Betrothed (Devil's Playground #2)

Prologue

Vivian

“Why are you calling me?” I asked as I moved from inside the luxurious suite to the expansive balcony, resting one hand on the edge of the stone wall.

In shades of azure and turquoise, the Hawaiian ocean water glistened in the reflective sun, the waves creating prisms floating toward the glint of gold piercing the sky.

Maybe I’d been reading one too many steamy books detailing passion, but with the light breeze and scent of jasmine and gardenia, I was certain this was paradise.

My mental purple prose was another reminder of how long it had been since I’d gone on a vacation. While in medical school, time off was for hours captured for something other than study, not days or even weeks of lounging by a pool after consuming one too many margaritas.

That’s why this trip was so special.

That’s also why I wasn’t taking a single moment of time spent for granted.

Especially since I was with him, a man who’d swept me off my feet.

Gabriel Lorenzo.

The meet cute had been perfect, classic for any rom-com.

I’d been in a fog with studying for my last exams when I’d literally bumped into him, spilling hot coffee all over his shirt.

I’d acted quickly, ripping his shirt off to keep the burn to a minimum.

Yet instead of remaining nothing more than a soon to be doctor caring for a patient, I’d ogled his magnificent broad chest and chiseled six-pack abs.

We’d laughed about it over drinks and dinner and as soon as exams had finished, we’d left for Hawaii, the whirlwind romance everything dreams were made of.

Only since our arrival, a series of anxious sensations had pooled in my stomach. There was no real reason other than he’d been acting mysteriously, whispered phone calls ending abruptly when I’d caught him. Boring business, he’d told me.

He’d shared how hard he was working on a startup corporation, refusing to follow in his father’s footsteps. I’d admired his tenacity since I’d done exactly the same thing in following my dreams of becoming a doctor.

But there were other things, actions that were totally unlike him. Like leaving without telling me where he was going.

“I wanted to ensure you hadn’t forgotten me.” His voice was deep and strong, the husky tone mirroring the one that had captured my attention the day I’d met him.

Although his arrogance had annoyed me, he’d managed to win me over in a few short weeks. It had been a whirlwind and I wasn’t the kind of girl to be impressed by any man.

Stop it. He’s not your father.

No, he wasn’t.

“Do you honestly think that’s even possible? You would never allow that to happen.” I laughed easily, a joyful sound spilling from every syllable. Yet I wasn’t entirely certain if I felt that way. “But you’ve been acting very suspiciously since we arrived.”

“Hmm… I assure you it’s all for a very good reason. But you need to be patient.”

Patient I’d learned to be. Or maybe I should say I’d been forced to be as a child.

As I lifted my glass of champagne, I shivered from hearing his deep chuckle. “Where did you run off to anyway? A girl could easily become very lonely and there are some big strong men by the pool who I could audition as replacement boyfriends.”

“Mmm… If I told you then it wouldn’t be a surprise. And darling, those boys couldn’t handle you. You need a real man.”

He always knew how to create butterflies in my stomach. “That doesn’t mean a girl can’t spent quality time auditioning them.”

“You had better not.”

The radio in the convertible he’d rented was loud and I could just see the wind whipping through his hair. With his sunglasses on and sporting a classic and highly tropical Hawaiian shirt at my request when he’d left, he’d managed to become the epitome of a chiseled god.

At least in my humble opinion.

“Or what?” When he didn’t say anything at first, I laughed. “What’s wrong? Are you suddenly too frightened to answer your girlfriend or terrified she’d make good on her threat to replace you?”

A noise filtered through the phone that instantly raised my hackles.

“Gabe. Is something wrong?”

“Maybe. I might need to call you back.”

“What’s going on?” When the same sound occurred, I knew what it was. He was maneuvering the rental car, now going at a high rate of speed.

“Just something I need to deal with. Do me a favor and stay inside the suite. Unless you know it’s me, don’t open the door.”

“What are you talking about? What is going on?” A sudden wave of unexpected fear tickled my skin the way the sun and sensual breeze had done seconds before.

Another screech and I knew he was making sharp turns on a very curvy road.

“It’s fine, Viv.”

“Then tell me what is going on.”

He said nothing, his breathing heavier.

“Fuck,” he growled, cursing although I couldn’t understand what he was saying.

Another screech.

Then a popping sound.

“Gabe. Talk to me. Please. Just talk to me.”

“Vivian, you need to know what I felt was real.”

“What do you mean was? What are you saying?” I couldn’t breathe. With my hand to my mouth, a wave of terror skittered through me.

A gasp was followed by a series of popping sounds. “Goddamn it!”

His voice sounded farther away, as if he’d tossed the phone.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

I froze, pressing my fingers against my mouth. There was no mistaking the sound.

Gunfire.

“Gabriel?” I whispered just as another, even louder screech powered through the phone.

Thump.

Boom!

“Viv. So you know. I did love you.”

Did. Had he just mentioned his feelings in past tense? “What? What are you saying? Gabe?”

The phone shrieked with grinding, screaming metal, a sickening sound that cut through our conversation. I was stunned, my heart in my chest as the next sound was a wretched, horrific grunt followed by a high-pitched crystalline explosion.

Almost as if there were a thousand champagne glasses being shattered at once.

As the light around me swirled into darkness, I slowly slipped to my knees.

“Gabriel!”