“And what will happen after the six months are over?”
“That’s up to you,” I say. “You can stay. And if you choose freedom, I can help you disappear, for real this time. I’ll also make sure you’re taken care of financially for the rest of your life.”
She watches me for a long moment, all the joy in her eyes burned to dust. My heart twists inside my rib cage.
"What if I said that I didn't want any part in this arrangement?" she asks.
"Then you misunderstood me," I say. "This is happening. It's happening whether you like it or not."
She continues looking at me with those pretty brown eyes.
"I guess it's my fault for expecting more from a man who purchases women," she says.
Her words cut through me like a knife, but I don't let her see the effect she has on me.
I take the ring from the box and slide it down her ring finger. Both of us stare at it. It's a diamond that's fit for a queen.
And I can't hide the dark possessiveness that curls around my heart, squeezing tightly.
I have my mark on her.
She'sminenow, whether she likes it or not.
13
GRACE
Iescaped from one prison only to end up in another.
I'm still in disbelief as I stare at the rock on my hand. I don't know why I keep winding up in these situations. Just when I find a moment of peace, everything shatters.
But something is different about the disappointment I feel now.
Instead of sinking into a state of acceptance, I feel a fire burning inside me. It demands that Irebel.
"It'll be a marriage in name only," he says. "You won't have to do anything except attend occasional dinners and events with me.”
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I barely recognize my own voice.
"You have nothing to lose and everything to gain," he says. "Think about it."
"You're right," I say. "I have nothing to lose, except my dignity."
Something flickers in his eyes. I don't want to read into it, because I've been so wrong about this man. I can't believe Ithought even for a moment that he was different from people like my mother. He's a monster like the rest of them.
"This isn't just about what you want. It’s also about survival,” he tells me. He looks like he wants to say more, but he holds back.
It's pointless to argue with him.
But I'll be damned if I let another person tell me what to do, especially a man.
Looking him dead in the eye, I take the diamond ring off my finger. And before I can overthink it, I fling it into the ocean below.
"I can promise you right now that I'm going to make your life a living hell," I say, giving him a sweet smile.
"I don't doubt that," he says, appraising me with new eyes. "In fact, I look forward to it."
"You're sick in the head," I tell him.
