Taken_ A Dark Mafia Romance - Piper Stone Page 0,17

intense connection. I could still feel his heated gaze sliding down across my provocative dress.

Maybe this night wouldn’t turn out but so horribly.

Roberto led me past the majority of guests, making certain after every few steps that I was still behind him. When he opened the outside door leading directly into my father’s office, my hackles were completely raised. Inside my parents stood, already arguing and it was early in the evening.

“There you are,” my mother said softly, wringing her hands as she walked toward me. “We were going to have to start the ceremony without you.”

The same fear remained in her eyes and it was obvious she’d already been drinking. My skin began to crawl. I had been right in my assumptions.

“What the hell did you think you were doing?” my father demanded, his expression filled with anger. “And what are you wearing? You look like a slut!”

“Donovan!” my mother chastised. “Darling, we purchased the right dress for tonight.”

“The right dress? I looked like a bride in a grotesque movie.” Anger began to seep into every pore.

“You dishonored your mother and your family! You had no right.” My father spewed the words, his face beet red.

“I was taking a walk, enjoying the night. You certainly never mentioned some kind of ceremony. What aren’t you telling me?” I heard the demand in my voice and knew it would piss off my father even more. Another wave of nausea settled in, the sounds of the music and laughter sickening. I refused to back down. The least they could do was tell me the truth.

He cursed under his breath, rubbing his eyebrow as he paced the floor once again.

“Just tell her, Donovan. We’ve allowed her too many freedoms for far too long.” My mother’s voice had become exasperated. “That has to stop. She must understand what is expected of her. We should never have allowed her to believe she could be anything else.”

“Freedoms? Expectations? Oh, my God. What have you kept from me?” A buzzing echoed in my head, the old memories becoming fresh all over again. I wanted to run far away but I sensed Roberto remained hovering by the door, ready to catch me in case I did.

The Box...

The two words were whispered in my mind.

My father tossed back the rest of his drink and said nothing, his face flushed from anger.

“What?” I hissed, wanting nothing more than to goad him, to see if he would dare tell me the truth. “This isn’t really about my birthday at all. Is it, Father? You planned an entirely different event. Tell me what the hell is going on. Or are you afraid that the sect will have stolen your soul if you do?”

“Don’t you dare raise your voice to me. I am still your father.” He pointed his finger, his chest heaving from his fury. “This is a requirement!”

“Stop. Just stop it!” my mother finally snapped. “We didn’t plan this. I mean not this way. We did want to make your birthday special. We were hoping that no one remembered, but... But they did.” She looked away, her face sagging.

“Then who planned this, Mother?” I inched closer, trying to keep my cool. “Who? Who did you bow down to?”

“The Sacred Sect!” As soon as she issued the words, a tear slipped past her lashes. Her lower lip quivered as she searched my eyes. Her fear had shifted into utter terror. “It will be all right. You’ll see. You can still live your life. Whatever is inside the Box is going to be very special for my perfect little girl.”

Truth confirmed.

My life was about to be over.

“What a crock of shit. All these years you pretended that the sect didn’t matter. I should have known better.” I was able to get the words out without stuttering. “What did the Council promise you, Father? Wealth beyond your imagination?”

“How dare you,” my father hissed.

“Leave her alone, Donovan. It’s our fault for not making certain she understood the requirements sooner.”

Requirements. I huffed as I shook my head.

“It’s your twenty-fourth birthday, Winter. You are required by the blood oath to open your Box.” All the anger had drained from my father’s voice, only resignation remaining. “You must accept what you find, no matter what is asked of you. That is a requisite. You will do that for your family. Period.”

The sect’s requirements. Perhaps I’d blocked out the information that all children had been taught very early on. Or perhaps my parents had attempted to shelter me from