Chapter 27 Chapter 27
I heard the doorknob turn, and my room door opened; he was standing in the doorway looking at me. They were right to call him Hades, because he was ruthless and manipulative. I walked over to the door and closed it in his face and locked it. I heard the light knocking, but I didn’t open it.
When I woke up the next morning, it was already nine in the morning. I sat up and took a minute; he really did that; he tested me. After a shower, I headed down for breakfast; today was Saturday.
When I sat down, he walked in and sat down too.
“Morning, how are you feeling?” he asked, but I didn’t answer him. Maria brought out my food, and I began eating.
“Isla?” he said again, and I slammed my hand down on the table and looked at him.
“Don’t talk to me.” I pushed the plate away and stood up. “Ares lets go.” Ares walked out behind me. Jules came over to me. “Madam?” he asked.
“Please take me to Jacob's place.”
“Yes, Madam,” he said, opening the car door for me. I got in and Ares jumped in. When I locked the door, I saw him standing in the doorway. I was pissed at him for deceiving me; anything was better than being lied to and manipulated. That hurt more than anything.
When we got to Jacob’s place, I sent Jules back. When I walked in, I found Jacob at the back in the garden. He looked up when he heard us; I guess he saw my face because his face fell. I walked over and sat down on the bench beside me.
“My, look at this big boy,” he said, rubbing Ares’s head, and Ares let him. I guess they were right; dogs always know who to trust.
“What happened that has you so down?” Jacob asked, and for the first time since I was eight, I began crying. I just cried, not saying a word; I just cried. For some reason it hurt more knowing he didn't fully trust me and would resort to something like this.
I just sat there, and Jacob let me. After I had cried my fill, I just looked at him.
“Why is it so hard for people to trust anyone?”
“It’s the world we live in. The Ferro family doesn't trust so easily. As long as you have no ill intention or try to hurt them, then they’ll gladly trust you,” he said, patting my hands.
When I left Jacob’s place, it was seven in the evening. When I walked in, he was sitting in the living room. I didn't look at him.
“Where were you?” He asked, but I didn't answer; I turned and looked at him.
“Out?”
“There is a charity event tonight, and you’re my date. We leave in two hours; your outfit is in your room. This is important” he said and i nodded. I went to my room and took a shower. When I walked into the closet, hanging in the center was the dress.
It was a beautiful shade of deep emerald green. Not a bright, cheerful green, but the color of the deep ocean where the light doesn't reach. The silk velvet was so heavy it looked like liquid shadow, catching the light in ripples that shifted from forest green to almost black.
I ran my fingers over the fabric, my breath hitching as I felt the long sleeves. It was the work of genius, fine skin-toned mesh that disappeared against my fair skin, overlaid with intricate, hand-stitched lace in that same emerald hue. Tiny black crystals were woven into the pattern, designed to catch the lights and distract anyone from looking too closely at what was underneath.
With a grimace, I pulled the sleeves over my hands. They fit like a second skin, the lace tapering into a delicate point at my knuckles. I looked in the mirror and let out a shaky breath. The raw, red marks from the zip ties and the purple bruising on my wrists were gone, buried under layers of exquisite thread and stone.
I did my own hair, pulling my gold curls into a deep side part that let the waves spill over my left shoulder, leaving my right neck exposed. I clipped on the white gold drops, the diamonds shivering against my skin, and fastened the emerald choker around my throat. It felt like a beautiful, shimmering shackle.
Finally, I hiked up the velvet skirt. My fingers, still stiff from the warehouse, fumbled with the silk garter on my right thigh. I slid the dagger into its sheath. The bite of the cold blade against my skin was the only thing that felt real in this room full of lies.
I was ready; I grabbed the clutch and headed out. When I walked down, he was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
He was dressed in a tailored black-on-black tuxedo that made him look less like a businessman and more like a predator in disguise. The silk lapels caught the light, and his white shirt was crisp, stark against the dark tan of his skin. He stood with his hands shoved casually into his pockets, his broad shoulders filling the space, looking every bit the Hades the world feared.
As I reached the bottom step, he looked up.
I saw the way his eyes darkened, a flicker of something like pride? Hunger? crossing his face as he took in my appearance. I didn't smile. I didn't even look at his face. I kept my gaze fixed somewhere over his shoulder, my expression frozen and cold. When I reached the bottom, I stopped three feet away from him. The air between us felt charged.
He stepped toward me, his hand reaching out as if to take mine, but I didn't move. I didn't offer my hand. I didn't even acknowledge the gesture.
"You look like a queen, Isla," he said, but I didn't reply. I just turned toward the front door, my back straight, my head held high.
I could feel his stare burning into the back of my neck, and I didn't care. He wanted a weapon? He got one. And weapons don’t have anything to say to the men who pull the trigger.
I walked past him and out into the cool night air, the emerald silk snapping around my ankles like a warning.
The car ride was a tomb. I sat in the back of the reinforced SUV, staring out the tinted window at the blurred lights of the city. The emerald velvet of my dress felt like a cold skin, and the lace on my wrists was starting to itch against the scabs, but I didn't move a muscle. I didn't want to give Nikolai the satisfaction of seeing me uncomfortable.
He was sitting right next to me, taking up way too much space. I could feel the heat radiating off his suit, that familiar scent of expensive cologne and woodsmoke filling the cabin.