Page 72 of Wed to the Devil

But before I have time to respond, Dare quickly interjects with a firm "No. That's out of the question." His tone leaves no room for argument; it's clear that there will be no discussion on this topic.

I'm relieved by Dare's decisive response, but also alarmed; what is it with Morgan men and their willingness to kill someone just to get ahead? It fills me with disgust, and I realize that we need to leave this situation immediately.

Taking advantage of the tense atmosphere, I pretend to feel faint and put my hand on Dare's arm. He notices right away and quickly moves away from Felix, ushering me away from the conversation.

Once we're out of earshot, he takes my hand and squeezes it tightly, reminding me of his love without saying a word. We make our way through the crowd towards the exit, thankful to have escaped this uncomfortable situation unscathed.

This party is really draining my remaining will to live. "How long do we have to stay?"

Dare looks at me, his shrewd gaze appraising me. "Not too much longer. Remy is notorious for leaving parties early, so we only have to stay until--"

"Dare!" Daisy calls, raising her arm and waving like he's a long lost friend. "There you are. I was hoping I would see you here!"

Dare takes a step back and he clutches my hand. His jaw tenses.

"It's Remy's birthday. Where else would we be?" I scoff.

Daisy's eyes narrow on my face as she sidles up to us. "I don't know. I thought perhaps you would be sidelined by your delicate state, Talia. I'm referring to your pregn--"

"Daisy!" Dare growls. "That's enough."

Daisy makes a scornful sound and rolls her eyes, putting a hand on her hip. "Talia gave that information away. There's no use in trying to safeguard it now."

The tension between Dare and Daisy is palpable, and I can feel my skin prickle with nervous energy. Dare keeps his stance steady, standing feet apart and his arms crossed over his chest in a defensive posture. His gaze is intense as he stares at Daisy.

He fixes Daisy with a piercing look, his voice loaded with menace. “I can't believe I wanted to marry you. What a waste of my life that would have been.”

Daisy shifts uncomfortably under his gaze, her cheeks blazing pink. She looks as though she wants to lash out but she knows that won't do any good; Dare isn't the type of person to be intimidated by anyone.

Finally, breaking the silence, she speaks up. "What exactly are you implying?"

Her voice is shrill and her face is full of indignation. But Dare doesn't back down.

"I can't believe that you had me fooled. And I'm wondering if our relationship was ever real to you," he replies calmly but firmly. "Or were you just manipulating me the whole time we were together? Was every moment scripted for your own gain?"

His words are like a slap in the face for Daisy and I can tell that she's getting more and more angry by the second. She opens her mouth to speak but then quickly shuts it again as Dare glares at her with no signs of relenting.

"You are just mad because I ended up with the good brother. And you ended up with--"

"I dare you to finish that sentence," he spits. "Let's see if Burn is the only one who can strangle women in this house."

Her eyes widen, either from the threat or because that's not the version of the story of my assault that Burn fed her. Finally, fed up with Dare's accusations, Daisy takes a deep breath and stomps her foot before turning on her heel and stalking away from us. We both watch silently as she disappears into the crowd of people, leaving us alone in an awkward silence.

"We really should just leave," I whisper in Dare's ear. "Before we have another run-in with your father or grandfather."

He grits his teeth. "No. We have to play along." I bob my head, shifting from one foot to another. Thinking to myself that it can't be much longer now.

The room falls silent as Remy clinks a knife against a champagne flute, calling for attention. "Friends, family..." He raises his glass. "I want to make a toast."

Remy stands in the center of the room, champagne flute in hand and his voice full of emotion. "Many of you know that my son Dare has a bit of a reputation around here. He's known as a complete bastard and a bit of a skirt-chaser."

I can feel my heart start to beat faster in my chest. I look nervously between Remy and Dare, while the rest of us just stand there, unsure of what is going to happen next.

Remy clears his throat and continues: "It is a pleasurable surprise then, that I have come to find out that my grandson has impregnated his new wife. I challenged both grandsons to marry and have children... and Dare seems to have risen to that challenge. I always suspected that Dare was a limp-dick sack of shit like my son Tripp. But perhaps I have been proven wrong."

Dare's face turns red with humiliation and anger as Remy continues. "I toast the union of my grandson and his new bride, Talia." He raises his glass and everyone else follows suit, raising their glasses to us.

Dare mumbles something under his breath but I can't make it out. We all wait for him to speak, trying not to be too uncomfortable. Finally, Dare manages to speak through gritted teeth.