Arranged love

MIA

“I SAW HIM,” I growl at Luca while he stands in my bedroom.

Running a hand through his hair, he sighs. “I told him you were no one.”

I flinch at his words even though it’s the same thing I told the strange man who stood in my bedroom yesterday. “He’s a King.” I heard Luca call him Bones. And although I’ve never met the Kings, I know who they are.

“Yes,” he agrees. “But he won’t be a problem. He let it go, and he’s got too much going on to remember you.”

His words make my chest tighten. I’m always forgotten. I should be used to it by now, but somehow, it still hurts to know how easily someone can forget you exist. “But what if he does remember me?” I ask, trying not to let him hear the hope in my voice.

“If he does, he won’t say anything,” he assures me. “The Kings are nothing like our father. Or our brothers, for that matter.” Walking over to me, he gives me his kind smile that always makes me feel safe. “The Kings will not use you against Father. They are not those kind of people. They’re the good guys.”

I should have known Luca was lying. The Kings were only eighteen when I first saw Dillan. Now they’re grown men, running a Kingdom. They will do anything to get rid of any threat that comes their way, and I’m that to them now.

I sit at his island with a piece of lasagna in front of me. I haven’t touched it because I’m not in the mood to eat anymore. Dillan just told me I’m a prisoner. Again. At least in Italy, I knew what to expect. I looked forward to Luca’s visits. For once, I’m in the same state as him, and I can’t even see him. What if he doesn’t make it? I won’t even get to say goodbye. I can’t take that as an answer.

I hear Dillan entering the kitchen, but I refuse to look up or acknowledge him in any way. Fuck him! Fuck the Kings and fuck my family. They can all go to hell.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Here.” He drops a box in front of me, making a slapping noise. “Where’s your cell phone I left with you at the beach house?”

I look up at him through my lashes, hoping the bastard catches on fire with my glare. “Going to take that freedom away from me too?”

“Yes,” he states, holding out his hand to me.

My jaw tightens, and I slap my hands on the kitchen island, standing to my full height. He is easily over six feet tall. But I’ve been small all my life. That doesn’t mean I’ll let someone bigger run all over me. “If you want it, you’ll have to take it.” It’s not like I have anyone to call other than him and Haven anyway, but still, it’s the point. He’s trying to isolate me from everyone. Maybe he wants me to go insane? It’s some reverse psychology bullshit. I’ve seen it on TV.

His bottom lip starts to twitch, and then he begins laughing at me-like throws his head back laughing.

I walk around the kitchen island and shove him.

His laughter stops, and he grips my wrists in his strong hands, yanking my body into his. He’s freshly showered, and the scent of his body wash fills my nose. It smells like cedarwood. Much more refreshing than the smell of blood from when he first arrived. He looks down at me, and I can still see the laughter in his pretty blue eyes. He thinks this is funny.

“Mia …”

“I won’t let you do this!” I argue. “I will go see Luca. And I will talk to whoever I want.”

Letting go of my wrists, he reaches over and picks up the box he had set down in front of me. Placing it in my hands, he takes a step back, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What’s this?” I ask, staring down at it.

“Open it,” he orders.

Letting out a huff, I rip the lid off and pause at what I see before looking back up at him. That same gorgeous smile he had in that picture with the baseball bat is on his face right now. God, he really is gorgeous for a man. More than any man should be.

“This is your new phone,” he states, taking the box from me and removing the black device. “I want your old phone because I was afraid that maybe your brothers put a tracker on it when they went and saw you. This one … I had delivered while at Kingdom. And …” He pushes a button on the side, and I hear it come on. “It has everyone’s number in it. I charged it earlier in my office while at work, so it’s good to go.”

I bite my lip nervously as he hands it to me.

“Emilee just lives next door, and so do Alexa and April. Jasmine isn’t far away.”

Tears sting my eyes, and my breath catches in my throat. This is about as much freedom as I’ve ever had. I look up at him.

“I don’t want to isolate you, Mia.” He reaches out and cups my face with his warm hand, and my pulse starts to race at his tender touch. “But I will protect you. Even if that means doing things that you don’t agree with.” With that, he pulls away and turns to exit the kitchen.

“Dillan?” I call out.

“Yeah?” He turns around under the archway.

“My old phone is on the nightstand charging.”

He nods once and then turns, disappearing once again.

I fall onto a barstool at the island and open my contacts. They’re all there. Jasmine, Haven, April, and Alexa. Along with Cross, Grave, Titan, and Bones. Luca is also there and Nite. A guy named Nigel. I remember him from the limo. He was the driver.

I hold the phone to my chest and smile as I hear it ping several times in a row.

I open a message that says BITCHES at the top and read over the chat.

Jasmine: Breakfast in the morning?

April: I’m down.

Alexa: Of course.

Jasmine: Empire?

I sigh, knowing that no matter what Empire is, I can’t go there. Although Dillan was nice enough to give me a phone with everyone’s number, I have no doubt that he won’t allow me to leave the house to be with the girls.

Emilee: No. I heard Mia can’t go out in public.

April: We can do it at mine? I’ll cook.

Sounds good. They all respond with.

Jasmine: See you all at six.

I smile at the fact they thought to include me in something so simple. Breakfast. Just girls getting together to hang out before their day starts. How did they get this number? Bones must have given it to them before he even brought it home to me.

I feel like I should be nervous because I don’t know any of them. I didn’t see Haven reply to them, but maybe that’s because she’s staying at the hospital with Luca.

I lock the screen and put it on the kitchen island, that smile still on my face. I have plans with the girls in the morning, and it doesn’t even matter that I don’t know them.