Epilogue
Eighteen Years Later
“Willow Sofia, you can not go out tonight!” Dad growls through my phone, and I sigh.
I should never have said anything. It doesn’t matter that the guys are here and will protect me. To them, it’s a crazy teenage impulse that I should avoid, but I’ve grown up with a ticking. Time bomb attached to my name, and my time is almost up.
My eighteenth birthday is in three days, and they are losing their ever-loving minds.
It’s a miracle they even let me come back to school.
I’ve taken so many self-defense classes, it makes me want to throw up.
Three different martial arts. I can shoot, fence, and box.
I even got an axe-throwing session as a birthday gift a few years ago.
“Dad, I can protect myself. I’m going to a closed frat party with my three male cousins. They won’t let anything happen to me. Relax, will you?” He keeps groaning on about being responsible, and I tune him out.
“Are you ready?” Cole asks from my doorway, and I shake my head and point at my phone.
“Dad,” I whisper, and he rolls his eyes.
I was allowed to pick from three colleges, all of which had at least three legacy kids from the club or a cousin. They were all within an hour helicopter ride from home, and I had to come home every other weekend.
Seemed like a fair arrangement until this whole birthday doom date thing got closer.
“Cole’s her dad, so I’m going to go. I promise to be careful and call when I get back to my room.” I wasn’t allowed to stay inthe dorms since they weren’t secure enough, so I share a house with my cousins and Deacon.
Our ages range, and we’re in different years, but we manage.
“Don’t you dare hang up.” I end the call and stand up, grabbing my purse.
“He’s going to be so fucking pissed.” Cole laughs as we walk down the hall to Dom’s room.
“When isn’t he? I can’t do shit without them up my ass, and I just want to be normal.” I cross my arms in annoyance.
“Normal in this family?” Dom opens the door to Cole’s words and frowns.
“He said no?” I raise an eyebrow.
“When has he ever said yes or here’s one better. When have I ever cared or listened?” My godbrother stares at me, and his jaw ticks with lust like his father’s.
“Stop! I don’t want to hear shit. I still have three days.
I’m going to this party, and I’m going to have fun.
This will be a normal college kid’s experience.
We’ll worry about my birthday on Saturday and not a moment before.
” I push my way into the room and find Deacon on his computer, typing away.
“He brainiac, you coming?” He looks my way, but his fingers keep flying across the keys as he finishes whatever the fuck it is he’s working on.
Could be a paper, the cure for cancer, or he might be reorganizing the world’s nuclear codes just for fun. His head has got to be the most scriest place on the planet, and I would die for just a small peek.
“What are you wearing?” Ok, that is not his normal reaction to me teasing him about his intelligence.
“Um, clothes?” I ask as I glance down my body.
It’s hot, so I opted for jean shorts and a cute babydoll top with thin straps.
I’ve got platform sandals on that give me a few more inches of height, and my curly hair is in a half-up, half-down design that makes it look like it’s a waterfall.
The makeup is light with mascara and lip gloss, so why on earth is he staring at me like I’m naked?
“Problem?” I try again, and he seems to snap out of it.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” I turn and march my ass to the stairs.
“Wonderful. Let’s roll. Are we taking my car or the bikes?” Normally, the guys hate riding in my ‘cage’, but since I don’t drink and I can’t get them all home on a motorcycle, we usually take my vintage Jeep Wrangler.
“Cage unless you’re drinking?” Dom asks, and I frown.
“Eww, nope. I’m DD as always. Hope in.” I unlock the Jeep, and we all pile in to drive over to the other side of campus.
“Whose party is this?” Deacon asks, sounding bored as hell already.
I really don’t understand why he comes. He’ll nurse a beer all night, play on his phone, ignore every girl and guy that flirts with him, but still he comes. Such a fucking waste.
He’s on his third or fourth degree and graduated ages ago, but still he stays and continues to act like he’s learning something new when he should be teaching the damn courses. I shake off the mystery and smile when I see the overflowing fat house.
“Are you playing tonight?” I nod as I park the Jeep.
“The only reason I came was for the music. Otherwise, I have a romance novel and vibrator at home that’s more exciting than these idiots.” Cole laughs at me while Dom makes vomit noises, but Deacon tilts his head like he’s trying to work out the puzzle that is Willow Romano.
Good luck, buddy.
I push my way into the house and find the DJ set up, making my way over to Orion, who’s blasting a track I love. I tap his shoulder, and he smiles, giving me a quick hug.
