“Yes,” she pushed the word out with great effort.
Devlin stood abruptly and pulled her up. Her legs were weakening from the desire that reflected in his steady gaze. His hands ran up the length of her arms, stopping when he held her face and got her to look at him.
“One last chance to back out of this, Annalise.” The way he said her name almost had her moaning with pleasure.
What’s wrong with me? She had to mentally slap herself to reign in the strange power he held over her. Backing away, she broke contact with him and spoke with certainty, “Let’s announce it tomorrow at the gala.”
“If that’s what you want.” He indicated to the food on the table. “The meal is getting cold. Shall we eat?”
She gulped and nodded. One obstacle down.
Annalise’s heart pounded in her chest. She couldn’t help it. Devlin sat on his kitchen stool topless while she unwrapped new gauze and tape to dress his wound. The bullet wound was healing. She could see that the healing gel did a good job at clotting the blood and shrinking the opening to the point where a scab formed on top. There were no signs of internal bleeding, either. The surrounding area of the skin still looked sore, but that wasn’t what had her nerves in a ball.
He wouldn’t let her leave until she helped him dress his wound. According to Devlin, he was weak from blood loss, even though she doubted it. Yet, since she felt bad about lying to him, she chose to help him regardless.
In his seat, Devlin sat up straight for her to apply healing gel to the wound. She carefully spread it on the surface of his side, ignoring the butterflies that came with touching him. Her wild attraction to him made no sense in her mind. Was she in heat or something? Or was the lack of Mavel’s presence in her life driving her into the arms of another? She nibbled on her lower lip. How was she supposed to keep the act going if she fell for him?
Once she finished applying the gel, she moved her hand away. She placed the gauze against his side, tapping it with the other hand. Once she was done, she blew out a breath and grinned. “All done, partner. I…should get going.”
Devlin captured her hips, pulling her to stand between his legs. Their closeness was giving her ideas that were tormenting her self-control. She had an urge to run her hand through his hair, to lick his full lower lip, and kiss his broad chest. What is wrong with me? I barely know the guy! But you’re willing to fake an engagement with him…
“Kiss me,” he ordered, observing her reaction.
She felt naked in front of him. It was as if he could see right through her if he tried hard enough. Did he suspect something was amiss? If he knew, why hadn’t he asked for her reasons? “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We should start slow and get to know one another like normal people do.”
“I told you this before, Annalise. I don’t want to possess you as an object. I want your heart.” His hands travelled up her sides, stopping under her bra. “I can tell you’re not ready for this engagement. We should put the announcement date off—”
“No!” She covered her mouth. “What I mean is, we should announce it first and worry about getting to know each other later.”
His eyes narrowed. He didn’t seem to believe a word she said.
She planted her hands on his bare shoulders. His skin was smooth and the muscles beneath rippled when he moved to take her hands off him.
“We will do as you ask.” Devlin’s voice was cold while his eyes flared with suppressed anger.
She couldn’t figure out why he was mad at her. Wasn’t this engagement what he wanted from the get-go? Shouldn’t he be ecstatic and give her some slack instead of conducting an inquisition?
“Aren’t you happy?” she blurted out.
His expression softened. “Of course. I have wanted to be with you for a long time.”
His words seemed practised and a little hollow. The Devlin she knew wasn’t around by the looks of it. His usually relaxed appearance and charming smiles were on holiday today. The man who was before her had erected an emotional barrier, and she wasn’t one of the people invited to see his heart.
The silence between them was becoming uncomfortable. She remembered that she knew nothing about the company he was going to inherit. She needed to find out as much as possible to figure out why Falcon was eager to block him from succeeding.
“What’s the name of your mother’s company? What do they do?” she asked, creating some distance between them.
He started putting the medical supplies back into his first aid kit. “They do a bit of everything.”
She rested her hip against the kitchen counter. “Can you be a bit more specific?”
“The company has a few subsidiaries. Some of them work on Science projects, others on military weapon enhancements. There is also a department that deals directly with City Hall officials.”
Her eyes widened. That would explain why Falcon wanted to control a company like that. “You still haven’t given me the name of the company.”
“Why are you asking this?” His voice rose as he stood up. “Are you marrying me for money?”
She gaped at him. How shallow does he think I am? “I have never considered marrying you for money!”
“Shall we sign a prenuptial agreement?” He looked down at her, awaiting her response.
Her cheeks turned red with her outrage. Some of it slipped through the cracks, and her hand flew across his face. She grabbed her jacket off the back of the sofa and headed for the front door, all the while cursing him under her breath.
As she was about to reach the door, he grasped her by the arm, drawing her to a halt. “I will pick you up at six tomorrow for the gala.”
She glared at him and yanked her arm out of his grip. “There’s no need. I’ll drive there myself.”
