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He arches an eyebrow, his smile sliding away. “Explain.” I’ve heard that sound in his voice before, and it doesn’t bode well. But fuck, I have to do something. I have to keep her in mind, even if he won’t.
“You know how emotional she gets,” I explain, rolling my eyes. I hardly know what I’m saying. It’s like another part of my brain kicked into gear to protect me from stepping over the line and ending up with a bullet in my brain. “You don’t want her throwing a fit in front of your guests. Not a great first impression.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “See? This is why I rely on you. You’re right. I don’t want her causing some big, emotional scene. She’ll probably have a lot of questions and maybe some worries.”
You fucking think so? Genius. “I’d be glad to go up to her room and let her know you want to see her.” I’m practically out of the chair already, my body straining to break free, wanting to burst out of this room and run up the stairs. To throw open her door, pick her up, and make a run for it.
“Not yet.” He checks his watch. “Give her a little time to settle in first. I’ll need you to stick around close to her room in case she gets any ideas about throwing a fit up there. I need her on her best behavior for this.”
“Naturally.” I’m like a robot, churning out what I know he wants to hear. My mind is miles away, conflict raging like a storm in my skull. What do I do? I didn’t know it would be this soon. I thought we had time. “What does this do to her plans for next semester? She’s already registered for classes and all that.”
“If it’s that important to her, she can finish out the year.” What a fucking prince. “So long as she promises to behave herself and to keep herself in good shape for the wedding. She’ll have wedding planning stuff to handle along with her schoolwork, of course.” He shrugs like it’s all too far beyond him to give it much thought.
Suddenly, he hits me with a hard stare. “I trust she’s returning to me in the same condition in which she left?”
No need for an explanation there. I nod before taking another swig of bourbon. I hardly taste it now.
“That’s good. I wouldn’t want to renege on one of the conditions of the contract.”
Good thing I’ve already swallowed, or I’d end up spitting expensive bourbon on an even more expensive desk. “That was one of the conditions? That she be… you know…”
“Untouched. Pure.” These people are fucking sick. He makes it sound totally normal to be this obsessed with his daughter’s virginity. “Her future husband wants to be sure she’s saved herself for him, and only him.”
“Would it be out of line to ask who she’s been… promised to?” I came dangerously close to using the word sold. If I’m not careful, I won’t live long enough to warn her about what’s coming.
“Philip Rinaldi’s son, Eric. He’s been to the house before.”
Yes, and I remember exactly who he is—and the sour taste he left in my mouth. Nothing I can put my finger on. I just got a bad feeling about the guy. He’s around my age, maybe a couple of years older, and unlike Mia, he’s been raised in this world.
And evidently, he has certain expectations that I’m sure were drilled into his head by his father and the other men around him.
Eric Rinaldi. It will be him sharing her bed. His children she carries. His name she’ll have to moan night after night even if her heart’s not in it. When I imagine her under that greasy sonofabitch, my teeth grind together hard enough that I’m afraid the boss will hear.
I can’t let that happen. There’s got to be a way out for her.
But not if I want to stay alive.
“I know what’s bothering you.”
My head snaps up. I hadn’t realized I zoned out. “Pardon?”
“You look troubled. I know why.” He sits up straight, pulling the chair closer to the desk. Folding his hands on top, he looks me straight in the eye. “You’re wondering what this means for you. Of course, the Rinaldis will want to furnish Mia with a security detail. They offered the option of taking you on as part of their crew, but I knew you wouldn’t want that.” That last line falls heavy, full of meaning. Even if I wanted to go, he wouldn’t let me. It would be a betrayal, even though the families would now be joined if only on paper.
He takes my silence as agreement. “I want you to know you have nothing to worry about. You’ll always have a place here, in the family. Having you return to your old job duties would be kind of a demotion now, wouldn’t it? That’s why I want you as head of my security detail.”
“Head of security?”
“As of right this minute, yes.” His smile reminds me so much of Mia’s that it’s uncanny. “And with that comes a raise. You deserve it. You’ve done well. I’ll want you at school with her in the spring, but I’ll keep you abreast of matters as they come up around here, so you’ll be up to speed by the time the semester is over, and you transition back to your role with me.”
I know he wants me to thank him, and ordinarily, I would do so without thinking. This is a big promotion, something I thought I wanted before everything I wanted flipped on its head. I can’t even enjoy it. I don’t know if I’ll be able to enjoy anything again. Not with the fact of another man taking what’s mine hanging over my head all the time.
She’s not yours. She never was. And I was nothing but a fool to think she would be.
I hear her running down the hall before I see her. How I know it’s her, I can’t say. I only know it doesn’t come as a surprise when she runs into the room.
Her tears, however, do surprise me. I stand, as does her father.
She glares at him, shaking. “How could you? How could you lie to me? What have you done?”
