Chapter 12 Dante
DANTE
Idon't know how to say the words.
So I reach into my pocket and pull out the small square box, setting it carefully on the table between us.
"What is that?" she asks.
I open the box, revealing the diamond ring I chose for her earlier this morning.
"Tell me that's not what I think it is," she whispers.
"I have an arrangement for you," I begin.
"An arrangement or an order?" she asks.
"It's an order from my Don, but it'll be beneficial for you as well."
"I'm so sick of people telling me what's beneficial for me," she replies. "I can't believe I thought even for a second that you were different."
I let her fume in silence for a moment.
I already knew she wasn’t going to like this proposition. But I’m going to offer it to her anyway.
"Marry me, Grace," I say. "Temporarily. You'll have my protection, and I'll have you by my side. It's a win-win."
"Temporarily?" she asks.
"Six months," I say. "If you want to walk away and have complete freedom after the six months are over, I'll give you that."
"What's in it for you?" she asks, leaning back in her seat.
She's right in front of me, but the girl I knew only a few minutes ago is long gone. The softness in her eyes is replaced by suspicion.
"I need a wife," I say. “For appearance’s sake.”
“Lucky me,” she says. “And what do I have to benefit from it?”
"Whether or not you want to admit it to yourself, you need my protection.”
“And what will happen after the six months are over?”
“That’s up to you,” I say. “You can stay. And if you choose freedom, I can help you disappear, for real this time. I’ll also make sure you’re taken care of financially for the rest of your life.”
She watches me for a long moment, all the joy in her eyes burned to dust. My heart twists inside my rib cage.
"What if I said that I didn't want any part in this arrangement?" she asks.
"Then you misunderstood me," I say. "This is happening. It's happening whether you like it or not."
She continues looking at me with those pretty brown eyes.
"I guess it's my fault for expecting more from a man who purchases women," she says.
Her words cut through me like a knife, but I don't let her see the effect she has on me.
I take the ring from the box and slide it down her ring finger. Both of us stare at it. It's a diamond that's fit for a queen.
And I can't hide the dark possessiveness that curls around my heart, squeezing tightly.
I have my mark on her.
She's mine now, whether she likes it or not.