20
The Pink Diamond Rose
Annalise was beginning to regret telling her father about the engagement. Since she got home, her mother had showed up and was all over her, asking her opinion on wedding dresses and flower preferences for the reception. To Regina Storm, the world had to be a simple place. She only had to look good while standing next to her husband. To Annalise, this engagement was the same as having a noose tied around her neck. It slowly tightened with every lie and false smile she had to construct.
Monique arrived for dinner, and Annalise couldn’t be happier about the distraction. She hugged her friend close. “I’m so happy you are here!” Annalise added in a whisper, “My mother is driving me insane.”
“I can imagine.” Monique flashed a smile as Regina came out of the bedroom. The two women hugged, even though Annalise could tell that her mother had apprehensions about Monique. Because her friend wasn’t born in the Golden District, she wasn’t important enough to hang out with Annalise. Every time her mother or father had mentioned Monique in the past, they referred to her as ‘that girl from Silver’ rather than by her name.
Her mother separated from Monique quickly and waved. “I am going home to arrange our clothes for tomorrow’s gala. You are going to get the spotlight you deserve, dear.”
Annalise cringed. She didn’t want to be the centre of attention or stand anywhere near it. The politicians and their wives who would be in attendance at the City Hall gala would judge her every move, smile, and twitch. If she wanted to seem happy about this arrangement, she had to lie to herself first.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Annalise said, giving her mother a parting kiss. She walked with Monique to the living area where she collapsed onto the nearby sofa.
Monique raised a brow and took a seat opposite her. “What’s wrong? Is losing your case that stressful for you?”
Annalise shook her head. “I’m getting engaged to Devlin Madoc.”
Her friend erupted out of her seat and rushed to give her a tight hug. Excitement lit her green eyes. “I’m so happy for you!” She paused long enough to take in Annalise’s reaction. “But…you don’t seem happy about it. Is your family making you do this?”
Ann
alise chuckled. For once, her parents weren’t the cause of her misery. “No. I chose to go through with it.”
“Why the long face?” Monique tugged on her right cheek until Annalise smiled at the childish gesture.
“I’m okay.” After briefly scanning her entrance hall, she looked back to her friend. “Where’s your bodyguard?”
“David? He’s waiting in the car. I told him that my conversations with you are going to remain private from now on and that you would protect me with your body.”
“Really?”
Monique laughed. “No. I said I wanted some girl time. Having him around me day and night is…strange. I can see why you fell for Mavel.”
Annalise grasped her hand, saying, “Are you falling for him?”
“I—” Monique cleared her throat and glanced out the balcony window at the dark night beyond. She pulled her hand back and made her way to the sliding glass door. “I don’t know what I feel. He is so different to Aaron.”
“You know this conversation can’t leave this room,” Annalise warned her. “He is modded.”
A heavy sigh left Monique’s lips. “I’m not going to act on my desires. I may like him, but it doesn’t mean I would sacrifice everything I have to be with him. My parents fought tooth and nail to get to where they are today. I can’t destroy their hard work. Marrying Aaron will give my father’s business the stability and support it needs.” She stared blankly at the twinkling city lights beyond the pane. “I’m doing the right thing, aren’t I?”
Annalise rubbed her tightening chest. She couldn’t tell her friend what was right and what wasn’t. The position she was in was painfully similar and different at the same time. At least, Monique had a choice. Now that Falcon was involved in Annalise’s life, her freedom had become a luxury. “I know that this will sound hypocritical of me, but I think you’re making the right choice. You don’t know David well enough. Maybe he doesn’t feel the same way about you. If you sacrifice your life for him, and he doesn’t love you back, you’ll be left with nothing.”
“I know.” Monique blinked her tears away. “Sometimes, I wonder if it’s them who have more freedom than us. With the segregation laws in place, I feel like our choices are becoming more limited as the days go by. Purebloods marrying purebloods will only shrink our genetic pool. We won’t be able to evolve.”
“You sound like a scientist.”
“I used to enjoy studying when I was at school. I still do, and I think limiting ourselves to a single subject for the rest of our lives is pointless, especially when there are so many wonderful and mysterious things we can be learning about.”
Annalise got up and looked at the view of Divinity with Monique from the balcony. The cold air made her wrap her arms around her middle, but she didn’t care to go back inside. She wanted to feel alive, and the winter’s chill helped. A snowflake landed on her face, and she lifted her head. It had been thirty years since Divinity had last seen proper snowfall. The global temperatures in the twenty-second century spiked to the point where the water levels rose, drowning the coastal cities. The planet had only recently started recovering. And since then, people focused on hydro and solar-powered systems, reducing the world’s emissions in half. It was one of the reasons why genetic modification boomed in the first place. Humans sought a way to evolve and adapt to the changes. Yet, due to their ignorance and lack of acceptance, they couldn’t agree on anything and the world fell apart in a long bloodshed between the modded and purebloods.
“It’s snowing…” Monique commented with wide eyes.
Annalise let out a soft laugh. “Do you think an apocalypse is coming?”
