“What do you mean it’s your fault she died?”
He hesitated, gaze flicking toward the stone floor. “It’s a long story,” he said. “That’s why I brought you down here, away from everyone else. So I’d have time to explain everything.”
“I don’t care how long it takes,” I replied, heart thudding in my chest. “Tell me everything.”
I didn’t believe a single word that came out of his mouth. But if I could keep him talking, I’d buy Julian more time to find me.
Roman stood, crossed the cell, and retrieved the stool. He set it down in front of me and lowered himself onto it, elbowsresting on his knees. Then he took a long, deep breath and finally spoke again.
“Calista was my whole world,” he said in a low voice. “We shared everything, even if it meant breaking my vows. That’s how much I loved her. I put her above everything else in my life.”
I frowned. “How did you break your vows?”
“I told her everything about us. The Dionysus Club, that is. And I told her about the Selection, too. What it is, and what happens during and after.” His eyes glazed slightly, like he was staring through me and into the past. “That’s what got her killed in the end.”
My mind was whirling. “So the Club killed her for knowing too much?”
“No.” Roman lifted a palm. “They had no idea that I told her anything. But she still died because I told her about the Selection. Because I didn’t take care of her properly.”
I slowly shook my head. “I’m really confused. I think you need to go further back.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” he muttered, rubbing his jaw. He cleared his throat and spoke up again. “Listen… I’m going to tell you everything I told your sister about the Selection. But you’re not supposed to know any of this. At least not yet.”
“Okay.”
“My point is, I could get in a whole lot of trouble for telling you,” he went on. “So I hope you’ll see me doing this as a sign of good faith.”
“Okay,” I repeated, crossing my arms. “So. The Selection. What is it?”
“I’m sure you’ve heard some of the rumors that circulate every few years. The Club actually encourages them, because they don’t want the truth getting out,” Roman replied. “But at its core… it’s just one thing.”
“What?”
He gave me a thin-lipped half-smile and lifted a brow. “It’s a wife hunt.”
31
Violet
My mind reeledas Roman’s words sank in.
Wife hunt.
So… Julian wanted tomarryme? The man who'd stalked me, hunted me, imprisoned me… he'd done all of that because he wanted me as his future bride?
It didn't make any sense. We'd barely even spoken before the hunt, and to add to that, I was actively investigating his Club.
No. No way.
Clearly, I was missing something.
“Did you say awifehunt?” I asked.
Roman smiled faintly, almost wistfully. “Yes. Or More accurately, a future wife hunt. Like I said, it’s a long story.”
“Well, you also said that we’ve probably got several hours before Julian finds us,” I said dryly. “So go ahead.”
Roman’s smile twitched, then faded. “All right. Here goes,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve heard that members of the Dionysus Club tend to come from certain… backgrounds.”
