Chapter 2

I had no patience for Daniel, so I didn't even look up. "The Gardner family arranged this seating. Do you have a problem with that?"

"The Gardner family arranged it?" Daniel's face flushed red. He grabbed my arm and dropped his voice to a furious hiss.

"I've seen the guest list. Your name isn't on it. Who the hell are you?"

"Have you been obsessing over Isabelle this whole time? Is that why you're here, to make a move on her at her own wedding?

"You think pulling some stunt is going to get her attention? Keep dreaming."

His voice was shaking. He was furious.

I had no interest in making a scene on their wedding day, so I kept my tone even. "I'm nobody to Isabelle. I'm not interested in her either. You've got the wrong idea."

But he still had my arm and wouldn't let go. "Get up and get out. Now. Do you hear me?"

I glanced around. Thomas and his daughter were nowhere in sight. "If you want me gone, I'll go. But whatever comes of it, that's on you."

I pulled my arm free and walked out.

What I didn't expect was for him to follow me. He trailed me all the way into the men's restroom, a few of the groomsmen filing in behind him. The moment I stepped out of a stall, one of them clicked the lock on the door.

One of the groomsmen grinned. "All clear, Danny. We checked. Nobody else is here."

My stomach dropped. "Move, or the Gardners will hear about this, and none of you will come out of it well."

Daniel laughed and drove his foot into my stomach without warning. The force slammed me back into the sink, and the pain knocked the breath out of me.

"I'm a Pearce, and Thomas Gardner's son-in-law. You think anyone's going to say a single word about me putting trash in its place?"

The groomsmen surged forward, grabbing me by the arms and hauling me toward the toilet. "Danny's orders. Drink up. Maybe next time you'll think twice before calling out to someone's wife."

I gritted my teeth against the pain still burning through my stomach. "Don't you dare."

Daniel's answer was a punch straight to my face. My ears rang from the pain. He leaned in close, his voice dropping to something cold and quiet.

"Or what? You're nothing. You don't get to push back against me.

"Hold him down. Let him find out what it tastes like."

Before I could react, hands were pressing my head down toward the bowl. The stench hit me immediately, and my stomach turned. I gagged, my whole body recoiling against it.

I wrenched myself free and collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air. The others stepped back.

"Disgusting," someone muttered.

Daniel stood over me, looking down with undisguised contempt. "Learned your lesson? Still feel like chasing after my wife?"

He grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back. "Here's what's going to happen. Get on your knees and lick my shoes. Do that, and maybe I'll let you walk out of here."

"Lick your shoes?" I looked up at him.

"Thomas Gardner would love to know that he has a son-in-law like you. What do you think he'd make of this?"

Something flickered across Daniel's face, and he pressed his jaw tight. "Still running your mouth. Let's see how long that lasts."

He turned to one of the groomsmen. "Johnny. Since he's got such a filthy mouth, give him something to fill it with."

Johnny glanced down at the waste bin near my feet and kicked it. "You're in luck, Danny. The bin's practically full, more than enough for him. It's more than enough for him."