Marrying My Ex's Dangerous Billionaire Brother

The delicate tick of her watch was a tiny, maddening sound in the cavernous waiting room of the New York City Hall.

10:00 AM. Then 10:01.

Josephine Bowen sat with her spine as straight as a ballerina's at the barre. The toe of her shoe tapped a light, impatient rhythm against the floor as she replayed Austin's promise from last night: "After tomorrow, you'll be the real Mrs. Montgomery." The white Alexander McQueen dress she wore was a statement-elegant, bridal, but not a gown. It was for this. For signing a paper that would make her Mrs. Austin Montgomery.

A clerk shot her a third sympathetic glance. Josie offered a tight, polite smile in return. The muscles in her jaw ached from the effort.

Laughter echoed from a corner where a young couple was kissing, their joy a physical thing that felt like a needle against Josie's skin.

She pulled out her phone. The message she'd sent thirty minutes ago sat below a gray "Read" receipt.

"I'm here: ) Where are you?"

No reply.

Her thumb hovered over Austin's contact, a picture of them in Aspen, his arm wrapped possessively around her. He was the heir to the Montgomery Group. A last-minute meeting could have trapped him. She had to be patient.

At 10:20 AM, her phone finally rang, the screen glowing with "My Everything."

Relief washed over her, so potent it almost made her dizzy. "Austin? I've been waiting for a little while."

"Josie, listen. I can't make it. Something came up." His voice was rushed, impatient, with no trace of apology.

The air in her lungs turned to ice. "What came up? What's more important than this?"

A faint, trembling female voice bled through the call. "Austin... I'm scared..."

Ivey Dennis.

Austin's tone shifted instantly, becoming a soft, soothing murmur. "I'm here, Ivey. Don't be afraid." Then, back to Josie, his voice was hard as steel. "Ivey was in a small accident on the highway. I'm at the hospital. She sprained her ankle and she's shaken up."

"A sprained ankle?" The words came out as a choked whisper. "You're leaving me here, on our wedding day, for a sprained ankle?"

"You're being irrational," he snapped. "Ivey has no one else. She needs me. We'll reschedule. This afternoon."

He hung up.

The dial tone was a flat, dead sound. The sympathetic glances from strangers now felt like daggers. She was a spectacle. A joke.

Josie shot to her feet, a wave of dizziness crashing over her. She stumbled out of the grand doors, into the blinding New York sunlight. The glare was painful, but not as painful as the hot tears of humiliation that streamed down her face.

A black Bentley Mulsanne slid to a silent stop directly in front of her.

The window glided down. The man in the driver's seat was not a chauffeur. He wore a simple black t-shirt that stretched over a lean, muscular frame. Tattoos snaked up one arm, and a single black stud gleamed in his left ear.

Kit Montgomery. Austin's younger brother.

He looked utterly out of place, a predator dropped into a government building.

He took off his sunglasses, revealing eyes the same deep blue as his brother's, but where Austin's held cool confidence, Kit's held a wild, dangerous glint. He took in her tear-streaked face, her perfect dress, her utter ruin.

"He didn't show up," Kit stated, not as a question, but as a fact.

Josie bit her lip so hard she tasted blood, turning her head away. She would not show weakness in front of him.

He killed the engine, got out, and walked toward her. He was taller than Austin, his shadow swallowing her whole. He pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket.

"Wipe your tears," he said, his voice a low, gravelly hum. "The mascara is smudged."

She glared at him, a cornered cat ready to spit fire.

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. He pressed the tissues into her hand. "Since the groom ran away, the bride doesn't want to be a laughingstock, does she?"

He tilted his head toward the doors of City Hall. A flicker of something wild, something insane, danced in his eyes.

"The slot is still valid. The name Montgomery is also valid."

Josie's breath hitched. She stared at him, unable to process the words.

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"Josephine Bowen, do you want to marry me instead?"

His question hung in the air, absurd and electric.

Kit watched her, his expression unreadable. He wasn't mocking her. He was waiting, like a hunter who had cornered his prey and was simply waiting for the inevitable.

Her mind flashed with images: Austin's dismissive voice, Ivey's pathetic whimper, two years of canceled dates and broken promises, all for Ivey.

Humiliation was a tidal wave, and it washed away all reason.

She lifted her chin, her red-rimmed eyes locking with his. "Why?" she rasped.

Kit shrugged, a casual movement that was infuriatingly calm. "Because I dislike my brother. And you look like you need a partner in crime."

It was a flippant reason, but it was exactly what she needed to hear. Not pity. An alliance.

She scrubbed at her tears with the back of her hand, a raw, angry gesture. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Fine. Let's do it."

A slow, triumphant smirk spread across Kit's face. He took her hand. His was warm and strong, hers was ice-cold and trembling. He turned and led her back toward the doors of City Hall.

The same clerk from before saw them coming, her jaw literally dropping as she saw Josie holding hands with a different man.

Kit handled everything. He had all his documents, perfectly in order, as if he had been preparing for this very moment.

When the clerk asked if they were sure, Kit turned to Josie, his blue eyes searching hers for a final confirmation. In them, she saw no hint of a joke, only a strange, unnerving certainty.

She gave a single, sharp nod.

They signed their names on the crisp, official paper. As Josie's pen scratched out the final letter of her name, it felt like she was signing a contract with the devil.

The clerk stamped the documents with a heavy thud and pushed two copies of the marriage certificate toward them. "Congratulations," she said, her voice flat with disbelief.

