Nodding his head, he watched her leave. She was so silent, the door barely making a sound as it closed.
He wondered what she was thinking in that moment.
He didn’t want a wife. The last thing he expected coming here was for him to become eligible as a husband.
“So, now that we’re all going to be one big, happy family. Let’s talk real now. Money, guns, drugs, pussy, and power. That’s all I’m interested in.”
Smokey finally took a seat, ready to make a deal.
It was the first time for Ugly Beast that he wanted to put a bullet in his president’s head, with all the love in the world, of course.
****
Abriana tried not to smooth out her hair for the hundredth time. All of them were laughing at her. It was her engagement party, and so many people across the family and the associates had come to see the laughingstock of what was to be her life.
She was being married off to an MC.
Bargained off like every other woman, only her match was considered less.
“I heard he’s a monster. His face makes mirrors break.”
“I hear he takes women and rapes them. That’s his deal.”
“That’s all men. They are pigs and don’t know when to keep it in their pants. They all need to be castrated.”
She tried not to think or show what their words were doing to her. Glancing at the time, she saw her betrothed was already an hour late. The whole MC was late, and she knew her father was getting angrier by the second.
The past three years, she’d been a real disappointment to him and to her family. She was the oldest of five. She had two brothers that were older than she was and already made men. She was the oldest girl. Her sister Chantel was the beauty of the family, but she was only fifteen and already had men wanting to take her to a dark room and fuck. Where Chantel would make a glowing bride, Abriana was the ugly duckling in the story; only she’d stayed ugly.
For three years now, she’d been put on strict diets, forced into exercise, and been advised over plastic surgery.
She was worthless.
Her father had spent many nights pointing it out, and when they didn’t have guests, he liked to randomly hit her, hoping to smack the ugly right out of her. If he couldn’t use his hands and fists on her face, he liked to kick.
From what she heard, the MC wasn’t much better.
She stayed in the corner of the room, praying for this man to arrive. Even if it meant she’d die sooner rather than later, she’d take it. She didn’t know how much more she could handle of her father’s abuse. There was no one to turn to.
He was Capo.
She also knew Nico adored her father and their family. If she went to him with a complaint, she’d be the one punished. No one else.
Locking her fingers together in front of her, she tried to hide her curves that she’d been told time and again were ugly.
Her mother often dressed her in black to hide her body. She knew her mother tried, but it was no use.
“Are you okay, honey?” her mother, Carina, asked.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“He’ll turn up.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then, stay in your room.” Her mother patted her hands as if it was the most natural advice a mother was to give to a daughter.
Abriana kept her mask in place when the truth was, she was screaming, petrified, and wanting to do nothing more than run out the front door.
After the first beating, Carina taught her how to pretend. How to lie and to make it look convincing. Whenever her father started to hit her, she simply floated away and imagined herself elsewhere.
It was a hell of a lot easier than suffering.
She took a deep breath as she watched her father and Nico talking. They kept looking toward her, and she knew they weren’t happy.
Her father made his way toward her, and she couldn’t think of a single way to escape. Frozen into place, she waited for his cruelty. He wouldn’t hit her in front of their guests, but his words were just as bad as any hit.
She tensed up, hoping someone distracted him.
As if appearing out of nowhere Ugly and Smokey slammed open the front doors, letting all know they had arrived.
“Where is the bride to be?”
She didn’t think it was possible for an MC to be her savior or for her to be grateful for it.
Abriana stayed in her corner as bikers began to appear. They hadn’t changed for the event. They were still in their leather jackets, complete with their insignia. Jeans, shirts, leather cuts, and hard boots, stood out against the suit-wearing family she was used to.
She rather liked the contrast.
The one with the label of President noticed her and came over to her. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.