“You’ll never have to find out.” My paint-enhanced cocktail dress has lost its appeal, so I grab the gray dress Amy bought me from the closet, and we leave my condo to help get her ready.
I resolve to do everything possible to ignore Sai tonight.
He’s the man who plans to destroy my best friends life and if I’m not careful, our friendship too. But still, as I watch Amy dress, I can’t stop my mind from wandering over to him. There is something truly broken inside that man, maybe my friend is the one who can fix him.
11
Sai
I openand close the black velvet box. The ring inside was my mother’s wedding ring. I’m supposed to give it to Amelia tonight, to make things more official. But the more I stare at the bright diamond solitaire, the less I want to. I’m not a sentimental man, but this is the only thing I have that proves the woman that gave birth to me existed.
I look out of the bay windows at the grounds of my family home. One day this will all be mine. If I toe the line the way my father and his father before him did. The strength of a man is in his ability to set aside his own selfish desires for the good of his family. That is what this engagement is, security that the Shah family remains in power.
“Sai.” I turn to my father who’s just entered my office
“Father,” I greet. “To what do I owe the honor?” If there is one thing I know about the man, it’s that he never speaks to me personally, unless it’s to his advantage.
“I just want to remind you that everything rests on what you do tonight.”
“Just what do you think I’m going to do to sabotage things?”
“Is that really a question? You and Ravi have become a liability to our families. Your reckless behavior is all over the news.”
I sigh, taking a seat behind my desk. I look at my father. People say I am the spitting image of him, he’s greying at the temples, but I see what they mean. As much as I look like my mother, there is so much more of Avi Shah in me. And I wonder if that is the reason I am a cruel, heartless man. Will I always be like him? Until I eventually end up bitter and alone.
“I will follow through, Father,” I state plainly.
“I don’t have to tell you the price you’ll pay if you don’t.” he turns on his heel and leaves me staring after him.
I run my hands over my face. I let out a growl, before swiping everything off my desk.
* * *
Raviand I pull up at the Tekin’s house at the same time. He’s dressed in a charcoal gray Armani suit, much like the one I’m wearing. “If it isn’t the bridegroom.” he grins.
“Fuck off, Rav.”
“Touchy.” Ravi lifts his hands up in defense. “Did the old man get to you?”
“I have no idea what the fuck he thinks I’m going to do. I know why I have to marry that woman, and I have done everything in my power to ensure that she follows through.”
“It’ll be over soon enough, and he’ll leave you alone.”
“So, where’s your mystery, woman?” I look over his shoulder at his car.
“She had an emergency. That or I spooked her off. I did come on pretty strong, but, man, I could have fucked that woman into tomorrow. Her looks, that bod…”
“I’m gonna go for the latter.” I smirk as we take the stairs two at a time.
There appears to be at least fifty people inside. A small intimate gathering my fucking ass. All these Tekins congregated in one place to make sure I don’t step out of line. Ravi glances at me, amusement written all over his face. He slides his coat aside to reveal that he’s packing. I literally roll my eyes.
“Welcome to the lion’s den, bro.” he laughs and stops when his eyes land on the stunning woman in the gray dress standing next to my wife-to-be. “I’ll be damned, that’s her. Kennedy. My mystery girl from the beach.”
I feel my fists clench at my sides. “That’s her?” The way he’s looking at her makes my fucking blood boil. Ravi doesn’t even respond to me. He snakes his way through the crowd until he’s a foot from her. She instantly recognizes him, and the smile on her face when she looks at him makes me want to press a blade into my best friends’ chest. He bows and takes her hand in his, placing a kiss on it. I’ll fucking kill him. I’m across the room in minutes.
Her eyes widen when she looks at me, and his eyes follow. My eyes roam over the soft gray dress that hugs her body, the low cut exposing more cleavage than I’d like Ravi to gawp at. He’s mesmerized by the violet-eyed beauty in much the same way I am.
Ravi looks from me to her, then back to me. “Why do I feel like you two know each other?” he cocks a brow.
