Her rage

Zoe

The piano is still playing the beautiful tune, the beginning of my new life. I step out of my guest room with my father on my right and brother on my left. Slowly walking down the modern victorian spiral stairs, the photographer snaps a multiple photographs of us. Reaching the hall, I can’t help but gasp at the exquisite setup and decorations.

Brad’s family and the politicians are here in their numbers. Thousands of bodies in their resumes yet they smile with so much ease. I wonder how they sleep at night.

All of them are here for Brad. Father and Dan are my only family and I don’t have any friends. Those I thought were, ghosted me the day I got engaged to their eye candy. Friends are overrated anyway.

I focus all my attention on the handsome man before me. His infectious smile melts my heart. I may not like his family, but I won’t have to deal with them. Him and I will start our new life and make our own traditions that do not involve killing or backstabbing people.

Our vows are pretty much done when the priest makes the usual call to the guests.

“Is there anyone here with any reason that these two cannot be wed? Speak out now or forever hold your peace.”

I don’t even lift my eyes to look. No one would ever be stupid enough to go against the Harvey’s.

“I am here.”

I was wrong. The cold, domineering voice booms before he strides in. I see everyone nervously shift on their seats.

Head high, unrealistically gorgeous face in a scowl. It’s as if we all disgust him. Hands in his pockets, he advances towards us.

The hall is suddenly chilly. Ruthless mighty men start shaking. The fact that their highly trained guards are not in here apprehending this man can only mean that they are dead. I have been lucky enough to never meet him in person. That has unfortunately changed.

The most ruthless man in Largota has graced my wedding. It is not an honour, worst than a curse actually. It’s doom. Our politicians have nothing on this man. He is every politician and citizen’s boogy man.

The sexiest man in the country, probably the whole world but cold, predatory and lethal. His stare gives many a heart attack, literally. I see old Mr Sydney on the third row crouching down while holding on to his chest. Definitely a heart attack. Someone should call an ambulance, but we are all on a survival mode now. Rumours are even a sneeze in his presence can get you killed. A trail of bodies and pools of blood remain everywhere this man is spotted.

No one goes to Mr Sydney’s side even when he falls on the floor and pales out. He is a cruel bigot, but what a way to die.

“Sir Leonard.”

Brad mumbles with a shaky voice when he reaches us.

Six-five feet tall, I am five-four but I feel like an ant compared to him. Just looking at him is straining my neck. He ignores Brad and hoovers above me.

“Lady Maloy.”

I look up at the mysterious dark piercing eyes and frown. Shit! That may just get me killed. Lady? I have no title as far as I know.

Luckily for me he turns to Brad. His dark eyes getting darker and deadly.

“Who the fuck gave you the permission to wed my plighted?”

His what now? I know the word very well, but he can’t be possibly referring to me.

“Si…Sir Leonard...Sir,” Brad stammers, his body trembling.

A cracking noise fills the hall as a fist lands and probable breaking Brad’s jaw. The only reason Brad does not fall is because he holds on to the nearby chair.

This is not happening! I heard horrific stories about this man. Is he going to torture us on our wedding day?

He impatiently shakes his arm and straightens his meticulous suit as if punching Brad was such an inconvenience.

“You must be mistaken, Sir. I am not your…”

In a split second he is on my face, breathing down on me.

I just had to open my big mouth.

“Careful before you call me a liar.”

“I…I…I...”

Where the fuck did my words go? I take a deep breath and try again. Talking back might be dangerous, but maybe this is all a misunderstanding.

“I mean no disrespect. You must have mistaken me for someone else,”I manage to murmur.

“Do you think I am the type to make mistakes, Lady Maloy?”

Why is he so angry and why does he keep calling me that?

“It happens to the best of…”

He sneers and interjects. “Best? Woman please.”

He scoffs as if I am the dumbest person he ever met. Jeck!

“Zoe Maloy, are you not?”

“I am.”

“Your father is Lord Derrick. Your mother, Daisy Monroe, the first countess of Largota?”

“What?”

