Until Her - Ami Van Page 0,58
seed spilling out.
Before his dick takes over again, he reaches back to the nightstand for the key to the restraints. He goes through the steps of freeing her wrists, pulling off her blindfold when she rubs her wrists to get the circulation going again.
“What’s that?” she asks when she sees him opening the velvet box.
Her brows furrow when she sees him pull out the string of pearls. He doesn’t speak a word but pulls her to a sitting position by the arm. He doesn’t breathe a word until the pearls are around her neck.
“You’re mine, Ariana. This never comes off.”
“Adam—”
“Is that understood?” he cuts her off.
She nods silently but he sees the dark red flush creeping over her already flushed body. The pearls stand out against her skin. It’s a beautiful contrast. Her fingers brush over the beads like a feather dusting something sacred.
He lies down beside her, gathering her into the crook of his arm against his side before she can see the grin forming on his face. Call him an idiot but he’s never done this before and he’s blushing like a damn teenager again. She didn’t need to see that. Not if he wants his ego to survive.
“Isabella—” she starts after a moment of silence.
He knew she hadn’t fallen asleep but didn’t think this was on her mind after their mindblowing sex.
“Inconsequential,” he cuts her off before her thoughts run away with her.
She tenses for a second and then she takes the ball and runs with it.
“No, Adam. She’s not. This is a big deal. This effects many people.”
Never has he been more proud of a woman talking back to him than at this moment. She trusts him. She’s growing, getting stronger. She’s…living.
“It’s keeping up appearances, Ariana. We have to play along until we figure a way out of this. Isabella is insignificant because she’s just a pawn. She thinks too highly of herself to realize that.”
“But…isn’t it most families’ goal to be able to get into the circle,” she asks. “It…it would be a big step for the Kings.”
He sighs.
“It’s something we’ve never strived for. We started from the bottom too, Ari. And we’ve earned our way here. I’ve shed blood and so have each of my brothers. We didn’t work this hard to have to work for someone else. Our goal is to stay answering to no one.”
“I see,” she replies. “You must be afraid of what they’ll do to you and your family. Just like I’m afraid of what Isabella will do to me when she finds out…about us.”
“I won’t spare any resources to protect you, Ari. Things are complicated right now but it won’t always be like this.”
Another promise. He’s making yet another promise to her.
She remains silent so he continues.
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown, pet. It’s not just me I have to worry about. It’s my brothers too. It’s my daughter and my nephew. Go against one Don and it could turn into all of them. Go with this arrangement and it means that the empire we built for our future is now being handed over to someone else to control.”
“But you are all Kings, all four of you,” she replies. “I don’t know how all of the famiglias work and I’m not trying to talk you into…keeping me. But…The Five have to know that even if you choose to marry Isabella, you still have three other brothers who do not want to…join their circle. All of your brothers seem to have the strength to take a stand.”
“We all have our strengths and weaknesses,” he replies.
“I don’t believe that. Not even Stella seems weak. She’s the sweetest person and if it weren’t for her, I’d be dead.”
He sighs again, his walls fading to nothingness.
“Derrick is fearless. He’s been the shield for this family since we stepped into this life. He’d take a bullet for any of us without hesitation. His strength is us, as a family. He knows that we’d carry on and take care of each other with or without him. He is lucky to have found Stella who embraces his fearlessness and has just as much ferocity of her own. Don’t let her outer valley girl fool you.
“I, on the other hand, am the opposite of my twin.”
She remains quiet for him to continue.
“My family is my weakness. I have to focus on keeping us on top because that’s where we have the greatest vantage point. My greatest fear and weakness is losing them…any one of them.