I toss my purse under his tables and sway to the beat while I grab a pair of headphones.
As I wait to take over, I scan the room for familiar faces.
I see a few people from my classes, but only being in my second year limits me from knowing the older crowd.
I spot Cole and Dom at the bar already flirting with a few women, and smile.
I’m not sure there are many girls left on campus who haven’t taken a turn on my cousins.
Then I see Deacon.
Hiding in a corner, half in shadows, watching the room. No wait, he’s watching me. Now that’s new. Why on Earth is he acting so fucking strange tonight?
Orion taps me, and I nod, taking over the decks to do my two-hour DJ set.
We’ve been planning this back-to-back for weeks, so all my music is keyed up and ready to mix.
I’m about halfway through my set when I feel hands grab my hips.
I throw an elbow back hard, knocking whoever it is off me, and spin to confront them.
Some random guy is on his ass looking up at me like I did something wrong. He’s got his hands up in defense.
“Jeez, no reason to overreact, you psycho bitch.” The fuck did he just call me?
I take my headphones off and move in front of him.
“Next time, keep your fucking hands to yourself. Or do you get all your dates by sneaking up behind a woman and touching her without her permission? Seems like you’re that type.” I look him up and down, noticing his designer outfit and rich boy style.
He must be one of the fraternity boys throwing this party.
“Most girls like you enjoy the attention. Why else would you be dressed like that and shaking your ass at every guy that walks by?” Ah, damn, no, I gotta go and fuck him up.
I swing out and catch his nnose braking it in one go.
“OUCH WHAT THE FUCK!”
“Get a fucking clue, asshole. I could be dancing on a pole butt ass naked, and you still wouldn’t have the right to lay a finger on me without my say so.
The fact that you’re using what I’m wearing as your excuse screams of a rapist behavior.
Smile dickhead, cause you got the right one today.
You’re going up on the name-and-shame board.
Hope you enjoy blue balls because no woman on campus is gonna touch you now.
” I snap the photo on my camera and then grab my headphones to load the next song.
“Are you okay?” Deaacon grabs my shoulders, and I relax instantly.
“Oh, he can touch you, but I can’t? Fucking cock tease.” This gut just doesn’t know when to quit.
“He’s a family prick. I can break your nuts next to match your nose.” He backs away.
“Yeah, I thought so. Bye now.” I wave at the asshole before turning back to the music.
“Thank you. I’m fine.” I say to Deacon, who I can still feel at my back, as I mix in my new song and then set it to play my pre-recorded set since I’m so fucking angry.
“You need some air. Your music is set come with me.” I sigh and let him take my hand and lead me through the house and into the back yard, where the stoners are smoking.
“Ugh, come on. I can’t stand the smell.” I drag him to the side of the house and out of the cloud of smoke that was so thick I’m sure I’ve already got a buzz.
“Your birthday is coming up.” I nod as if I didn’t know, and I’m pissed off for yet another person reminding me.
“I’ve been working to figure out what it all means, and I think I found it.” What?
“Well? Don’t just stand there! Deacon, if you know what the fuck is gonna happen, you need to tell me!
I have a right to know. All these people made a plane for my mother and me without permission, and I’m happy it turned out so well for my parents, but what are the chances of that happening twice? NONE!” I start to hyperventilate.
“Shh, it’s going to be okay. I promise. Take a deep breath. It’s not as bad as you think, and we can totally stop it.” He sounds so sure of himself, and frankly, those words coming from anyone else I’d call bullshit, but this is Deacon.
“Ok, I trust you. Tell me what is gonna happen and how we’re gonna stop it.” I let out a deep sigh and watch his face.
His eyes are steady and intense. His jaw is tight like he’s grinding his molars. He opens and closes his mouth twice before I lose my temper.
“FUCKING SPIT IT OUT, DEACON!”
“It’s a live auction. They plan on kidnapping you and auctioning you off to the highest bidder. To marry you and force you to do the sme thing your parents did.” That’s what he calls not so bad?
“Oh, so you thought of something worse than that.” He shrugs and drops his gaze.
“They could kill you.” Touché.
“Okay, focus on the positive, we know and can stop it. You said you had a plan. How do I get out of this?” He takes my hands in his and shocks the shit out of me when he knells beofre me.
“Easy, they can marry you off if you are already. So marry me before then.” I blink at him, and the world around me swims.
“Come again?”