He wipes a bit of blood from his lip. “I don’t have to do shit! Like I told her—”
I yank him up by the front of his suit and slam him into the wall. “I know what you told her. I know you threatened her. Had her up against the wall, scaring the shit out of her. Not only did she tell me, but I saw it with my own eyes. On video.”
His beady eyes bug out.
“Don’t worry, it’s in my safe.”
“What the fuck do you want?” he barks.
“My attorney told you. I want you to relinquish your rights.”
“Is that why she sent me that fucking picture? To blackmail me?” He barks out a humorless laugh. “Are you seriously blackmailing a politician?”
I want to laugh and tell him he’s a dumbass, but I keep my mouth shut regarding the truth. “You’re a dirty, corrupt, poor excuse for a politician,” I tell him, tightening my hold on his neck. “We’re just using what you know…what you can relate to. Just like all those times you blackmailed and threatened her. The difference between you and me, though, is that I have money. Tons of it. And money talks.”
I loosen my hold on him slightly so I can look him in the eyes. “You have some bullshit sense of power, but when the world finds out the shit you’ve done, and trust me, I know everything you’ve done… That power will, poof, vanish.” I smirk, knowing I’ve got him. “And then I’ll fight you with every dime I have until your life is destroyed. So, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?”
He knocks my hand away and stalks toward the desk where the papers rest. “Fine, but this means you keep your mouths shut.”
“Absolutely,” I agree, laughing to myself. “Sophia and I will never say a word…” We won’t have to because that bitch Rachel is out for Freeman’s blood, and she won’t stop until she gets it. She won’t be using Sophia to get it, but she has enough to blow up Freeman’s entire world—I made sure of it.
“Hey, Daniel, you got this?” I ask, walking toward the door. “I have a wedding I need to get to. Two beautiful girls I need to officially make mine.”
Daniel grins. “I got this. And I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I was a little scared you weren’t going to make it,” Sophia whispers, her arms wrapped around my neck as we sway to “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. We’ve said our I dos and now we’re at our reception, dancing to our first song.
“And miss the most important day of my life?” I chuckle. “Not a chance, Dash.” Because of the tradition of not seeing each other the night before, she didn’t know until this morning, I was back in New York last night.
Sophia lifts her face and I drop a soft kiss to her perfect, lip-glossed lips. Her hair and makeup has been done for the wedding, and she’s donning a gorgeous white, sequin dress that accentuates her belly.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” I tell her, kissing her again. “I can’t wait to peel this dress off you and make love to you as my wife.”
Her cheeks flush pink. “You must really love me to want to see me naked. I feel like a whale.”
“No fucking way,” I argue. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I plan to keep you pregnant. I love you like this, carrying my baby, growing a life inside you. You’re perfect.”
She sighs and rests her head back against my shoulder. “You going to tell me where you went?” she murmurs.
“To see Freeman.” Her body freezes. “He relinquished his rights to K. No matter what happens in the future, he can never come after either of you.”
She raises her face and her watery eyes meet mine. “Oh, Easton,” she chokes out. “How did you—”
“Not tonight, Dash. Tonight is about us, about saying our vows in front of our friends and family. It’s about agreeing to spend the rest of our lives together before God. I want to finish this dance with my wife and when the song is over, I’m going to dance with my daughter. Tomorrow we can talk.”
We spend the rest of the night dancing and eating and enjoying our family and friends. When it’s late, and Sophia is exhausted, we kiss Kendall good night, since she’s going to stay with my parents, thank everyone for coming, and then bid our goodbyes.
We’re staying in the hotel where the reception is being held, so the walk to our suite is short. Tomorrow, we’re going to leave for our mini honeymoon, but tonight I’m going to make love to my wife.
Sophia asks for a few minutes to clean up, so I use that time to light some candles and undress out of my tux. When she steps out, no longer in her dress, I pout, annoyed I didn’t get to take it off her myself. But then my eyes home in on what she’s wearing: a white lacy bra and panty set with those sexy as fuck garters that come up to her mid-thigh with clasps on the front of each thigh, connecting them to her panties. Her belly is big—there’s no other way to describe it. She’s due soon and you can tell our boy is stretching her. And holy shit, she’s never looked so goddamn stunning.