowed, sparks flying through the field of green,staring a million daggers into my soul.
She wanted to wait until Lexington was dead, to hide away from the truth, but I was not playing those games. Not when I was this close to seeing the horror in his eyes.
“He is going to find out one way or another,” I said. “You know how this world works. Nothing stays secret forever. Plus, when you move back with me to Canada…”
“You can fuck right off,” she snapped. “What makes you think in that pea-sized head of yours that I would move to Canada with you?”
“You can hardly expect me to move here.”
“I don’t give a shit where you live. You can move to the damn moon for all I care.”
“Aren’t you a delight?” I said flatly.
Evelyn exhaled heavily. “Look, this all has moved a lot quicker than I anticipated. I need a little time to figure it all out, to wrap my head around things. A sudden marriage like this—it’s going to spark a lot of talk.”
“Let them talk. You and I both know that your ascension to CEO is a ticking clock. This arrangement is to help you during that year.” I watched the flutter of something pass across her face. Uncertainty? Regret?Defeat. “I can’t imagine what it will do to your poor father when he hears that you kept this a secret from him, especially if he hears it from someone other than you.”
Evelyn’s shoulders slumped.
Bullseye.
It was finally time to come face-to-face with the monster from my past and look him square in the eye as his new son-in-law. Little did he know, I was going to be the last face he saw before he died. I was going to be there to tell him that all he was leaving behind was mine to destroy.
And with Evelyn at my side, nothing was going to stop me.
Chapter Four
Twenty-four hours. That was all the time my new husband gave me to clear my head before he expected me to introduce him to my dying father and the rest of the world.
I sat in total silence as Saunders took me home. All I could do was stare at the wedding ring, searing painfully into my flesh.