AVERY
“Warrant or fuck off, old man.” I step up to him.
Marigold grabs my arm.
“Marigold, come with me right now.” He holds his hand out to her.
Everyone in the room goes tense, the sounds of wedding preparations turned to utter silence.
“Girl, I’m warning you.” He motions for her to come to him.
I’m unwavering. She won’t go to him. I knew from the moment I met her that she won’t forsake me just as I’d never forsake her.
“Dad, you don’t understand.”
“Marigold!” he bellows.
She flinches.
That’s all I need. I grab him by his stiff collar and drag him out the front door, down the steps and onto the driveway. He fumbles around for his gun, but I smack his hand away and pull it out for myself.
With a shove, I send him flying backwards. He lands on his ass.
“Avery!” Marigold has a death grip on my arm.
“He’s not harmed. Not really. I kept my word,” I reassure Marigold.
“Get up.” I point his own gun at him. “I realize you’re wearing a vest. However, I’ll shoot you between the eyes and not give it a second thought. So choose now if you want to continue pissing into the wind or if you want to leave here alive.”
He gets to his feet, his eyes narrowed as he glances from the barrel to me.
“I’ll have this delivered to the station by private courier. Best I can do.” That’s not entirely true. The best thing I can do is pull the trigger and rid Marigold of this asshole for good, but that’s not my choice to make. Besides, I promised her I wouldn’t. So I won’t.
He looks around and finds Elliott standing outside his car and aiming for him. Then I point a finger upward.
Marigold’s father’s gaze lifts, then his eyes widen even more when he sees Mr. Lou hanging out a second-floor window with an assault rifle at the ready.
“If you’ve done even a tiny amount of homework on me, Officer.” I lace the word with malice. “Then you’ll know that I’m no stranger to bloodshed. Neither are the people I surround myself with. We take care of our own.” I wrap my arm around Marigold. She’s shaking, dismay written all over her. I have to end this situation. She doesn’t deserve this sort of distress, especially not on her wedding day. “Goodbye.”
I turn and pull her back up the stairs and into the house.
“Marigo–” His yell is cut off as I slam the door.
The house comes back to life, the florist going back to work on the arrangements as if nothing at all just happened. Good. I won’t let anything interfere with this wedding, not even Marigold’s asshole of a father.
“Are you all right?” I cup her cheek.
When she looks up at me, her eyes are swimming with tears. It breaks a piece of my heart to see her upset like this.
Without a word, I scoop her into my arms and carry her up the stairs, not stopping until I reach our room. Once I sit her on the bed, I kneel in front of her. “Talk to me, Goldie.”
I reach up and swipe the tears from her cheeks with my thumbs. “Please tell me what you’re thinking.”
She presses her cheek against my palm. “It’s just … No one’s ever stood up to my dad like that. Not that I can remember, and especially not for me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She smiles, another tear slipping free. “I wish I had my phone out so I could’ve recorded the look on his face when you took his gun away. That was priceless.”