“You must leave. You are not welcome.” Her mother pointed a finger his way. Her lips were tightly pouted.
“I know you think you’re doing the right thing for your daughter,” Ivor said. “But you’re not. This man will not make her happy. He’ll disrespect her, grind her down, and make her feel worthless until she is a shadow of herself. He will treat both her body and her soul badly.”
“How dare you.” Rishi stepped forward, fists clenched. “Leave. Now. Or I’ll make you leave.”
Ivor ignored him and took Nisha’s hand. “This woman loves me. She can’t deny it.” He looked at her, his heart swelling with adoration.
She didn’t say anything, but he could see it in her eyes, plain as day. Just the small physical connection had his blood heating and he knew hers would be too.
“Why are you doing this? Ruining our special day.” Nisha’s mother pointed at Ivor again. “You are a hooligan, a crazy man. Somebody stop him.”
“What is crazy is subjecting your daughter to a loveless marriage.” Ivor shook his head. “That’s not going to happen. She will marry me.”
“Right, that’s it.” Rishi swung a punch toward Ivor’s jaw.
But Ivor dodged it, pulling Nisha back with him. “Don’t try that again,” he said, anger swelling inside of him. “Or you’ll be damn sorry.”
“Please, Rishi, don’t hurt him.” Nisha squeezed his hand.
“You can’t possibly know this man,” Rishi said, regaining his balance. “He looks like a … a tramp or a druggie. What the hell is he wearing?”
“He’s not a tramp or a druggie.” Nisha looked up at Ivor. “I’m sorry. I want to be with you, but I can’t, I have duties and responsibilities—”
“You see.” Rishi nodded. “She wants to marry me. She knows what’s good for her.”
“No. No, she doesn’t.” Ivor’s temper flared brighter than a shooting star. “She’s only doing it out of respect for her parents.”
“As is our tradition.” Her father stepped forward and took Nisha’s arm, pulling her away from Ivor.
Ivor gritted his teeth and reached for her again, but Rishi got there first, taking Nisha’s other arm.
“Oh!” She gasped, as though shocked at the wide-armed stance she was now being held in. As though they were holding her too tightly. Hurting her.
“Let her go!” Ivor’s blood heated to boiling point. “Now.”
“No.” Nisha’s mother stepped between Ivor and Nisha and the two men. “You must leave. You are not welcome. My daughter is marrying Rishi Arran, and that is the end of it. Go, you heathen, you criminal, you crazed moron. Go!”
Ivor ignored her. “I mean it. Release my woman.”
His skin itched. Nisha was being restrained against her will. She was going to be chained to a life she didn’t want.
“Get out of here.” Nisha’s mother shoved Ivor’s shoulder. “Get out!”
Shock made him step back.
She did it again, harder this time.
“Mother. Don’t do that to him!” Nisha called. “Please, you don’t know him.”
But her mother took no notice, pushing Ivor once again. Pushing him so his foot caught against one of the ropes supporting the marquis.
He fell to his knees, hands slapping on the grass.
He closed his eyes.
The mother’s screeching voice scratched over his eardrums. “Get out. Leave. My daughter never wants to see you again. Neither do we, you down and out. You hobo. I curse you for ruining this special day. I curse you to hell.”
The itch in his spine grew hotter. So hot it burned a track from his head to his tailbone.