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“Do you like Drake?” She smiles, tipping her head to the side. Her gaze pierces me with curiosity as she regards me with a knowing smile.
“This is where I was brought when I was stolen,” I finally confess. “Drake was the first man to . . . I begged him to take my virginity so the assholes who were going to buy me didn’t claim it.” I don’t know why I just told her that, but I needed to finally voice it out loud. Not once since I met Drake to the moment he saved me have I confessed what I did that night in his office. I pleaded with the blue-eyed devil to take the one thing I held dear.
Do I regret it?
No.
Would I do it again?
Yes.
“And he did it?” Harper’s eyes are wide with shock as she regards me. I nod in response. “What was it like?” she asks, causing me to look at her with confusion. “I . . . mine was . . . I didn’t have a choice.” Her voice drips with sadness, and my heart is finally crushed into pieces I’m not sure I can ever put back together. While I was lucky to have Drake, my sister wasn’t that lucky, and I feel like it’s my fault for being stolen. It’s stupid. I shouldn’t feel guilt, but I can’t stop the emotion taking hold of me.
A knock at the door startles us. When it opens slowly, a young woman strolls inside. She smiles, setting a garment bag on the bed. She doesn’t tell us anything, or even utter a hello, merely nods, then she’s gone.
“I guess that’s mine,” I finally say. We’re both sitting there staring at the object as if it’s about to attack us. But I know what it is. The dress Drake told me he’d have delivered. “What’s the time?” I question, glancing at my sister.
She smiles. “It’s after noon. You got to bed really late last night.” It’s not an accusation, merely an observation. I nod in agreement, remembering what happened when I sought out Drake and instead found him and River and joined in their erotic and sensual display.
“I had to meet with Drake. I’m going to be working with them soon,” I tell Harper. She may be young, but she’s not stupid.
“It’s dangerous,” my sister offers, and I dip my chin in agreement again. It is indeed, but this is something I need. Something I’ve been fighting for all my life since the day I was stolen. I wanted to give up, but what kept me going was the image of my father lying dead in a pool of blood.
“I know, Harper, but” — I offer her a reassuring squeeze on the leg — “this is something I need to do. And I need you to understand.”
She watches me rise from the seat, padding my way to the bag on the bed. After the zipper hisses, I pull out the hanger, finding a dress more suited to a fashion model. Floor-length, bright-red silk hangs in soft waves.
The neckline is cut low in the back, hitting the bottom of my spine. The front would sit just between my breasts. The soft material is gentle to the touch, delicate, and I know he picked this out for a reason.
“He loves you.” My sister’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
“What?”
She shrugs nonchalantly as she drops her gaze back to the book she’s been reading. “He loves you. I can tell.” Harper doesn’t look at me, but her observation makes my skin tingle with awareness. I watch my baby sister focus back on her book, and I know, deep down, she’s not the girl I remember. She’s a broken, shattered young woman I may never get back.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CAIA
The dress Drake chose hangs over my slight frame, with slits up to each thigh, hinting at the skin beneath. The neckline offers a view of the ink that now adorns my skin. Since the cut is so revealing, I can’t wear a bra, but he made good on another promise — the panties he chose are exquisite black lace.
Harper helped me tie my hair into a tight chignon, and my makeup accentuates my cheekbones and the dark shade of my eyes. My lips are stained a cherry red, matching the dress. My shoes offer me height; the four-inch heels are a deep red, and I know Drake chose these for a reason. One I won’t think about right now.
Stepping from the room, I wander down the hallway. When I near the living room, I hear the gentle giggle of my sister. Upon entering the space, I find her sitting beside Dante at the grand piano positioned in the far corner. They’re tinkling on the keys, playing something random, but the smile on her face seems to light up the entire room.
