Read Online Circle of Deception by Carla Swafford - Free Book Online
Authors: Carla Swafford
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worrying and go with whatever he had planned.
Obviously, Jack planned to throw her into the fire by letting the public see her and Rex as husband and wife at a fancy party. She’d read everything The Circle had on Brody and studied Rex’s files. To delay it would only give the Inferno a chance to take possession of more ammo. Besides, if they waited any longer, problems would start creeping up, giving her and Rex time to get on each other’s nerves.
The first thing she noticed as she walked off the elevator and headed to the office was the slight hum of a crowd. When she opened the door, she almost turned back around.
Rex and Jack stood near a huge bouquet of flowers. A sullen Nic whispered frantically to Liam, while Charlie and Olivia sat at the conference table with Collin. What the hell were Olivia and Collin there for? Had someone died?
A movement near the flowers brought her attention to the white bells and doves immersed in fringe-tipped curtains draped over one wall. Next to a podium stood a tall, well-built man dressed in rhinestones and sunglasses and wearing his coal-black hair in a pompadour.
What was an Elvis Presley impersonator doing here? Her gaze jumped to Rex and Jack. What were they trying to pull?
One of The Circle’s IT guys, holding a small video camera, pointed it at her with the red light blinking.
“Surprise!” Jack stepped over to her and waved at Charlie. “What are you waiting for?”
Charlie shoved a small spray of flowers into her arms. “These belong to you. Congratulations.”
Stunned, Abby grasped them to her chest and looked at Rex. The satisfied look on his face ignited her anger. She caught Jack’s arm.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Can’t you tell? I’ve come to Vegas to give you away to my good buddy, Rurik. Unless you’d rather have Elvis walk you down the aisle.” Jack grinned and clasped her arm, nearly forcing her to where Rex stood. “When you called, telling me that you two crazy kids couldn’t wait a minute longer and wanted all your friends here, I got on the first plane out.” As the IT guy aimed the camera at Rex, Jack leaned over. “Play along.”
“Are you crazy ?” she shot back under her breath.
“If I had told you before we did it, would you have done it without arguing?”
“Hell—”
“That’s what I thought,” he said, cutting her off before she could raise her voice and mess up the recording. “I’ll explain more after we’re finished.”
When Elvis launched into “Love Me Tender,” Abby followed Jack’s lead and held on to his arm all the way to the podium as if in a dream. Or was that a nightmare? They stopped in front of Rex. He looked wonderful. Dressed in what appeared to be an expensive black suit, gray silk shirt, and tie, he grabbed her hand and lifted it. Feeling numb, she didn’t even think to protest how tightly he squeezed her fingers.
When Elvis asked her to repeat the vows and she merely stared at him, he covered his discomfort by making a quip about the bride needing a fried peanut butter sandwich for nourishment. Less than two minutes later, Rex/Rurik slipped two rings on her finger, and the preacher/Elvis pronounced them husband and wife and ordered them to kiss.
Rex’s lips pressed hers for a second and then he stepped back. Nothing earth-shattering or romantic about it at all. How often over the years had she dreamed of this moment? What if she hadn’t gone shopping that fateful day and been kidnapped by The Circle? What if they had really gotten married? The kiss would be different, deeper, richer, hotter. What had happened? Her head spun with all the best-forgotten memories racing through her mind. She wanted to scream, Stop!
With a shake of her head, she stumbled off the platform set up for the altar. Rex caught her elbow until she regained her footing, but he didn’t pull her back into his arms. Then Elvis belted out “Viva Las Vegas” in perfect pitch.
She squinted and rubbed her
Obviously, Jack planned to throw her into the fire by letting the public see her and Rex as husband and wife at a fancy party. She’d read everything The Circle had on Brody and studied Rex’s files. To delay it would only give the Inferno a chance to take possession of more ammo. Besides, if they waited any longer, problems would start creeping up, giving her and Rex time to get on each other’s nerves.
The first thing she noticed as she walked off the elevator and headed to the office was the slight hum of a crowd. When she opened the door, she almost turned back around.
Rex and Jack stood near a huge bouquet of flowers. A sullen Nic whispered frantically to Liam, while Charlie and Olivia sat at the conference table with Collin. What the hell were Olivia and Collin there for? Had someone died?
A movement near the flowers brought her attention to the white bells and doves immersed in fringe-tipped curtains draped over one wall. Next to a podium stood a tall, well-built man dressed in rhinestones and sunglasses and wearing his coal-black hair in a pompadour.
What was an Elvis Presley impersonator doing here? Her gaze jumped to Rex and Jack. What were they trying to pull?
One of The Circle’s IT guys, holding a small video camera, pointed it at her with the red light blinking.
“Surprise!” Jack stepped over to her and waved at Charlie. “What are you waiting for?”
Charlie shoved a small spray of flowers into her arms. “These belong to you. Congratulations.”
Stunned, Abby grasped them to her chest and looked at Rex. The satisfied look on his face ignited her anger. She caught Jack’s arm.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Can’t you tell? I’ve come to Vegas to give you away to my good buddy, Rurik. Unless you’d rather have Elvis walk you down the aisle.” Jack grinned and clasped her arm, nearly forcing her to where Rex stood. “When you called, telling me that you two crazy kids couldn’t wait a minute longer and wanted all your friends here, I got on the first plane out.” As the IT guy aimed the camera at Rex, Jack leaned over. “Play along.”
“Are you crazy ?” she shot back under her breath.
“If I had told you before we did it, would you have done it without arguing?”
“Hell—”
“That’s what I thought,” he said, cutting her off before she could raise her voice and mess up the recording. “I’ll explain more after we’re finished.”
When Elvis launched into “Love Me Tender,” Abby followed Jack’s lead and held on to his arm all the way to the podium as if in a dream. Or was that a nightmare? They stopped in front of Rex. He looked wonderful. Dressed in what appeared to be an expensive black suit, gray silk shirt, and tie, he grabbed her hand and lifted it. Feeling numb, she didn’t even think to protest how tightly he squeezed her fingers.
When Elvis asked her to repeat the vows and she merely stared at him, he covered his discomfort by making a quip about the bride needing a fried peanut butter sandwich for nourishment. Less than two minutes later, Rex/Rurik slipped two rings on her finger, and the preacher/Elvis pronounced them husband and wife and ordered them to kiss.
Rex’s lips pressed hers for a second and then he stepped back. Nothing earth-shattering or romantic about it at all. How often over the years had she dreamed of this moment? What if she hadn’t gone shopping that fateful day and been kidnapped by The Circle? What if they had really gotten married? The kiss would be different, deeper, richer, hotter. What had happened? Her head spun with all the best-forgotten memories racing through her mind. She wanted to scream, Stop!
With a shake of her head, she stumbled off the platform set up for the altar. Rex caught her elbow until she regained her footing, but he didn’t pull her back into his arms. Then Elvis belted out “Viva Las Vegas” in perfect pitch.
She squinted and rubbed her
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