The Sandy Lake mayor lifted an admonishing eyebrow when Viper’s Black Jack bodyguards, assembled in his large office at city hall, snickered. Naiya pressed her lips together and tried to hear his words above the pounding of blood in her ears. This was not happening. She was not being forced into marriage to Viper like they were living in the Dark Ages. Once she got these damned ropes off her wrists, she would grab his gun and shoot him between the fucking eyes.
“To join this man and woman in matrimony, which is an honorable estate, and is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but recently and discreetly.”
More snickers. A belly laugh. At least the Black Jacks were enjoying themselves. She couldn’t say the same for Shaggy whom Viper had brought along as an afterthought to be an independent witness at the ceremony, unconnected to the Jacks. He wanted to cover all his bases just in case there was an investigation into the legitimacy of the wedding after the trust monies were transferred, and with Shaggy in the wedding video, and his signature on the documents, no one would be able to say it was entirely a Black Jack affair. And, of course, Viper planned to end his life after the ceremony was over. Dead men told no tales.
Naiya looked around the ostentatious office for some route of escape. But aside from the two giant windows flanking an enormous oak desk, and the door they had come through, there was no other way out. She ground her toe into the thick red carpet and threw a beseeching glance at the heavyset mayor who had been happy to accept an envelope stuffed with money in exchange for performing the ceremony on short notice—and without the consent of the bride-to-be.
“If anyone can show just cause why this man and this woman may not lawfully be joined together, let them speak now or hereafter remain silent.”
Viper dropped a warning hand to Naiya’s shoulder. How ironic that the last time she’d attended a ceremony it had been at her mother’s grave and Viper had stood behind her, his heavy hand a precursor to the horror that lay ahead. Back to the beginning, except this beginning was an end unless she could escape from this nightmare before the mayor pronounced them husband and wife.
Naiya glanced around the room. This was the part in movies where the hero burst through the door and saved the woman from her impending marriage to a psychopathic biker who wanted her twenty million dollar trust fund. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that her grandparents had lived such a simple life when they’d had that much money available to them, but it made sense. They were good, honest people who didn’t need more than the basics to be happy. Too bad Viper hadn’t learned that lesson.
“I’m being forced into this marriage against my will. How’s that for a reason?” She couldn’t stop the words that dropped from her lips. She’d gone timidly with Viper that day in the cemetery, afraid to rock the boat, hopeful he would let her go, accepting of her fate. But no more. She’d protest this marriage until he gagged her or knocked her unconscious.
“Shut it, girl, or I’ll off the old man right now,” Viper growled, nodding at Shaggy who had been tied to a chair in front of the desk.
“Naiya Kelly and uh…?” The mayor looked to Viper for help.
“Marcus Wilder,” Viper offered. “But hurry it along. I don’t have all day. Fractured Skyway is headlining at the rally and I hear they’ve got a damn good warm-up band this year.”
“I’m recording this at your request in case there are questions about the ceremony.” The mayor whispered his words. “It would be best to do the complete ceremony, with the small alterations you requested, and of course I’ll edit out the extraneous conversation.”
At a nod from Viper, the mayor continued. “Naiya Kelly and Marcus Wilder, I require and charge you both that if either of you know any reason why you may not lawfully be joined together in matrimony, you do now confess. If any persons are joined together otherwise than as prescribed by law, their marriage is not lawful.”
“How inconvenient,” Naiya spat out. “We’re going to go through all this for nothing since forcing a person into marriage isn’t lawful.”
“I fucking warned you.” Viper drew his weapon and aimed it at Shaggy. With a gasp, the mayor raised his hands.
“Please. Not in my office. This has been hard enough to orchestrate and it is very likely the marriage will be nullified and there will be an investigation if I have to explain a dead body in my office. No doubt the police will take the tapes.”
“Do it.” Shaggy glared at Viper. “I fucking dare you. Fucking pussy has to steal a young girl’s money so he can play with the big boys. You got no balls, Marcus Wilder. You think you can buy power? Think again. You think you can lead a national organization ’cause you paid people off to get your throne? Jax Abrahams rules the Jacks on a national level because he fought his way to the top. Battle after battle. Scar after scar. He has respect because he earned it. Not because he bought it. I knew him when he was junior patch. I watched his rise to power. You don’t have what he has. Even if you manage to get through his security and take him out, you won’t last a week as national Black Jack president. They’ll see your weakness. Tear you down.”