Chapter 0008

“That’s impossible!” I gasp, staring up at him. “You can’t force me to marry someone against my will!”

He laughs at me, holding me too him, still looking down into my face. “It’s possible if I say it is.”

I press my hands against his chest, trying to push away. “It’s 2023! Nobody has arranged marriages

anymore – this isn’t the eighteenth century!”

He laughs again and lets me go. I skitter away from him.

“You’re in my world now, Fay,” he says, calmly putting his hands in his pockets. “The world you were

born to. Do you think laws really matter in the underworld, the world outside of the stupid bureaucracy

you’ve deluded yourself into thinking keeps you safe?”

My jaw drops open at this arrogance. “I have rights!”

“You have nothing,” he barks, taking a step forward towards me. “The only thing that matters is power.

Which is money. Which is might. You have none of this. The only thing which gives you anything in this

world, Fay, is your bloodline.”

His eyes flick now to the piece of paper which lays crumpled on the floor. “Which you are so eager to

dismiss.”

“But,” I say, falling a few steps back, trying to comprehend this. “There are…laws…” I say, a little

pathetically.

“There were laws that put me in prison,” he purrs, coming even closer. “And your own recommendation

that I stay imprisoned forever. But here I am,” he spreads his hands out, demonstrative.

“Me, and men like me, Fay? Like your father? We control all of it. So, if I were you,” he looms over me

again. “I’d be a little more grateful that I got you out of the club and restored you to the life of privilege

to which you were born.”

I look up at him, truly terrified now, realizing that my life as I knew it is…completely gone. With one test,

he’s wiped it away.

I’m trapped now, in this world – as the daughter of a don, engaged – oh my god, engaged – to the son

of another. There’s no way I’m getting out.

As tears start to drip from my eyes, he shocks me by pulling a handkerchief from his breast pocket and

offering it to me. Slowly, hesitant, I take it.

“There’s much you don’t know, Fay,” he says. “But you’ll have to learn fast. I’ve notified your father –

he’s away on business, but he’ll be back in two days, and he’ll want to meet you.”

I gasp, horrified – Alden has almost as bad a reputation as Kent Lippert. God, what a contrast to my

gentle dad, sitting at home. My mind suddenly shifts to dad, who must be worried about me. I start to

cry harder, putting my face in my hands.

“Please,” I say, my voice hiccupping with tears, with shock, with fear, “please let me go home – I’m

begging you – I just want to pretend it never happened – I’ll never tell anyone –”

“No, Fay,” he says, stern. He glances at the door, and I can tell he’s getting tired of my wild emotions.

“There’s no going home, ever again.”

I stare up at him, the tears still slipping down my cheeks, and feel my emotions change from

desperation and agony to anger.

“You’re a monster,” I cry between my tears. “You’re ruining three lives tonight, just so you can get your

way. A monster.”

Kent shocks me, then, by leaning forward and taking my chin in his hand. He smiles, bringing his face

close to mine, and says, “Did you really think that was going to work on me, Fay? Calling me names?”

He shocks me, then, by lifting his other hand to my face and wiping away a tear from my cheek with his

thumb.

Then, slowly, he raises his thumb to his mouth and slips it inside, savoring the taste of my tears. “I told

you before, I like my kittens with claws.”

Outraged, I try to push past him for the door but he laughs, faster than me, and puts out a hand that

catches me in the chest. Another light shove – as he did before – and I’m knocked back onto the

lounge.

“I’m not completely the monster you think I am, Fay,” he says, walking casually for the door. “After all,

I’m going to let you say goodbye.”

He opens the door wide and waves a hand through it. “A car is waiting to take you to your father’s

house, where you will pack a bag. You will say your goodbyes and then return here, where I will keep

you safe until your true father comes to claim you.”