So Toxic(Bad Boy Next Door Book 4)(326)

I take his offered hand, and he drops to one knee. He must be overwhelmed.

I kneel in front of him, my heart bursting with happiness.

His brows knit. “What are you doing?”

“I’m just being with you. You must be so relieved.”

“I am. But stand back up.”

I throw my arms around his neck.

He puts his hands at my waist as he leans against me, whispering in my ear. “No, stand up.”

The room is once again completely devoid of sound or motion.

“What?” I pull out of Buck’s hold.

Three cameras are trained on Buck and me. Buck’s smile reminds me of a younger Buck. The way he’d grin when he’d push me on that old merry-go-round and then jump on, the world spinning into space while he and I held on tight for the ride.

I get to my feet, backing away from him.

No. Don’t.

But he pulls a small box from his pocket.

Now, it’s my mind that spins instead of the park ride.

I shake my head, slight at first, but then as he pushes the lid of the box up, turning it toward me, my movements get more pronounced. “No, no, no. Don’t.”

A sparkling solitaire the size of fucking New Orleans sits in that little blue box.

“Loula Mae Fontaine, I never stopped lov—”

My heart seizes, and all I can do is turn and flee.





TWENTY-EIGHT





My pulse slows to sluggishness as she slams the door.

I swallow the words flowing from my heart to my mouth. No one to say them to.

“Damn. I did not see that happening.” Trudi props her hands at her hips.

I drop to my ass, snapping the box closed with a pop. “Well, shit.”

Nan ruffles my hair, like she used to do when I was a kid. “Don’t worry, she’ll come around. You just surprised her, that’s all.”

My shoulders droop. “Or, the idea of marrying me again scares the hell out of her so badly that she had to run away.”





I almost trip over my own feet trying to get up the steps at Aunt Delores’s. My heart thumps an irregular beat, and my lungs are tight and stubbornly not taking oxygen from the air—or so it seems.

I push through the front door and stagger to the kitchen, fighting to pull myself together. This shouldn’t bother me so badly. It makes sense. Trudi wanted the pregnancy reveal, or lack thereof, on camera for ratings. Of course she’d want a proposal on film. It would be the perfect follow-up to Arianne’s exit stage left.

I yank the cabinet door open and grab a glass, pushing it under the tap. I guzzle the almost ice cold well-water until movement in the corner of my eye has me spewing it across the linoleum.

I cough, wiping my chin with the back of my arm. “What are you doing here?”

Arianne steps out of the laundry room that connects the kitchen to Aunt Delores’s bedroom. She’s got hold of Aunt Delores by the sleeve of her shirt, pointing a gun to the back of her head.

An image of what will happen to Aunt Delores if Arianne pulls the trigger freezes me from the inside out.

Arianne waves the barrel of her nine millimeter toward me. “You and I are taking a ride.”

I hold up my hands. “I’m not armed, and neither is Aunt Delores. She’s never done anything to you. Don’t hurt her. Please. I’ll—I’ll go wherever you want.”

“You think you people can humiliate me in front of the world? No. You’re not allowed. Plus, Buck’s never going to want me as long as you’re around. So, we’re going to fix that.”

I swallow. “Okay. Let’s just go and leave her here.”

Aunt Delores stares at the wall behind me, her eyebrows wrinkling and straightening, over and over. She looks from me to the wall and back. And again.

She must be having a panic attack.

The front door shuts. I close my eyes.

Great.

Let’s just add one more person into the mix for this crazy bitch to kill.

Buck calls out, “Lou. Lou, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that there. Where are you?”

I bite my lip. Maybe he’ll leave. Please, God. Let him go. I’m pissed, but I don’t want him hurt.

He rounds the corner into the kitchen. I try to shake my head, because he probably can’t see her from where he is. But he just keeps on coming.

Idiot man.

“Lou. We need to talk about that proposal.”

Arianne screeches. “You proposed?”

Buck’s eyes widen and his brows rise almost to his hairline. “Arianne. What are you—”

Arianne pushes Aunt Delores further into the kitchen. “I’m here to take control of our destiny. Since you don’t seem to understand how this is supposed to go, I’m going to fix it.”

Buck props his hands at his waist. “Aw, this is bullshit, Arianne. Put that gun away before you do something you’ll regret.”