“My sister. We’re twins.”
“There’s two of you.”
“She lives upstairs.”
“That’s…”
“Weird?”
“I was going to say sweet. My family wasn’t ever really close.”
“Any siblings?”
“Only child.”
“And your parents?”
“Divorced but living. My father drives a commercial hauler across the country and is rarely in touch. My mother lives with her latest fling. Yours?”
“My father is deceased. My mother and younger sister live upstate.”
He puts out his cigarette and washes his hands.
“I guess we should get all the questions out of the way.”
“I’ll give my lawyer a call to get the prenup and divorce agreement written up along with the NDA.”
“Okay.” I move to the floor to ceiling windows that overlook the street below and part of the park. “Beautiful view.”
“I’ll have a room made up for you.”
“I kind of thought I’d keep my place.”
“The second you say I do, a target will be on your back. And no offense, but you live in a shit neighborhood.”
“I like my apartment.”
“Listen, this isn’t as simple as saying some vows then going our separate ways for the next ten years. For this to work, you’ve got to commit to the role. To the world, they need to see us as a united front. There will be rules. Places you can’t go. You’ll have one to two of my men with you anywhere you go.”
“I’ll be your prisoner.”
“No.” he shakes his head. “I can understand why you’d see it that way, but you don’t understand the danger that comes with being connected to me.” He grabs a laptop off the kitchen counter and flips the top up. “Come here. Read this and look at these.”
I scan the news article. His sister, his twin, was abducted. Several men beat, raped and tortured her. His father went to prison for killing every single one of them. The images turn my stomach. They’re of his sister. Badly beaten, looking nearly dead. I know the story, but it coming from him makes it sink in more.
“There’s a reason for every choice I make when it comes to the safety of the women in my life.”
“I see.”
He grabs my face. “Tell me you understand and that you won’t fight me on this.” He holds my gaze and as he looks into my eyes with such intensity I feel him in my bones. “I’d burn this city to the ground if someone hurt you because of me.”
The world seems to disappear, and he’s all I see.
This stranger.
This killer.
The man I’m going to marry.
