His Planned Night

SHAY

Zane and I were nestled together in a one-of-a-kind limousine, custom-built for special occasions like this. His arm was wrapped around me, my head resting on his chest.

I shut my eyes, trying to wrap my mind around the reality of my new life. A man who loved me deeply, who would do anything for me, was now talking about a future together.

When we first met, over a month ago, he’d told me I would be his and how everything would unfold. But now that it was actually happening, I had to keep reminding myself it wasn’t a dream.

I was no stranger to wealth; I didn’t come from a poor background. My parents were quite affluent, thanks to their successful businesses.

My father was the CEO of New York’s biggest trading company, and my mother ran a hotel chain from home, her condition preventing her from going out. Money was never an issue for them.

But I wanted to experience life without everything being handed to me on a silver platter.

Now, I’d found a man wealthier than my parents, and he was ready to give me the world if he could. His tap on my shoulder pulled me from my thoughts.

“We’re almost there, love,” he said.

I looked out the window. We were at the airstrip on his property, and a brand-new plane was waiting.

We pulled up to a red carpet leading to the plane’s stairs. The limousine door was opened for us, and Zane helped me out. We walked arm in arm up the steps and into the plane.

The interior was luxurious, complete with a wet bar and meeting table. Zane gestured towards a bedroom at the back.

“We won’t need that tonight,” he said, “But we will in the future.”

He guided me to a couch and helped me sit down. Shortly after, the plane began to taxi down the runway. As we lifted off into the twilight sky, Zane kissed me passionately.

Once we reached cruising altitude, he leaned back, his eyes twinkling. I loved getting lost in them. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going yet?”

“No, this is my special surprise just for us. That’s why Conner and Noah aren’t with us.

“I have a few bodyguards up front, but they’re just here for protection and to keep an eye out for any trouble.

“We’re heading into territory where I’m not exactly popular, but I don’t really care. If anything happens, they’ll protect us.”

“How can you be so calm knowing there might be someone out there wanting to kill you?”

He shrugged, taking a sip of the wine he’d poured for us.

“It’s part of the job. When you grow up in this business, you get used to people always gunning for you. It becomes like background noise; just another part of life. Like breathing, I guess.”

“What about when we have kids? How does that work?” I asked, taking a sip of my own wine.

“If we have a boy, he’ll naturally be next in line to take over my businesses.

“If it’s a girl, she’ll be cherished and loved until she’s about forty. Then she can date and maybe get married.”

I burst out laughing at his statement. “You can’t keep her from dating! You’re twenty-five and I’m twenty-two, so she needs some freedom.

“You’re going to be one of those dads sitting on the porch with a shotgun, scaring off any boy who comes to take her out.”

He grinned wickedly. “Not exactly. He’ll get a tour of the torture room, my knife collection, and the gun that’ll be shoved up his ass if he hurts her.

“Maybe even the maze where I hunt people down and kill them.”

My laughter died. “What maze?” I asked.

He stiffened, realizing I hadn’t seen everything on his property. What was beyond the warehouse?

“I’ll show you later. It’s hard to explain, but it’s a maze with only one entrance, so there’s no way out. It makes hunting humans more fun. They never make it out alive.”

I stared at him, horrified. “How is that fun?”

“Love, you’ll learn that in this life, there are things that have to be done for all sorts of reasons.

“When we have a son, he’ll be raised just like I was, with two close friends who will become his right-hand men. My dad planned this for me, and I’ll do the same for our son.

“I need to get you back into training with Conner and Noah, so you can get more comfortable with this lifestyle.”

I nodded, not sure what else to say. I felt the plane start to descend and looked out the window, trying to figure out where we were. But all I saw was another private airstrip.

As we landed, I noticed another limousine waiting at the end of a red carpet—this one a long white one. The plane came to a stop, and the door opened. Zane helped me down the steps and into the waiting car.

We were off to our next destination—Zane’s favorite restaurant. After a short drive on the private road, we turned onto a bustling street.

Once we entered the city, I recognized where we were: Miami, home to some of the best food around. We pulled up in front of a restaurant I knew all too well.

“You’ve been here before?” Zane asked, noticing the look on my face.

“Yes, I love it. Their food is amazing. Red Carpet Italian—my dad used to bring me here on business trips during the summer. I haven’t been here in over eight years.”

I’d been wanting to come back, but never had the chance. I could tell he was slightly disappointed by my revelation, but his disappointment quickly faded when the limousine door opened.

He stepped out first and offered me his hand, helping me out. I looped my arm through his, and we walked into the restaurant.