Til Debt Do Us Part (Married At Midnight #4)

Chapter 15

Fifteen

Talia

W hen I wake in our loft a few days later, I am alone. Dare’s preferred side of the bed is made up, but there is a square black box lying on his pillow. Beside it is a neatly-folded note.

Sitting up, I rub the sleep out of my eyes and pluck the note from the bed.

These belonged to my mother. Wear them tonight at dinner with my family.

The note is not signed, but it could only be from one person. Dare knows that I don't have any interest in going to dinner. But apparently what I want doesn't matter.

Frowning, I pick up the box and pull off the lid. Inside are two of the most jaw-dropping chandelier earrings I've ever seen. They are dripping with diamonds and sapphires, easily a million dollars each. I swallow hard and pick them up, weighing them in my palm. They're pretty heavy, just like you would expect real diamonds and sapphires and gold to be.

I run my tongue over my teeth. This seems to be something of a habit for Dare. We have a romantic weekend. He acts as though he hates his family. I comfort him.

And then I wake up to expensive jewelry and a note telling me to be ready for a family event.

It's a little old by now. I lift my hand, holding the earrings up to catch the sunlight streaming in the windows of the loft. I wonder if this is Dare's way of paying for my comforts and attention. Like you would pay a prostitute, maybe.

It certainly cheapens the whole experience if I think of it that way.

Nesting the earrings back in their box, I get out of bed. The rest of my day is taken up by beauty treatments and a nail appointment. My hair color is touched up, the ends of my hair are trimmed, my body is made smooth and hairless, my eyebrows plucked, my nails and toes painted a soft blue. I ask the aesthetician to send someone along with a rack of brand new dresses for me to choose from. Hours later, I stand in front of the mirror, looking at the stranger staring back at me with a puzzled frown. I'm wearing a strapless white chiffon Valentino dress with a matching white chiffon shawl. On my feet are a pair of white leather pumps. My long hair is artfully twisted into an up-do that looks extremely chic. Underneath the dress, I wear a piece of shapewear that hides the slight bump of my pregnant belly.

The new earrings shine at my earlobes and I wear a chunky gold chain to finish off my look.

All in all, it's an outfit that I wouldn't have dared to put on my body a few months ago. But being Dare's wife has boosted my confidence somehow. It's forced me to become more elegant, to say the least.

Dare knocks on the bedroom door, his eyebrows rising slightly as he looks me up and down. “You're gorgeous,” he says. “I can't wait to rub you in Daisy and Burn’s faces. They will absolutely die of jealousy and envy.”

“I don't really think that I want to put myself in harm's way again by going to an event with Burn.”

Dare walks over to me, grabbing my hand and drawing me in. He wraps his arms around my neck, looking at me quite seriously. “He will never touch you again,” he swears. “You're going to be right by my side the entire night. I'm going to follow you everywhere, even if it means leaving a conversation. Not only that, but I've doubled up your personal security. So Frick and Frack will be paired with two other agents of their choosing. They know that Burn is a dangerous man. Trust me, I don't want Burn to even look in your direction. In a few months, when we win this inheritance race, we will never have to see them ever again. Okay?”

I swallow. “What if I say no?”

“I'm hoping you won't. Besides, I’ve made arrangements for the entire family to meet at Tusk.”

My eyebrows rise. “Is there a reason why you picked that restaurant in particular?”

A mischievous light dances in Dare’s eyes. “Because if I am going to spend the evening rubbing you in Burn’s face, you might as well have a little payback of your own to focus on. I get the feeling that the people that you worked with at Tusk did not treat you particularly well. So now you can let them know that you’ve gone from someone they can kick around to being someone of real means and status.”

I roll my eyes a little. “I didn’t need you to help me stick it to my old manager. I was doing just fine by moving on with my life and forgetting all about him.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “What is life for if not for petty little paybacks?”

“You're impossible,” I tell him.

He arches a brow and smirks. “But you like that, don’t you?”

I wrap my arms around his torso and close my eyes, giving him a quick hug. Where before I hugged him to reassure him, this time I hug him to give myself strength.

“Okay,” I whisper. “If you say that I will be safe, I believe you.”

He drops a kiss to the crown of my head, rubbing my back. Then he pulls away, taking me by the hand. “Let's go. We don't want to keep Remy waiting.”

