Chapter 8 – Arranged Marriage-1

“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 “Leou o little

no

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

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.

says,

he walking casually for

goodbye.”

B

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Gifts

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

“Please. Please just let me go home, let me stay there.

as if the offer is ending soon. “You can go home and say goodbye, Fay. Or you can just stay here

sight of the closing door, I get to my shaky feet and

bodyguard takes

is starting to come up, we pull up outside my small house. I had given the driver the address when we got in. The three bodyguards who

brush past the body guards, throwing

anxious voice call

as the three bodyguards follow

god, Fay,” he says, wrapping me up in his arms. “I was so worried –” he glances the men over my

looking up at him, desperate. “Please tell me this

he says, shooting anxious glances between me and the guards, who stand calmly in the room. They let us have our moment, but their

dad is?” I say, wiping my tears from my face with

hesitating, and I can sense

lapels of his pajamas. “Please,

is, Fay,” he says, looking down at me seriously. “It never has. I’m your

is he, Dad?” I press.

eyes at me. “What do you know, Fay,” he says, his voice low. “This is dangerous territory

66

hardly breath. “You know the truth – it’s

to put me behind him, but

putting out a hand. “We’ll disappear, you’ll never see us again, never have any trouble

possible.” With a distinct look at the other men, all three spring into action. One comes forward, wrapping his arms around me, locking me within his grasp. I scream and

around his back tie them – a gag in his mouth – a bag

up my dad and carry him out the front door.

against the guards that climb into the car on either side of

use the chloroform again. We’d

my control. Suddenly exhausted, I again burst again into tears, burying my

second guard says to the driver.

E

Choose to

car pulls around to the back of Kent’s mansion and enters a garage. When I get out of the car, Kent is standing at the entrance to the

the trunk to remove my

ask, glaring

looks me in the eye. “Because I knew that if I let you say goodbye, you’d tell the driver your address and lead us right there.“”

gape, realizing, of course, that I did

you that we wanted to take your dad for leverage, you’d have clammed up and given him a chance

head, suddenly ashamed and exhausted. He’s right,

guard takes my arm and

says to the guards who carry my dad. Dad

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