tradition was a true gift.
Not this time.
“Go on. People are waiting,” her father hissed under his breath and I could have sworn her reply was in the nature of ‘fuck you.’ I chuckled at the thought. She was one hellion who I would enjoy taming.
She was incensed, her anger level increasing with each passing second. When she finally opened the lid, there wasn’t a single sound coming from anyone. She stared at the purple tissue paper, her mouth twisting.
“Go on, honey. Everyone is waiting,” her mother encouraged, trying to smile for all the cameras in the room.
A smirk crossed Winter’s face as she peeled away the papers, giving Christian a hateful look before lifting the first item into view. The beautiful necklace was a duplicate of the one she was already wearing, the gorgeous large ruby sparkling in the shimmering lights. Her hand floated to her neck, her breath skipping as she eased it gingerly onto the table.
I should have recognized who she was by the necklace alone. Every family had a particular crest of sorts, the jewelry handcrafted by specialized artisans, every item catalogued and kept in a safe in the chambers of the Council.
The oohs and aahs coming from the crowd were a mix of shock and awe, the expensive trinket undoubtedly worth a small fortune.
“Continue,” her father instructed, his tone gruff.
She eased a second velvet bag into her fingers, fumbling as she pulled apart the ribbon. I shook my head as she pulled out a wad of cash. Next were additional pieces of jewels and what appeared to be a deed to either a house or perhaps some land. Her parents were tight-lipped, her mother on the verge of fainting.
When Winter pulled a sealed brown envelope from the bottom, she tossed it aside, laughing. “I’m finished with this. I refuse to follow this horrible tradition. This isn’t my life.”
The hard slap given by her father shocked the hell out of all of us, the crowd gasping. I advanced without hesitation, yanking his arm away and wrestling him to the ground.
Several exclamations and mild screams erupted, the sound of the hard thud of his body hitting the ground echoing in my ears.
“If you touch her again, I will kill you.” My words reverberated throughout the room, the guests once again gasping in horror.
“That’s enough,” Christian hissed.
“Only if he apologizes,” I countered.
Donovan appeared shaken, blinking several times. When he wrapped his hand around my throat, Christian and the hulking mass of a man who’d stood behind the family intervened even though I attempted to wave them off.
“I suggest you let go of me, Mr. O’Brien.”
“Don’t, Donny. Don’t. Please. This is a celebration,” her mother screeched.
Grumbling under his breath, Donovan removed his hold, throwing his hands in the air. “You don’t understand.” His whisper was strangled.
“I think we do, Donovan. Everything is going to be all right. Winter is just shell-shocked right now,” Christian stated, keeping his tone even.
“I’m not shell-shocked, Mr. Capodanno. I’m angry. Furious. Fuck all of you,” Winter countered.
Christian and the other man helped Donovan to his feet. To Mr. O’Brien’s credit, he smoothed down his tuxedo jacket then walked toward her, lifting his hand.
Immediately, I inched closer even though Christian waved me away.
“Let him be,” he said under his breath.
“My promise remains,” I huffed, giving Winter a slight nod before stepping away. When she caught my gaze, her entire body stiffened, her eyes lighting up with fire.
From the same lust as before.
And from rage.
Donovan seemed to collect himself then pressed his hand on her shoulder. “I want what’s best for you, baby. I always have. This is a part of our life. You have no idea what’s inside that envelope. None of us do. Please, just open it. This is a beautiful celebration of all your hard work and your life. That’s all that matters.”
Whether or not Winter was simply resigned or had accepted her fate, she offered her father a smile. I could hear the collective sigh of everyone at the party. This was a crock of shit.
She was stiff as she returned to the table, holding the envelope for a full ten seconds before peeling away the seal and reaching inside. The smile on her face changed, her eyes glassing over as she began to laugh.
“What does it say, darling?” her mother asked cautiously.
“It says that I am to be married.” Winter laughed softly.
The news had exactly the kind of reaction that I was certain Christian was hoping for. The various sect members were