When we arrive at the restaurant, I am surprised to find it rather hushed when I step in the door. Usually the restaurant is loud and bustling. Waiters yell out last minute modifications to orders to the kitchen staff. Tables full of tipsy customers who ooh and ahhh as the food runners present spectacular dishes. Patrons at the bar laugh at the bartender's cynical jokes.

But today, as I offer my coat to a manager I don’t recognize, it is very quiet. The new manager ushers us into a silent restaurant, empty except for one very long table. Remy sits at one end, glaring at Dare’s father, who is sitting just to his right. There are a few open seats at the table, but the rest of them are filled with the usual cousins and cleanersthat I am accustomed to seeing swirling around Remy. As soon as Remy spots us, he stops glaring at Dare’s father and points to the seat immediately to his left. “Finally,” Remy grouses. “I was wondering when either of my grandsons were going to get here.”

We stroll up to the table and I take stock of the attendees. Remy is right; Burn and Daisy are nowhere to be seen.

Dare walks right up to the seat that Remy pointed out and stares at the young woman sitting in the seat beside it. “Hillary. Be a dear and fuck off.”

The young woman stands up and meekly moves aside, not even taking her wine glass as she moves to the end of the table. Dare makes a show of pulling out my chair and helping me sit down at the table. Then he finally takes his place. He arches a brow as he looks at Remy.

“Are we waiting on Burn, then?”

Remy checks his watch and scowls.

“No, we aren’t waiting anymore.” He twists around in his seat, looking for the waiter. To my surprise, the waiter is someone I recognize. He dressed me down once in the back hallway of this very restaurant. I catch his eye and he looks a bit puzzled as he steps forward, clearing his throat.

“Can I help, sir?”

“Tell them to bring in all the food. I’m hungry.”

The waiter bows and turns, catching my eye again before vanishing toward the kitchen. I smooth my hand over the white linen tablecloth, taking the cloth napkin and pulling it into my lap. Dare catches my hand and laces his fingers through mine and puts our hands down on the table. Making a clear statement to anyone in the vicinity.

He swings his gaze over to Remy and picks up his glass of water. He takes a sip and then smiles.

“Is there a reason you called us here?” asks Remy.

Dare gives the ghost of a smile and shrugs a shoulder. “Let’s eat first. If Burn still doesn’t show up by the time we are finished, I can tell you our surprise.”

I sip, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. Dare clenches my hand and silently reminds me not to show everyone my every thought.

Remy levels a glare at Dare, looking at him as if brushing invisible dirt away.

“It’s your party, isn’t it?”

Platters of spit-roasted game hens, raised beef, and grilled salmon steaks are soon brought to the table by several food runners. Bowls of linguine with bolognese and gnocchi with pine nut pesto soon follow. There are small plates of pan roasted mushrooms and blanched asparagus. And finally there are overflowing baskets of warm, crusty slices of focaccia bread slid onto any place that there is space. The wineglass that was left by cousin Hillary is soon swept away, replaced by a fresh glass of dark purple wine.

I glance at Dare and he lets my hand go, but he does lean over and kiss me. The brief press of his lips is over before I even know it. But I feel the eyes of Dare’s entire family on me as soon as he pulls away.

I busy myself taking a little salmon and pasta bolognese. I purposely keep my eyes on my plate, not looking up for long enough to catch anyone’s gaze.

Dare and Remy talk a little, Dare’s father leaning in and interjecting a few times. For the most part, everyone quickly seems to forget me, to my intense relief.

I don’t hold much interest in this particular group of wealthy, self centered people. I can’t do anything for them, and they lose focus on me very quickly.

But just when I start to relax, Burn and Daisy come in from the cold. Burn slides his arm around Daisy as they walk up to Remy, acting for all the world as though he is the only person here. Daisy sweeps her gaze over the table of twenty or so future relatives and smirks.

“Remy,” Burn says very casually. “I see you started without us.”

Remy scowls at Burn. “When I say five o’clock, I mean five o’clock.”

Burn bows his head ever so slightly. Then he sweeps his gaze over the table. “Where should we sit?”

Remy looks at Dare’s father and motions to him. “Tripp, move down. Give Burn your seat.”

“What?” Tripp howls. “He can sit at the end of the table!”

Remy gives Tripp a dour glance. He raises his hand, pointing it to the end of the table. “Don't make me repeat myself.”

