I stepped close to her, and I wasn’t afraid.I didn’t cower away.I moved so we were eye to eye, toe to toe.“I hope you enjoy the party.It was Draven that invited you.”And with that, I stepped away from her and left the room.
I found Draven waiting for me.I moved toward him, and his gaze didn’t waver, not even as I heard the door open behind me.
“You let her come inside?”I asked.
“Yeah, because I had a feeling there were some things you needed to realize.”
“Like what?”
“You’re the safest one in your family,” he said.
I smiled at him, and we made our way back through the crowd.We mingled for a long time.
The hours floated by.When he talked business, I was more distracted by the dancers and watching the events unfold.I noticed my family had seen me, and every time I found their gaze, they wouldn’t look away.They were staring, on alert.I saw it in the way they held themselves.
It was getting late, and the shoes were starting to pinch, but I was having a lot of fun.This was my first real party where I didn’t have to sneak off to enjoy it.Draven stayed by my side, and I loved every second of the music.
I didn’t know what the plan was for tonight.I didn’t even know he had organized a party, so I certainly didn’t know what was going to happen next.
I stood holding a glass of champagne, feeling light on my feet.I was happy.Besides my family being there, casting their disapproving looks, I was having a good time.I was not being kept hidden, and Draven seemed happy to have me on his arm.I belonged to him.It was strange, because I did expect to be a little weary about being owned by a man.I kind of liked it.I guess I’m not going to be high on any woman’s list for feminism.We all liked what we liked, and I happened to enjoy being Draven’s woman.
I’m not sure when, but Draven must have given a signal, the music came to a stop, and he was handed a microphone.
“Thank you all so much for coming to this delightful event,” Draven said, to which there was a round of applause.
My nerves were fast approaching, I clapped, smiled, and tried to make sense of what was happening, because I didn’t completely know.
“I want you all to be here to witness this,” Draven said, and he moved toward me.
Had I read this wrong?Was he going to kill me?Make an example of me in front of everyone?
He stepped close to me, and shocked me as he kissed me in front of everyone.He’d been openly affectionate all evening.I loved the way he touched my hip, stroking his fingers across my flesh.It felt like he was trying to reassure me.
Now, he shocked me as he sunk to one knee before me.I didn’t have a clue what was happening, and then he opened a velvet box, and I stared at a stunning engagement ring.
“Maeve Taylor, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”he asked, for the whole room to hear.
I was shocked.The man I was falling in love with, the man who was for all intents and purposes my owner, was asking me to marry him.
I looked at him and couldn’t help but smile as I said yes.
****
Draven
I wanted Maeve’s family to be there when I turned the tide.Everything had been put in place for a reason.
Maeve was my wife, they were not safe.They had treated Maeve like an object, to be sold at their whim, and now they were at her mercy.
After she accepted my proposal, I slid the ring on her finger, kissed her, and escorted her from the party.I spent the whole night making love to my fiancée.
I didn’t regret making her mine, and I knew there was a high chance I was going to make her pregnant soon.For the first time in my life, I was not wearing a condom, and all I wanted was to be inside her every chance I got.
Unfortunately, right now, I could not be with my woman.Instead, I had to deal with Mikhail Vasiliev.He had attempted to flee, leaving a trail of badly beaten girls, which helped lead me right to him.
His men were gone, and now I had him hanging upside down in my warehouse.He spun around, his leg attached to the ceiling, bleeding onto the floor.
“We can make a deal,” Mikhail said.