Before Josie could even react, Kit scooped up both certificates, holding them tightly in his fist.

He glanced down at the names, then looked up at her, a wicked grin spreading across his face. He let out a low whistle.

"Well, hello there, wifey."

The word "wifey" was a bucket of ice water. The fog of rage cleared, replaced by a surge of pure, unadulterated panic.

"Give it back to me," she demanded, lunging for the papers. "This is a mistake. We need to get a divorce. Right now!"

Kit sidestepped her easily, tucking the certificates into the inside pocket of his t-shirt and patting it. "No take-backs. You said yes."

"Kit Montgomery, you tricked me!" she cried, pounding her fists against his chest. They landed with all the force of a kitten's paws.

He let her, the smirk never leaving his face.

He caught her wrists, his grip gentle but firm, and pulled her close. He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear. "I didn't," he murmured, his breath hot against her skin. "You needed revenge. I'm just the weapon you chose. A good weapon doesn't allow its user to have second thoughts."

A shiver ran down her spine. This man was more dangerous than Austin could ever be.

She dropped her hands, defeated. "My parents are going to kill me."

"Let's worry about that later," Kit said, his tone light again. He released her wrists. "First, a celebratory meal for the newlyweds."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her, unresisting, toward his car.

Seated in the plush leather of the Bentley, she watched City Hall disappear behind them. It felt like a dream, a nightmare. She turned to the man beside her, his profile sharp and wild, so different from Austin's polished perfection.

"Kit, seriously," she pleaded. "This isn't funny. Let's just go back and file for an annulment."

He kept his eyes on the road. "In New York, an annulment requires proving fraud, duress, or incapacity. You were of sound mind, I didn't hold a gun to your head, and our marriage is, let's say, very much intended to be consummated. So, no."

His knowledge of the law was another shock. He was no simple playboy.

She sank back into her seat, the feeling of being trapped closing in on her.

"What have I done..." she whispered to the window.

Kit glanced at her, his eyes dark. "You just upgraded from a Ford to a Ferrari, baby. You should be celebrating."

The car stopped at a red light. His phone buzzed with a text. He looked at it, and a cold, sharp smile touched his lips.

Meanwhile, in a VIP suite at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Ivey Dennis lay against a mountain of pillows, her ankle propped up and wrapped in a bandage.

"Austin, I'm so sorry," she whispered, her hand clutching his. "I ruined your big day."

Austin smoothed her hair back from her pale forehead. "Don't be silly. You're more important. A piece of paper can be signed anytime."

His driver, Mike Sullivan, stood stiffly by the door, watching his boss and trying not to think about the elegant Miss Bowen, left alone downtown.

Dr. Alan Foster entered with a chart, his expression carefully neutral.

"Doctor, how is she?" Austin asked, jumping to his feet. "Is it serious?"

Dr. Foster glanced at Ivey, who gave him a tiny, pleading look. "Mr. Montgomery, it's a minor sprain. With proper rest, she'll be fine in a week. The X-rays show no fractures."

Minor sprain. The words echoed in Austin's head, and for a split second, he felt a pang of guilt toward Josie.

Then Ivey let out a soft sob. "But it hurts so much... and I was so scared... the car just spun out of control..."

Austin's guilt vanished, replaced by a fierce wave of protectiveness. He sat back down, taking her hand again. "It's okay, I'm here. I'll stay with you."

The doctor sighed, made a note on the chart, and quietly left the room.

Just then, the door swung open and Kit Montgomery sauntered in. He carried an absurdly expensive-looking fruit basket and wore a lazy grin.

"Kit?" Austin frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Kit set the basket down with a flourish. "Wow, VIP suite for a sprained ankle. You're really pulling out all the stops, big brother."

The sarcasm was thick. Austin's jaw tightened.

Ivey shrank back against the pillows, her eyes darting nervously toward Kit.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else right now?" Kit asked, his eyes wide with mock innocence. "Like, City Hall? I heard today was the big day."

"It's been postponed," Austin said through gritted teeth.

"Oh? Postponed?" Kit dragged the word out. "So, where's Josie? Did you leave her waiting at the altar, so to speak?"

Austin's anger flared. "That's none of your business. I'll handle it."

Kit just smiled and pulled a small, velvet jewelry box from his pocket, tossing it lightly in the air. Austin recognized it. It was a diamond bracelet, one of the wedding gifts he had asked Kit to bring.

"What's that?" Austin demanded.

Kit popped the box open. The diamonds glittered under the harsh hospital lights. "A gift. Since the wedding was 'postponed,' I guess the bride doesn't need it today. Maybe someone else does." He flicked his eyes meaningfully toward Ivey, then back to Austin.

"Kit, don't push it," Austin warned in a low voice. "And don't you dare mention any of this to Josie."

Kit's smile widened into a mocking smirk. He snapped the box shut and slipped it back into his pocket.

"Don't worry, brother. I won't say a word. I'm going to see my girlfriend."

He paused, letting the words hang in the air.

"We have a lunch date."

Austin stared at him. "You have a lunch date? When did you have a girlfriend?" The idea was ludicrous.

Kit winked. "Surprise."

He turned and strolled out of the room, leaving Austin standing in a state of confused, simmering rage. Ivey tugged on his hand, trying to reclaim his attention, but for the first time that day, Austin Montgomery was completely and utterly distracted.