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Mariana
“Is this really what we should be doing before our engagement party?” I asked, only slightly annoyed by him being with me in such close quarters. His touch always got me excited now, adrenaline pumping through my veins like I was on a drug. But here I was in a silver, shimmery ball gown and heels, my hair tied in some complicated knot, while Ion gave me yet another shooting lesson.
“I told you, any woman of mine needs to know how to shoot, especially with the danger we are in. I will not ever leave you unprotected,” Ion said possessively, pointing at the target yet again. I had not missed the last two times he had taken me to the shooting range, but he still insisted that I practice. Maybe he could still sense the nerves I felt with a gun in my hand. I didn’t like it. It shouldn’t have bothered me, being the daughter of a Vasile, but it just did. I guess I didn’t like gaining power through death and fear.
“Can’t we do this tomorrow, after the party? I am in heels, Ion,” I complained after I took the shot and set the gun down. A smirk turned up the corner of his mouth, and his hand went for the daring split on the side of my dress, feeling up and down my freshly shaven leg.
“I know that you are in heels, and it makes these legs of yours look even longer and sexier than they already are,” he teased with a growl, dipping me over to plant a kiss on my lips. There were some benefits to being with Ion Petran, and those were growing on me, but I wasn’t ready to admit it. I could save it for the wedding day. I didn’t need it to go to his head.
I squealed and pushed him off of me as he pulled me back up from the dip. “C’mon, let’s get to the party. We don’t want to be late to our own engagement celebration,” I told him, taking his hand and leading him out.
He quickly switched our positions, making himself the one in front, but he led me out to the car where Bianca was waiting along with three of his men to protect her. Bianca never went anywhere without them now. Neither did I for that matter. “Are you ready for the party?” I asked her, pulling her into a hug. She was playing with the lace at the bottom of her pink dress, something she was thrilled to be wearing. Ion had presented her with three choices for the party, and that was the one she had picked.
“Yes, Mama!” she said, kicking her feet out under her because she was so happy she couldn’t be still. It made me smile, and my eyes met with Ion’s right then. It made me want to slap myself, having those moments with this man I was supposed to be convincing that his behavior with me was too domineering. How was I supposed to win our battle if I was melting like butter?
I figured I could throw it out for the night. It was our engagement party, and when we walked into the hotel party room Ion had booked for the party, I was taken aback by the look of it. It was half ballroom and half restaurant with sparkling chandeliers above us and champagne overflowing the cups. Everyone was dressed in dazzling designer-wear, and he had even let some others bring their children to play with Bianca.
“This is amazing,” I told him with a small smile.
“It’s all for you,” he whispered in my ear, catching my shoulder with his breath. It sent a chill down my spine, and I found that my body was thinking about being with him all night, even as we wined and dined with the other clan members and even a few from other clans that had come to celebrate the new era that would soon begin.
As the night wore on, I couldn’t believe that I couldn’t focus on all of these important conversations with people. I knew I needed to help Ion’s case so that he could protect me, but all I wanted to do was find a dark corner. I glanced over at Bianca who was with some of the bodyguards and a couple of other children. They were having a good time chasing each other around. So, I turned to Ion and ran my hand down his arm before squeezing his hand.
He excused us from the crowd, and I started walking him towards a closed off hallway, darkened and away from the party. “Where are we going, Ana?” he asked me, though I could tell by the amusement in his voice that he knew.
I started to pick up my pace until we were finally in the dark, away from prying eyes unless they came into the hallway as well. If they did, they would probably be after the same thing I was.
“Take me,” I told him, feeling breathless as his hands slid up my body, one of them taking advantage of that split yet again.
“With pleasure,” he answered in my ear before his hand found my thong; sliding inside to rub the sensitive skin underneath. I had been so afraid after Jonas that there would be no sexual pleasure for me, even with an attractive man like Ion. He was turning my world side down, though, showing me things I hadn’t dared to hope I could ever have again. He wanted me so badly to believe he was this bad ass, and he was, but he wasn’t a Jonas or any other man like that. He was more like my father, caring fiercely about protecting his own while being a nightmare for his enemies. It was exactly what the clans needed to bring them back together.
My wetness grew with his slow movements, and I wanted more. I reached my hand down to his zipper and pulled it down, reaching inside his boxers to feel his growing shaft. He gasped at my sudden touch as my nails trailed gently up and down his now rock-hard member. I leaned my neck back, my head rolling up against the wall as I felt his fingers slip inside of me, feeling my soft flesh.
I grabbed his shaft and ran my hand up to the head of his cock and back down, enjoying the feel of his baby smooth skin. He tensed underneath my touch, and I knew it was driving him crazy. His fingers began to pump into me, searching for my G-spot as I picked my leg up and placed it on his hip for easier access.
He hit the right spot, and I began to rock my hips into him, sliding my hand over him faster. I was so close to cumming right there in that hallway, but then we were interrupted by the sound of gunfire and the screams of guests.
We pulled away from each other quickly, and I took off running, not thinking of anyone but Bianca.
***
Ion
I caught up with Mariana and grabbed her, pulling her to my chest with a thud before we went into the ballroom together. I wasn’t going to let her go running into whatever chaos was going on. I had a bad feeling whoever was shooting was looking for her.
To my horror, it was even worse than I imagined. The crowd parted, and I pulled my gun, looking in confusion as one of my men, Vik
tor’s younger brother to be exact, as well as another man with a large automatic weapon, were holding onto a frightened and crying Bianca. This was not happening.
“I would put that gun down if I were you, Ion,” the man I didn’t recognize suggested. I tried to get every detail I could about the man, right down to his eastern European accent. It could easily be Romanian or Russian. After this was all said and done, I would use what I remembered to find him and whoever he was working for. I was already planning his slaughter in my head as I put the gun down. I was not going to mess with Bianca’s life.
I held onto Mariana tightly as she began to sob at the idea that Bianca would be taken from her again. I knew if I let go she would go for her and get everyone killed. “What do you want?” I asked with gritted teeth. They were threatening my family and ruining my engagement party. This would not bode well.
“We want Mariana Vasile. If you give her to us, then her daughter will go to you unharmed. It is a simple trade, and nothing else will save any lives here tonight. Oh, and don’t think you can use that child to regain your power. The rule of the Vasile’s is over,” he said ominously. I knew what that meant. Their plan was not to kidnap and use Mariana. They wanted to torture and kill her, taking away my claim. I didn’t want that to happen, but I knew what the alternative was. These men were serious. The loss of Bianca would weigh heavily on both of us.
“?ine minte tot ce te-am înva?at.” I urged her in her ear to remember what I had taught her. It was the only way she was going to make it out of this. She was strong, and I had to believe that if I made the trade, she could save herself while I found a way to bring her back to me.
I threw her forward towards the man, and Mariana ran, hugging her daughter tightly before the men yanked her up by her hair. She screamed in pain before going stoic. She said something to Bianca, and Bianca was let free to run to me. I scooped her up and held her close as she cried. “It’s going to be alright, Puff,” I told her as the men took Mariana and left, shooting random bullets into the air on their way out. They thought they had won, but they didn’t know what they were messing with.
