After years of waiting and plotting, Charlotte Davis now belongs to me.
I’m surprised by how easily I could convince her father to give her up. With a little bit of pushing and the obvious threat to his life, he surrendered her as if it were no big deal.
But it is to me. She’s my little treasure to keep and use however I see fit.
A long time ago, at her father’s wedding, that girl stole my heart … and then stomped on it with her two-thousand dollar high heels a few years later.
I’ll prove to her how good I can be. I can’t fucking wait to get my hands all over her. I wonder if anyone’s touched her, if she’s kissed a man before … if she’s still a virgin.
That was one of the deal breakers for me, and her father knows this, so I hope he was right when he said he’s kept her away from other men for most of her life. It’s unfortunate I could only get to her after so much time had passed. I would’ve stolen her away from that wretched man long ago if I could have, but I simply didn’t have the leverage then that I do now.
And she will know the power I’ve accumulated.
A simple glance her way makes her cower in fear as she sits next to me in my car. She’s still looking at me like I’m the devil incarnate.
Sweet, innocent, gullible Charlotte … she doesn’t even know how lucky she is. There’s nothing to fear. I’ll treat her like the princess she thinks she is, and then I’ll make her grovel and beg me to pluck her cherry. Will she taste sweet or sour? I can’t fucking wait to find out.
But first, we need to eat. I’m famished. I haven’t eaten anything since I got off the plane. I had to come all the way from the Netherlands to the United States just to claim my end of the deal … her.
And now that I have her, I can’t wait to take her back to my home and ravage her night after night. But we should fill our stomachs first because we have a long trip ahead of us.
When the car parks outside the restaurant, I clear my throat and wait until she looks at me. She hasn’t spoken a word since I forced her into the car, but I’m sure she has a lot of questions.
I haven’t decided whether I’ll answer them, but she hasn’t even tried to ask any. Maybe she’ll loosen up once we’ve eaten. I’m sure she’s hungry as it looked like her father didn’t give her anything to eat.
“We’re here,” I say. “Let’s eat.”
I step out of the car and lock it before going to the other side and opening it up for her. I told the driver to stay inside at all times because I want him available and ready to go. I also want to make sure she doesn’t go anywhere should she try to run.
He knows not to mess with me, just like all my other staff. They’ve been trained from the start to be quiet and respect my authority. It’s the only way they get paid their ample salary and ensure their families remain safe.
Threats always work to get what I want, and I don’t fucking regret any of them. I’ve worked too hard for my wealth and power to let anyone touch it. I don’t care what anyone thinks of that. I take what I want, and I own it. Fully. Completely. Just like her.
I don’t want her because it’s her, because she’s so witty, or charming, or cute.
No, I want her so I can control her. So I can use her for my every desire and make her bend to my will. I’ll flaunt her submission in her father’s face as the ultimate revenge.
Fuck, I can’t wait to see the tears on that fucker’s face.
It was already magnificent seeing their eyes connect the moment he gave her away, how her face turned white with betrayal and his filled with wrenching guilt. I could have come right there and then just from watching her squirm.
Yes, I’m an evil son of a bitch, but I don’t care.
That man made me into the monster I am today.
Because of him, my father is dead … and he will pay.
Licking my lips, I glare at her sitting in the car. Her legs are crossed, and her arms are folded as she gazes out the other window where I was just seated only seconds ago. She can avoid me all she wants, but sooner or later, she’s gonna have to come to terms with what her father did. What he gave away—his supposed precious little girl—is now mine to seduce and possess.
“Are you gonna get out?” I ask.
“No,” she hisses.
“Do you want me to drag you like I did in that restaurant?” I narrow my eyes. “Because I will if I have to.”
She sighs and then steps out, bumping into me rudely. I know she’s trying to prove a point, but it doesn’t faze me. She’ll do exactly what I ask her to do because my threats aren’t just threats … I follow through. And I think she knows that right about now.
I hold out my arm in an attempt to remain civil, and she reluctantly takes it. Still, she refuses to even look at me. It’s okay … we’ll get to that part later when she’s on her knees.
