“Trying to find my weakness.”
“I believe so, yes. A fascinating young woman. You have your hands full with her. She was very well behaved, but I can tell her brain was working overtime. She’s not yet resigned to her fate.”
I don’t answer. I’m watching the LilyRose storefront closely. I should be relieved that Bella is her father’s problem for a few minutes, but I just want to go after her.
“I told her some details of your childhood. She has more questions, and I encouraged her to ask you.”
My body gets tight, my muscles ready to spring into action.
Father Francis interprets my silence correctly. “You don’t have to share if you’re not comfortable?—”
“No. She can ask.” As much as I hate talking about my past, I want her to know. But I have to be careful. Back then, I was at my weakest. And I don’t want to reveal my weakness to her.
“I meant what I said earlier. About trust. It’s the foundation for any intimacy. If you share some of your secrets with her, it would be a show of good faith. A sign you are willing to trust her.”
Which will allow me to lure her in closer.
“All right.”
After the call ends, I think about it. I don’t have to tell her everything. Just enough details to make her feel like I’m opening up. If she feels sorry for me, it’ll be easier to convince her to soothe my pain. A trap and my sob story will be the bait.
Except I don’t want to lie to her. The thought sets my teeth on edge. I want her to look at me with those soft brown eyes, which are way more expressive than eyes have a right to be. I want her to really trust me, and not just because I manipulated her.
But because she wants to.
I glance at the store. Bella’s been inside for a while now. I don’t like having her out of my sight. She’s my responsibility now. Is her father giving her all sorts of new ways to poison me?
I tap on my phone, texting one of my Fraternitas brothers, Argos. He’s a tech genius and in charge of security. St. James will have made sure we have eyes on the Boscos.
Argus texts me back a link. I click on it, and my screen fills with a live feed. Bella stands in an office, holding a black landline phone to her ear. Her face is frozen in a mask that tells me she’s furious but trying not to cry.
I don’t know what’s going on, but I know this: I’m going to kill whoever put that look on my little bride’s face.
16
Bella
* * *
I stand with the phone to my ear until someone knocks at the door, breaking the spell.
It’s Kaiser.
As always, his presence alters the space. The room seems to shrink around him. The balance of power shifts until the lion’s share rests on him. He’s in my father’s territory, but there’s no denying he’s the most dangerous person here.
He sweeps his gaze around the room, scanning for enemies. Once he gets to my face, he doesn’t say anything, but the muscles in his shoulders and chest slightly swell. He’s tense, ready for a fight. He turns his glacial gaze on the phone I’m still holding, like a sniper settling his target in his sights.
You will marry Kaiser, my father said. He will be good for you. He will protect you.
He’s here to protect me now.
“Who’s that?” he growls.
“My father.” I replace the handset on its cradle.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I lie. “Everything’s fine. We can go now.”
