by Sweet, Izzy
But even I don’t believe that. Even if Alexei no longer wants me as his bride, I know he and my father will hunt me down for the principle of it. They’ve been more than slighted, they’ve been downright humiliated. And in our life, in our circles, your reputation, your honor, your standing in the fucking social pecking order, is just as valuable, if not as valuable, as all the money and connections you possess.
Insults are as deadly as weapons.
“He will,” Lily says firmly with assurance. “He’s going to come for you, and we’re the only family who has ever stood up to him and survived it. We’re the only family that’s punished him and made him pay for his transgressions.”
With each word she speaks, I feel myself inwardly withdrawing from her more and more. She doesn’t realize it, but her surety, her confidence, her damn belief, in what will play out is putting me on edge.
“So you’re not going to help me?” I ask, doing my best to keep my bottom lip from quivering. Doing my best to keep the damn tears out of my eyes as the full hopeless reality of my situation sinks its claws into my brain. “You think I should just accept what happened? I should just accept that I’m a fucking pawn that can be handed off to man after man?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying at all,” Lily is quick to say in her defense. “I don’t think you should be a pawn. And I don’t think you need to accept others making decisions for you.”
“Then what are you saying?” I ask, honestly confused.
What is her point? What the hell is she getting at?
Lily’s eyes slide away for a moment before they slide back to me. “What I was trying to say,” she says softly. “Is that I’m glad you’re here, Meghan. I truly am.”
“Why are you glad I’m here?” I press, still not getting it.
Lily reaches out, gently taking my hands in hers and looks me directly in the eyes. “Because here is the safest place you can be.”
I resist the urge to jerk my hands back and scoff at her. The safest place I can be? Here? Seriously? I’m at the mercy of an organization, a family, that has no fondness or attachment to me. I don’t even have blood on my side. Yet again, I’m a fucking pawn, a bargaining chip, for someone to use as they please.
Noticing my look of disbelief, Lily gently squeezes my hands and it’s on the tip of my tongue to remind her how Alexei hurt me.
Then she says, looking deeply into my eyes once more as if she’s trying to get through to me, “Gabriel will protect you. He’s your best chance at staying alive.”
Her words fill me with a mixture of hot anger and cold terror.
Because she’s right.
But, “Only until he no longer has a use for me.”
Lily opens her mouth, no doubt ready to argue, but she’s cut off by an ear-splitting screech.
Two little girls come squealing and giggling into the kitchen, playing a game of tag or chase.
Dropping my hands, Lily’s lips pull down into a frown as she turns to the girls. “Evelyn and Abigail, what did I tell you girls about running and yelling in the house?”
The little blonde girl comes to such an abrupt stop that the little girl with dark curls that was chasing her stumbles into her back. They both squeak and nearly fall over, but quickly catch their balance.
The blonde checks on her friend, making sure she’s okay, before looking to Lily. “You told us not to, Mommy,” she says in the sweetest little voice.
Lily nods her head, switching effortlessly into full mommy mode.
She gives both the girls a stern look. “And what did I tell you the punishment would be if I caught you doing it again, Evelyn?”
Evelyn’s face falls and her bottom lips begins to jut out, but then her big eyes land on me.
Her entire face suddenly lights up, doing a complete one-eighty, and she squeals, “A princess!”
I blink at her in surprise, and I only have about five seconds to prepare myself before both girls come charging at me.
I don’t know why or how Evelyn came to her conclusion. It must be the dress I’m wearing, even though Gabriel has hacked most of the skirt away. Or maybe it’s the gloves and all the jewelry…
“I’m not a princess,” I say, taking a step back and holding my hands out as a shield in front of me.
The girls must not hear me because they both run up and wrap their arms around me. Pure happiness lights up their faces.
“I didn’t know you invited a princess over for dinner, Mommy!” Evelyn says excitedly.
Her friend, whom I’m assuming is Abigail, tips her head back and beams up at me as she hugs me tightly. “I’ve always wanted to meet a princess. Are you here to have tea?”
I shoot Lily a ‘help me’ look and try my best to gently pry the girls off me. Their little arms are like bands of steel though. For being so small, they are quite strong.
“I’m not a princess,” I helplessly repeat.
“Evelyn, Abigail, release Meghan at once,” Lily says firmly.
She has to say it three more times, her voice growing louder and louder over their happy squeals of “Princess Meghan,” before they finally decide to obey.
Reluctantly both girls release their grip, lips jutting out and arms falling to their sides.
“That is not how we treat our guests, girls. Tell your brother Adam you are to do twenty minutes of numbers with him,” Lily says to Evelyn, her voice stern and leaving no room for argument.
Evelyn’s little shoulders drop and tears shine in her eyes. “Yes, Mommy.”
“Next time,” Lily warns. “It will be thirty.”
Shoulders slumped, faces dejected, both girls shoot me a disappointed look as they begin to leave the kitchen, and I don’t know what the hell comes over me.
Maybe it’s because they were so excited over the prospect of me being a princess, or maybe it’s just their sad, adorable little faces, but I feel bad about the whole thing.
