"Maybe not her, but what of her brothers? What of the other people in her family that have problems with us? As much as you try to distance yourself from me by changing the way you talk and your name you are still my son. You can try to deny it but they know it. . You think one of them will hesitate to try and take their vengeance out on you? You're marrying into the enemy and you're acting like this is completely normal."
"She was never my enemy." I say looking away from her.
"She's your families enemy. that's all it takes.' My mother hisses out and I stand there in front of her speechless. Not because I think she's right but because I know no matter what I say she's not going to drop this.
Of course I thought about someone in her family coming for me because of who my mother is., after all my mother has done some fucked up things. I don't care though. I'm here to be with Delaney and until she tells me she doesn't want to be with me anymore I'm not going to abandon her.
Another knock at the door draws my attention and dread crawls up my spine. If it's one of Delaney's family members, they're not going to be happy about Petra Frey standing in the same resort as them especially after they all believe she's stuck between the borders in Germany.
"Don't you say a word!" I growl at her as I walk by and go to the door. I crack it open and step back, shocked yet again. “Ella? Holy shit. What are you doing here?"
I ask and pull my sister into my arms. We give each other hugs before I let her into the suite. She stops in her tracks when she sees our mother.
"Oh hell, what's she doing here?" Ella mutters looking over my shoulder.
"She's making my life miserable.
"Ella, I didn't expect you to show up here." My mother stands up straight lifting her chin so she can look down her nose at us.
"Why not. My brother's getting married where else would I be?" Ella squints her eyes at my mother and I can feel the hostility in the room rising. The two of them don't even have bad blood but you put anyone in the room with my mother for more than two seconds and there's bound to be some conflict. It's just how she is.
I really appreciate it Ella. At least Someone is here to wish me well." I roll my eyes and look at my mother pointedly. Who scoffs and turns her head in response.
"Everything okay?" .
"No! Everything is not okay Ella. You need to talk some sense into this boy. He's going to ruin everything doing this!" My mother snaps at my sister.
"I'm not going to sit here and take this. I want you gone mother, off the resort and back on the fucking plane to Germany. I already told you that I'm going to marry Delaney and there's nothing that you're going to tell me right now that's going to make me feel any different.
"Mother, how can you ask him to not marry her, if he's here she must be the love of his life. You know Baron wouldn't do something like this on a whim.
Ella tries to go to bat for me but then my mother focuses on her.
"Ella, you don't know what's been going on. You don't know who this little ..." She stops speaking when I lunge in her direction, if she calls Delaney out of her name I can't be held responsible for my actions. .
She takes a breath and continues, 'This woman is tricking him or her family is. Do you know who his wife is?"
"I don't" Ella shakes her head.
"Her wife is the same girl who claimed that Hans raped her right before his death. His entire family has it out for me and they all work for Liam Mackenzie, who has a bounty on my head. Your brother is marrying himself into a trap and he can't see it or he doesn't want to see it. this can't end well.", surely you can see that."
I shake my head and try to ignore the conversation but after a few seconds when my sister doesn't respond I turn to see the look of uncertainty on her face. Her eyebrows cinched in and her eyes scanning back and forth.
"Ella, honestly..."
"Brother, you know I'd never take our mothers side but this is different. As a woman , I know how long it takes to get over someone violating you even in the smallest way but your beloved says she was violated in the worst way. that's not something you just forget in a few weeks or months or years. What of her family? Did they just forget that your mother is worth close to twenty million dollars? That she attacked the man who's supposed to be the leader of their family? I hate to say it but I think mom is right." She tilts her head sympathetically but I just close my eyes and turn away.
"I hate that the both of you think you have any authority to judge or presume who Delaney is. we all know everything that's going on between our families and even after all that Delaney and I love each other. There's nothing that you can do , nothing that you can say." I open my eyes again and glue them on the only family I have for me today, "I'm going to marry her. "
"You won't see me supporting this sham." My mother says and she turns to leave the suite, before she can get to the door I call out to her. "Make sure you get back on that plan and back into Germany, no fucking exceptions." I snarl and she only glares at me in response. My sister follows my mother out the door but as she steps over the threshold she turns back to look at me. "I'll go with her to make sure she does as she's told. Baron, as much as I have my own reservations about this, I'm still happy that you're happy. If this is real hold onto it and don't let go. Congratulations brother." She smiles at me once before she walks out following my mother hopefully back to a different country where she can't hurt Delaney.
With the both of them gone, I'm left in the solitude of my suite once again to wait for my time to go down to the ceremony. I'm alone. My family isn't here to support me all I have is Delaney. She's more than enough.
* * *
Finally it's time to take my place. I Walk into the main area to see the masterpiece that Delaney has come up with. It's absolutely gorgeous still able to use the environment and still add in a bit of both her and my heritage. We've already spoken about the type of ceremony that we wanted to have and she told me about the handfasting ceremony that is part of her culture. After reading up about it there's no better way to signify our love than with a handfasting ceremony.
I stand in my spot near the officiant and look around the small area to see only family and friends of Delaney. The fact that I'm utterly alone weighs on me again. I don't have doubts of my love of her but the gravity of the fact that I'm basically abandoning everything that has anything to do with my family is a bit daunting.
