POV's Jace
To distract her from her obvious terror, I asked, "Did you choose the dress?"
She jerked, her eyes growing wide. Huge blue eyes, so full of innocence, I felt like they could wash even my sins away. And that golden hair…fuck me, I wanted to touch it to find out if it is as silky as it looked.
"No. My father did," she said in that soft, genteel voice.
Of course he did. I could see her shivering from the cold and fear. I decided to cut this ridiculous meeting short before Selena passed out on me, and I reached for the ring I'd bought for her a couple of days ago. My little fiancée flinched, and my mood dropped even further. I showed her the velvet box, hoping it would set her at ease, but she only stared. I wanted to shake some sense into her, but that would only have proven her fears right. I shoved the box at her, and she finally reached for it. When her fingers brushed mine, she pulled away with a gasp.
I had to stifle my annoyance—not at her, but at her parents, Finnick, and my father, who'd brought this mess down upon us. She is too young. I could only hope she'd gain some confidence in the next three years. I didn't want a wife who cowered in front of me.
"Thank you," she said after she'd checked out the ring. Her eyes met mine. I held out my arm. She took it with barely any hesitation, and I led her toward the living room to the people who'd betrayed her.
The moment I released her, she rushed off to her sisters and mother as if they could protect her from what was to come. I went over to the men.
"And?" Father asked smugly.
I amn't sure what he expected. A lewd comment about how I'd used my chance alone with Selena? Philip shot me a sideways glance.
"Selena accepted the ring," I said matter-of-factly.
Baker's face fell. "As she should. My daughter has been brought up to be obedient. You'll see."
"Jace will make her obey him. He can bring the strongest men to their knees. A weak woman will bow to his will," Father said snidely.
Dinner was served at that moment and saved us from a fight. It is a pity. I would have enjoyed it thoroughly. I sat down beside Finnick as tradition dictated.
Philip sat across from me, a flicker of boredom on his face. A bored Philip is always a ticking bomb. Silas raised his glass. The way his eyes went out of focus, I'd say he should stop drinking. Old bastard. I would have preferred dealing with his son, the cold fish Matthew, but as long as his father is still in command, I'd have to live with the demented old fool. "To a long and successful partnership."
I lifted my glass and downed the red wine. My eyes found Selena again. She is sitting at the other end of the table with the other women. She peered down at her ring as if it were something terrifying. Of course, it is. It bound her to me. It marked her as mine. When she looked up, our eyes met. She flushed and quickly turned away, red traveling up her delicate throat.
Philip kicked me under the table, smirking. "Already lusting after your
child bride?"
"I can wait," I said. "It's not like I can't keep myself entertained." But from this day, she is mine.
TIME SKIP\~
After dinner, we moved to the lounge to drink and smoke. Finnick and Silas were insufferable show-offs, and Father tried to overshadow them with his own bragging. I wanted to stuff my ears with hot wax to be spared their bullshit talk. Selena better be worth it, peace sounded less enticing with every fucking second I had to spend with the Outfit bastards.
I am on my fourth glass of scotch when everyone has finally left the lounge except for Philip, Samuel, and Beckham. Father had left to meet with a high-class prostitute from the Outfit's best whorehouse, but I had no intention of risking a repeat performance of the Bratva whore incident.
I allowed myself to relax against the marble ledge of the fireplace. My eyes were heavy from being alert all day, and I couldn't risk letting my guard down as long as we were in Valdoria. Philip is sprawled out on an armchair as if he owned the place. His grin didn't bode well.
"It could have been worse," Philip said, grinning even wider.
"She could have been ugly. But, holy fuck, your little fiancée is an apparition. That dress. That body. That hair and face." Philip whistled.
Anger surged through me. Philip and I often talked about women like that, and even with less favorable words, but this is different.
"She's a child," I said dismissively, hiding my annoyance. Philip would only irk me further if I gave him an opening.
"She didn't look like a child to me," he said, then clucked his tongue. He nudged Beckham. "What do you say? Is Jace blind?"
Beckham shrugged with a careful glance in my direction. "I didn't look at her closely."
"What about you, Samuel? You got functioning eyes in your head?" Samuel looked up, then quickly looked back down at his drink. I stifled a smirk. Philip threw his head back and laughed. "Fuck, Jace, did you tell your men you'd cut their dicks off if they looked at that girl? You aren't even married to her."
"She's mine," I said quietly. I glared at Philip. My men respected me, but Philip is a losing battle. Not that I had to worry. He'd never lay a hand on my woman.
Philip shook his head. "For the next three years, you'll be in Montavero, and she will be here. You can't always keep an eye on her, or do you intend to threaten every man in the Outfit? You can't cut off all of their dicks. Maybe Finnick knows of a few eunuchs who can keep watch over her."
"I'll do what I have to," I said, swirling the drink in my glass. I had considered what Philip had said before, and it didn't sit well with me. I didn't like the idea of being so far from Selena. Three years was a long time. She is beautiful & vulnerable, a dangerous combination in our world.
"Beckham, find the two idiots who are supposed to guard Selena," I ordered.
Beckham left immediately and returned ten minutes later with Liam and Bernie. Finnick is a step behind them, looking pissed.
"What's the meaning of this?" he asked.
"I want to have a word with the men you chose to protect what's mine."
"They are good soldiers, both of them. Bernie is Selena's cousin, and Liam has worked for me for almost two decades."
I mustered them both. "I'd like to decide for myself if I trust them." I stepped up to Liam. He is almost a head shorter than me. "I hear you're good with the knife."
"The best," Finnick interjected. I wanted to silence him once and for all.
"Not as good as your brother, as rumor has it," Liam said with a nod toward Philip, who flashed him his shark grin.
"But better than any other man in our territory," Liam admitted eventually.
Philip is the best with a knife. "Are you married?" I asked next. Not that marriage had ever stopped a man from having another woman.