Taken_ A Dark Mafia Romance - Piper Stone Page 0,14

lied to me. This was all about the Sacred Sect. They wouldn’t do this.

Could they?

Even my attempts at hiding behind the glass of bubbly did little but continue to add fuel to red-hot embers. The single recourse I had was leaving, but any attempt at doing so would only cause a scene, embarrassing my parents, a sin worse than taking the name of the Lord in vain. I wasn’t entirely certain I cared.

The frustration continued to build as I heard various groups laughing, enjoying the party while the guest of honor hid in the shadows. This wasn’t like me. I never ran from any situation, even when it concerned my parents. This was grandstanding to a level I hadn’t experienced before. While I could understand such a glorious event for my sweet sixteen or even when I’d turned twenty-one, at twenty-four, birthdays were no longer that special.

Except for the rules...

No, they’d fallen into the trap of the community. I was shaking with anger. The Box. Whatever my father had been offered was enough to give in to the ritual.

Maybe I could con one of the waiters into taking me to the airport in exchange for a hefty tip. I debated my limited choices, feeling entirely too uncomfortable at my own party. Maybe my father selling his soul meant I’d be plied with stocks and bonds. I rolled my eyes at the thought.

I needed air, some time to think alone and away from prying eyes. Any time now my mother would send some of her minions to find me. I slunk further into the darkness, making my way toward the greenhouse, one of my favorite places as a child. It had been a safe haven when my parents had been arguing, the aging structure hidden down a winding stone path through lush foliage. I’d made some of my best decisions from behind the frosted glass.

As I’d suspected, even the aging structure had been decorated with hundreds of twinkling white lights. I took a deep breath as I walked in, adoring the scents of herbs and flowers. For a few precious minutes, I was at peace.

As I made my way through the rows of wooden platforms, I could still envision my mother with her hands buried in the soil, humming one of her favorite tunes as she gave tender loving care to the same plant that she had done the day before.

I stopped in front of one of her favorite roses, the semi-dwarf variety a perfect soft kiss of pink, a color I absolutely loathed. As I bent over to take a glorious whiff, the hairs suddenly stood up on the back of my neck.

I wasn’t alone.

I was prepared to lash out at whoever had dared to follow me, but the intruder had already been here.

Very slowly I turned my head, catching a dimly highlighted silhouette standing near the rear of the greenhouse. While I wasn’t able to see his face, I managed to gather a sense of his physique; long legs and a sculpted chest, his jaw chiseled as if from the finest granite. As his exotic cologne wafted into my nostrils, the scent a bottled version of filth and sin, my nipples immediately hardened. I was shocked I had this kind of reaction to any man, especially one lurking in the darkness.

However, he was a long, tall drink of water. I bit back a slight moan, the reaction totally inappropriate. While it appeared that he was dressed for the party, the required tuxedo suiting his stunning physique, he could also be nothing more than one of the musicians or even security.

Except he had a glass of champagne in his hand, an air of utter domination riddling his subtle moves.

His appearance only pushed my instincts into hyper-drive. No one just happened on this little slice of heaven.

When he moved closer, taking his time while his gaze remained locked on my face, I refused to move away. He stopped within a few feet, taking a deep breath.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said casually, the tone of his voice wrapped in softness and velvet. While there was no accent, every word seemed practiced. I wouldn’t put it past my parents and their desire to keep me home by attempting to lure me with a gorgeous model as a date.

Or perhaps my future fiancé.

“You didn’t. Nothing frightens me.” The slight tremor in my voice pissed me off. I couldn’t rule out he could be here for nefarious intentions, including harming my father.