I catch a glimpse of my father. He has and expression I can’t quite read. That is my mother’s name. I don’t know anything about first countess. Whatever that even means.

“Heiress of the Monroe land,” he continues, still on my face and angry as hell.

“Never heard of it.”

He scoffs and gives me what looks like the most disgusted expression.

“I am not surprised. You are really dumb and desperate.”

I clench my teeth, anger rising inside me. I have no idea what he is talking about but I am not dumb, nor am I desperate. I also won’t tolerate being talked down at, even by him.

“Your almost dead fiancé knows all about it. Isn’t it, Brad?”

“Sir?”

Thump! Thump!

Brad falls on the floor and groans in pain.

I did not even see him take out his gun. This man does not even flinch as he shoots both Brad’s legs.

“Act dumb again and the next bullet will meet your skull. You have a minute to tell my gullible plighted here why you are marrying her.”

Brad lays on the floor with a defeated snarl on his face.

“I was after the Monroe land. Marrying you was the only way to get it.”

“And?” Sir Leonard roars.

My heart is already shuttered, but there is clearly more to come.

“It wasn’t personal, Zoe. I swear.”

“It wasn’t personal? Are you fucken real?”

I am fuming and ready to strangle him now. His family owns over forty percent of the land in this country. He came after me and made me fall for him because of the land I don’t know anything about.

“Chill, Kitten. That’s not even the best part,”Sir Leonard scowls at me.

I clench my teeth and bite my tongue. I am already pissed off and this man is getting on my nerves with the kitten crap. It’s as if he knows how I hate man calling me that.

“Tell her about her death date,” he instructs Brad.

I look at him then Brad.

“What?”

“You don’t think he would have let you live, do you? Like how gullible can you get?”

“Stop talking to me!” I finally snap at him. I have always had a short fuse. My father use to say my rage knows no bounds. He was right. I expect a bullet to hit me any time now, but he chuckles and turns to Brad instead.

“Seventh of October,” Brad blurts out my death date.

Two months. Of course. That’s how long you have to remain married in this country for the marriage to be legal. That’s why he agreed to all my terms, future plans and even moving out of his family estate. I was never going to live past our honeymoon. The bastard!

My rage spirals out of control at the thought. I have unstrapped my gun and blown Brad’s brains off before my sanity kicked in.

That’s when I notice jaws dropped and widened expressions of our guests staring back at me.

Shit! I have just killed Brad Harvey. I and my family are as good dead. Even if by some miracle we survive Sir Leonard, I can bet on my life that Brad’s family will not rest until I am dead.

My head is spinning while Sir Leonard chuckles. Does he find my devastation amusing?

He whistles and over hundred heavily-armed men rush in. They roughly push my trembling guests to the corner and only leave my father and Dan.

I am now standing at the alter with this man who makes my blood boil. I am looking away from him but I can feel his cold eyes boring into me.

“I am not going to say my vows with this thing here,”he says coldly, disgust lacing his every word.

What? He is getting married? Like, hijacking my stupid wedding with all my conniving guests as his hostages? That’s just sick. And who would want to be tied to this cold domineering brick?

“On it, Sir.”

One of the men yanks Brad’s body and throws it to one corner like a piece of trash. A clearly terrified hotel cleaner runs in to mop the floor before fleeing the scene. I can’t help but envy him as the doors to the hall close shut behind him.

At this point I am aimlessly standing at the aisle with no idea what to do. Do I continue standing here? Until when? Do I walk to my father or the guests crammed up in the corner? Would that tip him off and earn myself a bullet on my back?

I am very confused when Sir Leonard’s men take the seats previously occupied by the guests and look expectantly at the isle. Shouldn’t they be looking towards at the door for the bride?

My eyes are glued to the door. I am curious to see her. She must be really brave and stupid. He is hot and all, but you gotta be crazy to marry this man.

Sir Leonard gives the trembling priest a nod before turning to me.

“Ready?”

I turn my head to all directions to check whom he is talking to and find his cold eyes on me.

“Of course, you are. You were ready to marry your way to the grave.”

“What? No! I am not marrying you!”

Something is wrong with this man! Like, seriously!