Tripp grimaces and then stands up, shoving his seat back so hard that it falls over. He stomps away, grabbing his wineglass and guzzling its contents, looking for all the world as if he were an oversized child. Burn taps the young man sitting in the next seat on the shoulder and the man jumps up, like a puppet that was yanked up by his marionette strings.

Burn sits down in the seat closest to Remy, letting Daisy seat herself. He leans in, looking around the table with a mischievous smirk. I drop my eyes to my plate just in time for him to focus on me.

“I didn't think you would be here, Talia. It's so nice to see you,” he purrs.

My cheeks go red but I just lift my gaze and glare at Dare's twin. It's hard to believe that they are even related even though they share a face. I don't say anything, I just look at Burn, trying not to give too much away.

Dare moves his seat closer to mine and slides his arm around my shoulders, his gesture either protective or possessive depending on how you see it. He bares his teeth at his brother, silently warning him.

Burn snorts and grabs Daisy's hand, pulling it into his lap.

A flash of annoyance crosses Dare's features. He looks at Daisy. “Did my brother tell you that he was caught trying to undress my fiancé? Against her will, I might add. If he had his way, he would be a rapist.”

Daisy's jaw drops. A dark and ominous cloud rolls over Burn, turning his glare into a spiteful look.

“That’s a dirty lie,” he hisses.

“It isn't. Ask anyone who was there that day. At the house that day. Burn tried to force himself on Talia. He can deny it if he wants to, but I think we all know the truth.”

Dare's face says that he takes no pleasure in the accusation he levels. Burn growls, his gaze shifting to me. He starts to stand up, as if he is going to move to come around the table and get me. Dare stands up, unbuttoning his coat.

“Enough!” Remy bellows. “You two arguing about women is so fucking stupid. What a foolish thing for you to be at each other's throats about.”

Dare and Burn keep glaring at each other and Remy raises both hands, pulling them down in a be seated gesture. “Sit down, you idiots.”

As if pulled by forces beyond their own control, Dare and Burn both sink down into their seats. I can feel all eyes on me just now, staring at me, trying to figure out what my actual worth is. Basically, am I worthy of Burn's attention?

My lips thin and I grab Dare's hand, squeezing it tightly.

Remy sits back, his expression one of displeasure. “Get this food out of my face. Come on, come clear off the table.”

Several food runners step forward, taking it all away. Then Remy puts his elbows on the table, leaning his head on his hands. He looks from one grandson to the other, his lips pursing.

“Dare, what did you call us here for today?”

I notice that he makes no reference to Burn's aggressive attempt to kiss me andundress me. Of course, I never expected Remy to give a shit about that. I am just a silly pawn in Burn's game as far as Remy is concerned.

Dare puts his arm around my shoulders, challenging Burn to touch me with a glare. “I'm so glad you asked, Remy. Talia and I would like to announce that we are having a formal wedding in a week.”

My eyebrows shoot up. I look at Dare, my eyes wide. If I am surprised, Daisy and Burn are aghast. Daisy audibly scoffs and Burn bleats out a laugh.

“You gotta be kidding me,” he mutters.

“Nope, Dare says. “And now that our wedding is going to be so soon, I am actively trying to get Talia pregnant. We fuck like bunnies, practically day and night. Isn't that right, darling?”

My face goes red as a beet and I stare at my husband in horror.

What is he thinking?

Remy stands up, grabbing his cane. He leans over and claps Dare on the shoulder. “Atta boy. Congratulations on pulling ahead in the race to win my shares of the company. I thought that you were going to be single forever because your mother didn't raise you right. But it seems that this little competition for inheritance has fixed that.”

I like to think that I have gotten to know Dare rather well. And I notice his smile slip away for just a fraction of a second before he leans forward, offering Remy his hands. He offers Remy a malicious smile.

“Thank you, sir. It’s been an arduous journey, but I think we all know that it’s practically a done deal by now.”

Remy raises a brow and takes Dare’s offered handshake, pumping it vigorously. He looks at Burn, who looks like he might explode at any moment.

“It seems like you might be right,” Remy says.

Burn glares at Remy and Dare smiles at both of them.

Apparently, I’m going to be having my wedding ceremony in just a week’s time. Dare gave me no warning… and the fact that I am the last person considered in any situation is starting to get really old.

I bite my lip and sink back in my chair, watching the men display dominance over one another.