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His finger traced down my arm. “I have to wonder if I should wait until graduation.” His lips grazed my shoulder, and I wanted to scream at him to get the fuck off me. “You don’t know who I am?”
“No, I don’t.”
“So you do speak. That’s okay. I look forward to hearing you scream my name as I pop that precious cherry I’ve spent a fortune keeping intact.”
“I don’t know who the hell you are, but you don’t get to have any part of me.”
“But that’s where you’re wrong.”
He spun me around and the movement caused me to drop my cup. The man in question was large, muscular in all the right places. He had a scar down his face, but I’d never found them repulsive. He was handsome, but I didn’t like him.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said. “Your dad offered to get you to lose weight, but I like my women with some meat on them.” His hand cupped my hip and as I went to go for his balls, he stopped me. The stupid dress didn’t help either. “You have no idea who I am?”
“No, I don’t.”
He put his hands on my back and even as I pressed against his chest, it was useless. I couldn’t move. He held all the power. I was so fucking frustrated with all of this, and angry.
“I’m the man who’s going to marry you. Your father and I arranged the deal a year ago. You will belong to me, and I do expect you to be a virgin, sweet Emily. I can’t wait until I get to pop it.”
I stared at him in horror.
My father had sold me to this man.
“I’ve paid a lot of money for you, and I expect to get it. Until then, this will have to do.” He didn’t force me to kiss him. His lips brushed against my cheek.
In the next second, he was gone.
I looked around the party, believing I had gone mad, but I knew I hadn’t.
I was going to be married.
My body wasn’t my own. It was why I was constantly pressed to do those stupid tests. All of it.
Tears filled my eyes, and I felt sick, so ready to vomit.
I moved away from the dance floor, needing space. I had to get away, and so I went toward the tree line, wanting to be so far away from all this falseness that I couldn’t stand.
None of this was real. I needed the fresh air.
The tears slid down my cheeks and I swiped them away. The mascara I wore was supposed to be waterproof. I hoped it was right.
I passed the safety of the party, walking by multiple trees, climbing over a fallen one, and when I came to a stop, I pressed my back against the bark. I took several deep breaths, trying to gain my composure. My heart raced.
River was wrong.
I never had control. It was an illusion.
I was nothing to these people. Just a thing to be bought and sold like I meant nothing. Closing my eyes, I clenched my hands, and hit behind me, impacting the tree. I needed to vent my anger. I didn’t have a death wish, not tonight. My first time had already been negotiated. How much was my virginity worth? My sanity? My life? In our world, a life always had a price. What was mine going for?
Chapter Sixteen
Caleb
“You could have asked Emily for a dance before pulling me away,” Vadik said.
“There will be time for dancing soon.” I grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the party, going to the beach house where we’d get some semblance of quiet. I knew it wouldn’t be long before people ended up here and fucked.
These parties were no different than high school ones. Only, the guests were older and appeared far more sophisticated with their champagne and canapes. It was all bullshit.
Gael leaned up against one of the sofas, and River had his blade out and flipped it between his fingers. He’d already cut his finger and blood dripped onto the floor. He showed no sign of pain though. River never did.
Closing the door, I turned toward my friends.
“What’s he like?” Gael asked.
“We don’t have time to talk about that now. I got confirmation that Bernard Crane hired the MC to take us out.”
This had Gael sitting up.
“Our dads know this information and have for a week,” I said.
River held the blade in his palm. More blood seeped out, dripping down. “Why haven’t they done anything?”
“If Crane organized our murder, then I don’t see why they’re sitting on their asses. What do we do about Emily? She could be a target,” Gael said.
“She will be a target,” River said. “The entire family, remember?”
“We can’t let her die. I won’t let them,” Gael said.
I shouldn’t have fucking said anything. Gael panicked and all he could think about was going to war. Only, we’d be going to war with the wrong men.