“If you’re good, I’ll have tea with you later,” I tell them, the words just slipping out of me.
Lily shoots me a look and I quickly realize I probably should have asked her permission first. But then her lips curve into a smile as both girls light up again and promise they’ll behave.
Once the girls are gone, in a flurry of giggles and excitement, I lean against the counter, feeling tired and drained.
My day is catching up to me.
“That was nice of you,” Lily says, her smile still in place.
“I’m sorry, I probably should have asked your permission first…”
She waves me off, as if it’s no big deal.
“More coffee?” she asks.
I shake my head.
Nodding, her gaze drags down me, taking in my ruined wedding dress. “We should probably get you changed before someone else mistakes you for a princess.”
8
Meghan
It’s dark by the time we leave the compound. The sky is overcast, the moon smothered beneath a blanket of clouds.
I don’t know exactly what time it is, but it must be late, and I’m beyond exhausted. The dinner I was forced to attend with my new ‘family’ felt like it dragged on forever, and I have no doubt hours and hours have passed.
In the comfort of the car, my eyes struggle to stay open as we drive to only God knows where. It doesn’t help that the seat I’m sinking into is extremely soft, the leather like butter, or that Gabriel has the heater cranked up to full blast with all the vents pointed at me.
“Warming up?” he asks, his deep, rumbling voice jolting me awake.
Sitting up a little straighter, I mumble, “Yeah.”
I wasn’t sleeping, teacher, I swear.
Reaching up to rub the sand out of my eyes, I glance over at him, catching him looking down at my now bare legs.
“Good.”
That’s like the hundredth time I’ve caught him looking at my legs tonight.
Sensing my attention, he jerks his gaze away, focusing on the road.
The a
ir in the car suddenly grows thick and heavy with uncomfortable tension.
I watch his fingers flex and relax against the steering wheel, flex and relax.
And for the umpteenth time, I curse myself for not accepting Lily’s offer of pantyhose. After swallowing my pride and accepting a dress from her—a very nice, very flattering designer black sheath dress—I couldn’t bring myself to further impose on her.
Stupid pride. I totally should have imposed on her. If I did, I wouldn’t have had to endure Gabriel’s little touches all night.
The man can’t seem to stop touching me. Little touches that could be confused for being innocent.
But I know they’re not innocent, dammit.
Throughout dinner, he found every reason and excuse to brush his skin against mine. He was constantly reaching across me for one thing or another, brushing his hand against my arm. And when he wasn’t doing that, beneath the table he was rubbing his thigh against my thigh.
I couldn’t escape his touch or his heat, and it was beyond distracting and frustrating. At a time when I should have been focused on learning everything I could about the people around me, all I could focus on, all I could pay attention to was what the man beside me was doing.
Eyes still on Gabriel’s hands, I shift closer to my door to put a little more space between us.
His fingers squeeze around the steering wheel and his body visibly tenses.
I don’t know what’s up with him, but I don’t like it one bit. The way he’s acting is alarming, and more than a little bit disturbing.
Out of nowhere, the worst realization ever dawns on me. My tired brain putting the pieces together.
He was locked up in prison for ten years…
When was the last time he spent any significant time with a woman?
Oh god…
And now he’s married to me.
I shift closer to my door and Gabriel glances over.
With a look of concern, eyes narrowing and forehead creasing, he asks, “Everything okay?”
I nod my head and lean against the door. “I’m just a little sleepy. Where are we going?”
He looks back to the road.
Rolling the tension out of his shoulders, he seems to relax. “To a safe house. You can sleep if you like.”
Yeah, not likely, buddy.
“I don’t want to sleep.”
I can’t sleep. I need to remain awake and alert so I can pay attention to where the hell he’s taking me.
Peering out the window, I try to make sense of the dark landscape passing us by. It’s nearly impossible though, and the fact that I’m completely unfamiliar with this city is seriously not helping.
“Do you want some music?” he asks.
I really wish he would be meaner or something. The way he’s being so damn… accommodating is becoming annoying.
“Sure,” I reply, my eyes squinting at a sign I’m trying to make out in the distance.
The radio comes on, too loud at first, and I nearly hit the roof.
“Sorry,” Gabriel mutters after turning the volume down.
He begins to flip through the stations until finally settling on one playing classical music.
Really?
I took him more for a heavy metal kind of guy, but whatever.
Mentally shrugging my shoulders, I try to concentrate again on the landscape. After a few minutes though, the combination of music, the warmth in the car, and the darkness begins to affect me.
My eyelids grow heavier and heavier, and it’s becoming harder to stay alert. I shift in my seat, close the vents, and try my damnedest to stay awake.
But it all seems to be an exercise in futility.
Outside, the landscape blurs into a dark smear, no matter how many times I blink my eyes.
And I swear we’ve passed that same sign two times now…
Are we driving in circles?
The last thing I can remember is a soft, fleeting touch against my cheek as I fall asleep.
Gabriel
While driving around, it’s just as much of a challenge for me to stay on my side of the vehicle as it is for Meghan to stay awake. I know she’s freaked out about being in the car with me again, not that it’s her fault. She’s been forced into this and it sucks for her. I can’t lie and say it doesn’t. Meghan’s got a shitty lot in life right now. Her shitty dad and his connections fucked her over.
