“No.”
I yanked my arm hard, releasing his hold, took a step forward and another sound paused my feet as my eyes landed on Ishika, bent at the hip, her laughter uncontrolled.
I felt the press of something odd in my stomach, in my chest. Something weird and unrecognizable. It shouldn’t matter; it had to not matter. But my fists clenched, my nails digging into my palms, threatening to draw blood.
“She seems happy, boss.”
That man was ordinary, probably safe, probably what she needed. Jaw clenched, I forced myself to turn back toward the SUV, each step laden with raw determination. By the time we reached the end of her road, the rain had started again. The city blurred behind the windshield as Gian drove.
I caught my reflection in the glass, hollow-eyed, haunted, a man made of control, drowning in everything he couldn’t say.
I’d made a choice. I’d keep her safe. Even if it meant watching her build a life that didn’t include me.
And yet as we drove away, a whisper slid past my lips, “she can move on. I’ll make sure she can. But if anyone ever touches her, God help them.”
a month later
fifty-four
. . .
Ishika– 32 years old
“Is that a yes?” my uncle asked, stepping closer, his eyes bright with expectation.
Six weeks had passed since I last heard from Remo and by day twenty, I gave up hoping he’d return. Dr Carlo arranged for me to work out of the Boston Healing Heart Medical Centre. While I missed my friends and we connected on video calls, the new opportunity gave me a chance to get to know Kai. Unfortunately, we were never allowed to be alone. Always chaperoned or we met at Ajay’s home where the walls had ears and eyes.
Sighing heavily, I glanced over my uncle’s shoulder at my brother, smiling at Ajay. Clearly, Kai doted on the man, and so far, Ajay had turned out to be anything but the hostile man I’d expected the day I met him.
The word left my lips before I could stop it. “Yes.”
“Oh, Ishika.” My uncle grasped my arms, pulling me into a hug that smelled heavily of mint tea. “I’m so glad you decided to marry Ajay.”
“You accepted?” Ajay asked, his smile wide as I stepped out of my uncle’s embrace.
“She did.” My uncle answered for me, already stepping away with his phone in hand. “I need to call your aunt, your parents, Ajay and get the preparations going.”
Panic swirled in my stomach for a moment, regret already clawing up my throat as I watched him dial. Was I making the right decision?
“Thank you, Ish.” Kai’s soft voice brought an immediate calm, grounding me when the room started to spin.
He slid his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder, and that alone answered my question. What harm could come from marrying Ajay when it meant keeping Kai safe?
“This calls for a celebration,” Ajay said as Kai and I broke apart, his hand settling on the small of my back with possessive ease. “Dinner tonight?” he asked me.
“Sure, maybe Kai can join us?”
Kai shook his head, his eyes apologetic. “Nope, you guys need to get to know each a little more before the pending nuptials.”
I rolled my eyes and both men laughed, the light sound telling me everything was going to be alright, that just maybe, something good might come of it even if I wasn’t ready for marriage.
Then my uncle turned around, announcing, “it’s all settled. The families have agreed to an intimate engagement ceremony later this evening and a big wedding in three weeks.”
Tiny butterflies began a slow circle in my stomach again, and I settled a hand over it, forcing a smile as the three men chatted.
However, when we got to the restaurant, abrupt thoughts of Remo surfaced, thoughts I tried hard to squash. When he walked away, one part of me mocked the part that missed him. I found myself dreaming about him, succumbing to an arousal I’d never satisfy and looked for him in every corner. Few women would beable to handle a man like him yet somehow, I stupidly managed to fall in love with him, the very monster I’d hated at every turn. Maybe Dia had better luck with him, maybe she’d succeeded in dominating him like she’d promised.
The thought tightened my chest, and I bit back the tears with a firm command, “no, Ishika, you’re not doing this, not here, not now.” A sarcastic laugh slipped out as I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror and rubbed my ring finger. Tonight, I’d become an engaged woman and there was nothing I could do about it. A relationship borne out of trade wouldn’t go places Remo took me in his bed alone.
