Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
His baby girl. Shit. This would be extremely complicated. No way in hell was I letting Brielle go, but all the Kendall kids were extremely close with their parents. Causing a rift between Brielle and Justice would make her unhappy, and I’d sworn to myself that I would spend my life making her smile and light up with joy.
“Thanks for the heads-up. Send her information over. I have to get to a rehearsal dinner for my nephew, but as soon as it’s over, I’ll find her, and we’ll figure out what happens next.”
Jonah was quiet for a moment, then he spoke in a low tone as if imparting a secret. “Don’t ever tell anyone what I’m about to say to you, or I’ll kill you and make it look like an accident.”
It wasn’t an empty threat. Jonah was quite capable of following through. However, I would have agreed anyway. “You have my word.”
“It’s a fuck of a lot harder to keep a man away from your daughter if she’s knocked up and has his ring on her finger.”
He made an excellent point, and I hadn’t planned on waiting very long to accomplish both of those things anyway. “Thanks.”
“Good luck.”
Jonah hung up, and I shoved my phone back into my pocket, grabbing my room key and wallet before heading to the banquet room for the rehearsal dinner.
When I arrived, I gave both Gabe and Avery a hug and congratulated them again. A young woman with black hair, striking green eyes, and a clipboard tapped me on the shoulder. “Lennox Madison?”
“Yes?”
She smiled and reached out to shake my hand. “Hello, I’m Emma Hensley, the wedding planner. If you follow me, I’ll show you where you’re sitting.”
Rhys suddenly stepped in front of us, glaring directly at the woman. “Emmaline,” he growled. “We need to talk.”
She raised her chin stubbornly and glared right back. “Save it for your speech,” she snipped haughtily. “And don’t call me Emmaline.” Then she turned her head and sent me another bright smile. “Don’t mind him. My brother is nervous about his best man duties. Come this way.”
She stepped around him, ignoring his next words. “I am not your fucking brother,” Rhys said in a deadly tone.
I suddenly realized who these two were. Gabe had mentioned Rhys’s stepsister—Miles’s twin—because she was also one of Avery’s best friends. From what he’d said, Rhys and Emma couldn't stand each other. But as she marched away, he watched her with a mix of emotions. Ones I recognized well because they’d been eating at me for days. Anger, desire, obsession, and possession.
I gave him an empathetic look before following Emma to my seat. The wedding party would be seated at a long table in front, while family and friends were seated at round tables throughout the room. My sister smiled at me as I took the chair next to her, but when she clocked my frustrated expression, she sighed. “Still moping?”
My eyes narrowed at her. “Grown men do not mope.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but my attention was suddenly diverted to the front of the room. Shocked, I froze in my seat as the woman of my dreams slid into the chair reserved for the maid of honor. Before I could react, Emma cleared her throat and announced that it was time to start. She then asked everyone to be seated.
“Why don’t you start things off, Brielle?” she asked before sitting at a table with Avery’s parents.
Brielle muttered something to Avery, then stood up and smiled, her eyes scanning the room. “I’m terrible at speeches. And—” Her words abruptly halted as her gaze landed on me.
8
LENNOX
Brielle abruptly stopped speaking, and she blinked a few times, obviously trying to figure out if I was real. Emotions flitted across her face, anger, relief, sadness, and then anger again, though she tried to hide it behind an emotionless mask.
What the fuck? I sat there and glared at her, wondering why the hell she would be mad at me when I wasn’t the one who’d snuck out and disappeared. Avery was looking at her friend with a concerned expression, and I shoved back my urge to stalk over to Brielle and demand an explanation. But I wasn’t going to do anything to disrupt my nephew’s happy day. Although, I did wonder if Avery had known…no. I shook that thought off. I knew Avery better than that.
Brielle dragged her gaze away from me and cemented her easygoing mask before forcing a soft laugh. “Sorry about that. Like I said, I’m terrible at speeches.”
Avery giggled and nodded as she mouthed, “She really is.”
“But not so bad that I would turn down the chance to stand by my best friend’s side when she married her boss.” Brielle smiled at Avery and winked. “Oops, I meant to say man of her dreams.”