The Irish and the fucking Russians are going to be putting up a hell of a fight now that they’re working together. Alexei’s a fucking psycho bastard whose just got a strong foothold in a neighboring city.
How the fuck have they gotten so damn big? They must be trucking in some serious bankroll to keep the shit they have afloat.
We’ve knocked out a huge circuit of their slave trade ring. Their drug trafficking has come to a crawl. Lucifer and the boys were thwarting them at every turn until they bombed the shit out of us. I’m betting we got a shit ton of false information when we looked into who did the bombings.
The Irish were surely a part of it, not the fucking Yakuza. Irish love blowing shit up, but they’re taking too big of a step forward by aligning themselves with the Russians.
They brought me out of the cage to get shit back under our foot. Get everyone off our backs. Cause enough chaos and destruction that we forever cement ourselves as the top fucking dogs. I’ll kill every motherfucker I have to, but what’s going to be the cost?
Looking over to Meghan’s perfect legs, I can’t help myself and reach out to touch them. I have to. I have no choice in my body’s reaction to her. She’s like some fucking bright star and I’m a planet that’s orbiting her so closely for the warmth and life she gives off.
Ten long years in a fucking cage, every single touch I felt there was a matter of life and death… But not with this girl.
I’ve been driving around the city in circles just so she’d fall asleep. We’d have been home thirty minutes ago if I had driven straight there, but I don’t want to get into any confrontations with her right now. I’d rather just be with her than fighting and answering questions that will only fuck things up. Not to mention taking her into a house that’s soon to be our home might freak her out a bit.
The rough skin of my knuckles feels so fucking abrasive compared to the silky flesh it brushes up against. A soft moan comes from her mouth as she shifts in the seat, not away from my side but closer. My breath heaves unsteadily as I switch from my knuckles to the tips of my fingers. She shifts again, but I have to pull away from her. She’d fucking kill me for taking liberties with her, and I wouldn’t blame her.
Fuck. I’m not Alexei and I don’t need to fucking force my way onto a woman like that worm does.
Shit, shit, shit.
Turning off the freeway, I push the SUV I’ve been driving back onto the road going home. I need to get out of this fucking vehicle. Being this close to her is driving me fucking insane with desire.
Desire to touch her no matter the consequences.
Meghan’s not going to be easy to protect, I can feel it. She’s got this spirit in her that’s nearly unbreakable. It fucking turns me on so fucking badly when she fucking stands up to me. Like I couldn’t dig a chick more than I do her.
I couldn’t ever be with a weak-willed woman. I want one who is as tough as fucking nails when it comes to what she wants. She’s got that in her, I can see it. I just need to direct her wants and needs to line up with my own.
Slowing down to find the house that Lucifer and Simon have set up for me, I have to force myself to internalize the fucking laugh bubbling up inside me as I pull into the driveway. It’s a huge fucking house in one of the more affluent neighborhoods.
This place is fucking big, and I guess some would call it attractive. If this is one of the normal-sized safe houses, as Lucifer put it, I want to see the fucking big ones.
Fuck me, they’ve got me in the fucking Ritz practically.
It’s definitely a far cry from the roach motel I holed myself i
n last night. I figured I didn’t need a house for just me. Didn’t deserve anything really. But with Meghan by my side… I need more. I need things for someone besides myself.
Pushing the button for the garage door, I watch as it slowly opens up to reveal my new truck. It’s a pretty nice garage, even if it’s void of anything except our two vehicles. Meghan’s going to need something to drive eventually, and I’m not giving her my truck, so she gets this behemoth SUV.
Meghan moans quietly in her sleep as I lift her up out of the seat. Tucking her head under my chin, I’m struck by how damn small she is in my arms. I like it. Not going to lie about it. She’s small and fucking meaty in the right places. I love how her ass pops out of the black dress Lily loaned her. Her fucking curves make my mouth water.
She’s a hot bundle of sexuality. Fuck. I can feel myself getting hard just holding her this close. Her hair smells like fucking heaven.
Walking through the house, I curse my long strides as I want to spend as much time with her in my arms as possible. The thought of setting her down is almost unbearable. But when I finally find a room on the second floor that feels safe and secure away from my animalistic cravings, I know it’s for the best.
Removing her heels, I drop them to the floor. No need for her to sleep in those torture devices. Fuck, I bet she’s even shorter than me now that they’re off.
Staring down at her body, my eyes slowly trail up to those beautiful lips and my heart starts to pound in my chest. I kissed those plump lips and it fucking felt like something I didn’t deserve.
Nothing as good as her should be near something like me.
Shutting off the lights, I head back the way I came. After today, I need a shower and a beer.
Meghan
Warmth surrounds me. As I come to, I realize I’ve somehow been cocooned in a soft, fuzzy blanket.
At first, I don’t want to wake up. I’m warm, comfortable, and so very tired. It feels as if I haven’t slept in weeks.
But then the memories rush over me like a bucket of ice water.