Top Dog

“Take a deep breath, Katie. Did you have a beer at that bar? How many did you have?”

“I’m not drunk. I’m not on my period. And I’m not anything else you wish to blame my outbursts on. You want me to be some perfect little trophy wife that doesn’t give a shit whose tits you stare at or whose number you get. Well, I’m done. I’m done with your controlling ways, and I’m done with you blaming everything on me. You can let the room know that the wedding is off.”

“And who in the world is going to reimburse their tickets? Because I sure as hell am not,” he said.

“We’ll take care of it.”

I turned around and saw Dylan standing behind me. He walked up beside me with a grin on his face and a devilish glint in his eye.

“Should anyone feel the need to be reimbursed for anything, O'Conner Ranch Resorts will take care of it,” Dylan said.

“I’m not talking about the damn dinner,” Michael said. “I’m talking about the airplane tickets.”

“Those as well,” Dylan said. “As the man who runs the Finance Department of this resort, I’ll see to it that each and every one of your guests are treated with the care and respect they deserve.”

“And what about their stay here?” Michael asked.

“I’m sure everyone will enjoy the resort despite not havin’ to attend a weddin’,” Caleb said.

“And we’ll be bookin’ another room for Miss Carr for the night,” Andrew said.

Michael glared at me as the brothers gathered protectively around me. He drew in a deep breath before he turned back to the ballroom, then entered it with his head held high. He clapped his hands together and began his announcement, telling the room there would be no wedding and reassuring everyone that they were welcome to stay and enjoy the facilities.

Then, Wyatt wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me to the elevator.

“Come on. Let’s get you set up somewhere else. You did good, Katie Cat,” he said.

CHAPTER 2

DYLAN

“What the hell do you mean the venue isn’t refundable?”

“I’m sorry, sir. But our policy was clearly outlined in the contract.” I said as I looked Michael straight into his eyes.

“I’m not getting

married. This venue cost me ten thousand dollars alone. And you mean to tell me that because my fiancée—”

“Ex-fiancée,” I said with a grin.

“You mean that because Katie fucking Carr ruined this entire thing, that I’m supposed to walk away from ten thousand dollars?” Michael asked.

“Our policy was outlined clearly to you in the contract you signed. Five thousand dollars was a non-refundable deposit, and the other five thousand wasn’t refundable after thirty days,” I said.

“I guarantee you if I look through that fucking contract I won’t see a damn thing like that,” he said.

“You’re welcome to try sir, but I guarantee you, it’s there. However, I have asked every single one of your guests if they wanted their rooms refunded and a credit put toward their airline tickets to get home. Some have taken me up on the offer. Others have not.”

“I’ll take you to fucking court if you think you’re gonna keep ten thousand damn dollars.”

“Then I await the subpoena for court.”

Even though I was keeping my voice steady and eradicating my accent as much as I could to seem professional, I was ready to go to blows. I saw how he’d treated Katie last night.

I saw how he was staring down women as they passed by in their low-cut dresses. I saw how he ignored her and how depressed she looked.

Katie was nothing but radiant in her rehearsal gown. The champagne-colored dress fell over her curves like sunlight pours through the sheer curtains of a window during a sunrise. And a woman who was dressed in such decadence deserved to be treated like the queen she was.