I lean in sideways until my lips graze her ears. “Do not try to escape or talk to anyone. It will get you killed.” Her fingers dig into my skin as I speak the words. “If you behave, I’ll treat you right,” I whisper.
She sucks in a sharp breath. “What are we going to do?”
Isn’t the answer obvious? I don’t know why she asks. “Eat.”
“And then what?” The arrogance in her voice amuses me.
“You’ll see,” I murmur, the corners of my mouth tipping up. “Come.”
I lead her into the restaurant and toward a table, then gesture for her to sit down across from me on a comfy leather couch. It’s a high-end establishment, unlike where we were with her father. I wanted it to serve as a nice contrast of what I can offer as opposed to what he’s given her all these years.
“Do you like the place?” I ask, unfolding a napkin.
“No,” she says bluntly. “When will you let me go?”
I laugh. “Really, Charlotte? You’re already talking about freedom?” I shake my head. “We haven’t even gotten our food yet. Let’s eat first, and then we can talk.”
“No, let’s talk now,” she says, sitting back with her arms crossed again in defiance. “Did you seriously think I’d accept this?”
“As a matter of fact, yes,” I say, clearing my throat when the waiter arrives with two plates of giant lobster. “Thank you.”
She ignores her food completely, focusing only on me. “What did my father promise you?”
“You,” I reply, cutting into my lobster to take a bite.
“He’d never agree to that up front,” she hisses. “I don’t believe it.”
“Maybe he did, or maybe he didn’t. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re here now, and that you’re mine.”
“I don’t belong to anyone,” she replies, staring down at her lobster as if it’s poisonous.
“We’re not leaving until you eat that,” I say, pointing at her food.
“I don’t care.”
“Would you say the same if your father died?”
Her eyes widen. I knew she’d still have a weak spot for him.
Oh, Charlotte … you’re too sweet and gullible. That old rat has used you, and now he’s thrown you to the wolves, and you still care about him. It’s admirable … but stupid.
“Is that it? That’s what you’re going to dangle over my head?” she asks, resentment showing in her eyes.
Yes. Yes, I fucking am. Because my father died for hers. And I will hold the Davis family accountable.
“If you give me no choice, then I will.” I add a smile to be nice because I honestly want to be. Sometimes I can be. But not right now because she needs to learn her place first.
“Great,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“Look at it this way … you get to save a life,” I say.
“By sacrificing my own,” she replies through gritted teeth.
“I promise you I’ll make it worthwhile. You’ll like it so much you won’t ever want to leave.” Oh, how I’ll make it worth her while.
“You’re sick,” she snarls, turning her head away.
“Maybe or maybe I’m just infatuated with you,” I say. Though she is right … on some levels, I can be a sick, twisted bastard. “But it’s not me who caused this; it’s you.”
“How? What did I do to deserve this?”
“You know what you did,” I growl. “Now eat your lobster.”
After I raise my brow, she reluctantly cuts off a piece and stuffs it into her mouth. It takes her a while to swallow, but I watch her every movement and relish the moment she does. It makes me think of all the dirty things I’ll make her do when we’re alone.
“Why did my father need your money? He could’ve picked anyone who didn’t have such an outrageous counteroffer,” she suddenly says. “Why you?”
I look up, confused. “He didn’t tell you?”
Her nostrils flare as if she’s angry with me for her father not talking to her. But that’s never been different, and she’s ignorant if she can’t see that. “No,” she replies. “He never included me in his decision-making about the company.”
I finish the last bit of my lobster, and say, “The other investors all lost their money. Your father’s company went bankrupt.”
Her eyes widen. “Bankrupt?”
I’m guessing he never told her that either. “His wife stole everything. But I want assurance that I get my investment back.”
“So I’m the bond …” she says, gazing at her lobster as if it’s staring straight back at her.
“Yes, Charlotte. But I never wanted anything else but you.”
“As what? A wife?” she jests as she stabs a piece of lobster with her fork and swallows it down.
But this is no laughing matter. I’m serious. Dead serious. And when she realizes I’m not laughing with her, her pupils dilate, and her face turns completely white.
After she swallows, I reply, “Yes. You’ll become my wife.”
