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“I’m sorry, Violet. Do you know where you’ll go?” He reached out and put his hand on mine.
“My sister offered…” My voice trailed off and I looked away when I felt tears in the corner of my eyes.
But I can’t stay with her…
“Ah, that’s good.” He nodded quickly and patted my hand. “You should be with family right now.”
“Any word on Rhys?” I looked back at him.
“No. They’re looking for him though, and if they find him, he’ll be in a cell next to your father.” He sighed. “This is just one big fuck—freaking mess.”
It really was. My father was in jail and we couldn’t even talk to him. Cabot Manor was ransacked. There was no point in cleaning up the glass the agents broke when they knocked picture frames off the wall. Why bother? I was the last one there, and I had to leave with nothing but the clothes on my back.
After Raymond left, I picked up the crimson inked letter from Devlin Windsor. I had stared at the letter every day since I got it. I remembered a time when an invitation from Devlin would have made me come running—but that was before I knew who he really was—before I found out that a monster lurked behind his mesmerizing hazel eyes. He was attractive—god was he attractive. He might as well have been sculpted from a fantasy.
But he’s not my fantasy. Not anymore. Yet he may be the only one who can help me right now.
I couldn’t move in with my sister, even if it was just a temporary arrangement. Not after what her husband tried to do to me—not after my sister called me a liar when I tried to tell her the truth about the man she married. Devlin was my only real option. If he could help my father, then how could I ignore his invitation?
I couldn’t.EightVioletTwo years agoI wasn’t supposed to be at the prom with Devlin. I wasn’t supposed to see him at all. He stormed back into my life the day I bought the dress I was wearing, but a lot had changed since that day. Our parents were no longer speaking—they had gone from business partners to bitter rivals. I didn’t fully understand what caused the rift between them, but the first thing they did was forbid us from seeing each other again. It wasn’t surprising coming from Dominic Windsor. He didn’t like for Devlin to spend time with me at all, even when we were kids. Devlin’s father tolerated our friendship until it was time for Devlin to start working for them. After that, he didn’t want Devlin to be distracted by anything—the job was supposed to have all his attention.
And it did.
For three years, the one person I trusted more than anyone else in the world outside of my immediate family was just—gone.
I was so excited to see him when he helped me pick out my dress that I did things that weren’t characteristic of me—I flirted. It was foolish. He was much too old for me. Still, I thought I saw a glimmer in his eye—a hint that maybe, just maybe, there was something more than just friendship in our future.
If it was going to happen, then the prom seemed like the best setting for romance. It would be scandalous, especially if our parents ever found out, but I didn’t care. I knew what I wanted. I wanted the man who was leading me towards the dance floor—the man who called himself the devil and said I was an angel. If he was the devil, then I was ready to sell my soul. I was ready to melt into his embrace. I wanted his gorgeous lips to crush mine—just once—so I could see how it felt. I had all night to make it happen, and I felt more like a devil than an angel—especially when I felt Devlin’s hands on my body.
“I don’t really dance.” His words came out like a growl and when the light his face, I swear his eyes were glowing.
“But you will.” I grinned and moved his hand to my hip. “Because I want to dance.”
“Yes, princess.” He nodded. “I’ll dance.”
And I’ll give you so much more than a dance if you want it. I’ll give you everything—all you have to do is say the words I’m dying to hear.
I took a risk calling Devlin when I found myself without a date for prom. I just wanted someone to talk to. My father was consumed with his work and didn’t seem to understand how important the dance was to me—but Devlin did. He didn’t just offer a sympathetic ear, he offered to take me to the dance himself. My heart did somersaults in my chest when I heard the words come off his lips. It was more than I ever imagined, but I thought it was fate—because fate had never been on my side, and I was overdue for a glimmer of hope.