“Hmm, I better kidnap David and hide him in my closet until he tells me he likes me back.”
Outstretching her hand, Annalise caught a snowflake that fell on her skin and instantly melted. She often looked at the photos of the old on her terminal where snow covered entire towns. Some mounds were as tall as people. She wished she could experience something like that, but even in the North, most of the ice and snow had long since melted. Humans were not allowed to go there to help reduce the amount of pollution and preserve the environment. “Do you think it will get cold enough to cover the ground?”
Monique pursed her lips in thought. “It would be quite a sight if it did.”
“Agreed.”
Her friend pulled her back indoors, saying, “We’ll catch a cold if we stay out there. Instead of the weather forecast, why don’t you talk to me about your future fiancé?”
Annalise’s happiness bled away, and she shuffled to the kitchen where she made herself and Monique some hot chocolate. “He is nice, I guess…”
“Nice?” Monique slid onto a bar stool. She rested her chin on her palm, smirking. “I heard he’s hot.”
A blush covered Annalise’s face. “He’s a little good-looking, yes.”
“Oh, so Mavel wins on looks, too?”
“Mavel is…” Annalise lowered her gaze to the cup she was stirring with a silver spoon. “He’s not coming back.”
Monique patted her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You are the only person I can talk to about this without having to come up with excuses. My parents would sew my mouth shut if they knew about us or send me to some wellness centre outside the city to recover. He was the only other friend I had in this world. It’s”—her voice cracked as she finished the sentence—“hard to be without him.”
“Isn’t there a way to clear his name? I know Mavel. He’s not the type to kill some politician at a charity ball.”
Annalise nodded. “He was set up.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No. There is a lot going on that I can’t talk about.”
Monique scowled at her. “I’m a police officer, too. You can’t keep this from me.”
“It’s not something I can go around telling people about, even to those close to me.” She grasped Monique’s hands and squeezed them. “I can’t risk anyone else getting involved. But I promise, when I need your help, I’ll tell you right away.”
“By then, it might be too late…”
The following day came faster than Annalise wanted it to. Jamen had called her earlier that morning, asking if she had heard anything else from Mr X. It was nice to know that someone was on her side in the department. Without her co-workers backing her, she had no idea if she would be able to remain calm. She assured him that other than the announcement, the Falcon guy hadn’t said a word to her. So, they decided to wait and see how the events unfold after the gala.
Dressed in a red floor-length lace gown, she looked in the mirror. Yet another event she had to attend with people who cared more about pretences than what truly went on in Divinity. Her raven locks had been carefully arranged in an updo with a golden hair stick holding it together. Regina had also given her enough golden jewellery with rubies that it weighed heavily on her neck and earlobes. Tiny diamonds that surrounded the drop-shaped gems sparkled in her bedroom light.
The door to her room opened, and Devlin entered in a black tuxedo that fit his muscular frame perfectly. Tonight, he was the definition of the word temptation. Everything from his tailored attire to his confident stride spoke of power and assertive personality. Any other woman would be falling at his feet and begging him to take her to bed.
She huffed a greeting, adding, “I thought we agreed to meet at City Hall.”
“Your mother let me in before leaving with William, and I couldn’t let my fiancé arrive alone. People would talk,” he countered.
She accepted his explanation. The gossipers at the City Hall would have a field day if they came in separately, suggesting that they were headed for a divorce before they got to the altar.
He stopped next to her and reached into his inner pocket, producing a small velvet box. Opening it, he took out a ring with a large pink diamond in a shape of a rose nestled in the middle of it.
Her hand trembled when he took it and slipp
ed the ring onto her wedding finger. He lifted her hand, kissing the back of it lovingly.
“Do you like it?” he asked, smiling.
Annalise moved away from him and balled her hands at her sides. This situation wasn’t a mere nightmare she couldn’t wake from. After tonight, there was no more going back. Although it was a fake engagement on her part, he seemed pleased with the idea. It broke her heart, knowing that he had feelings for her while she had to pretend to be content.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you,” she said and tucked her hands behind her back.
Devlin gave her a once over, taking in her formal attire. His beatific smile released more butterflies into her stomach that mingled with her nerves. “Not as beautiful as you are tonight. I will have trouble fighting off men who wish to dance with you.”
“I assure you, I won’t be dancing.” She started heading for the door. “We should—”
He caught her hand, pulling her back into his arms. Her bare back warmed when he pressed it against his chest. His breath tickled her neck as he bent down to kiss it.
She shivered and gasped for air in surprise when his lips connected with her skin. Goosebumps covered her legs and arms. She was tempted to rub them away, but couldn’t break out of the paralysing spell he had put her under. As his mouth travelled down to her collarbone, she unconsciously let out a soft moan.
His arm tightened around her waist, holding her closer to him as if he wanted to merge their bodies together. In that moment, she would have permitted him to do anything to her. She couldn’t fight the truth that was in front of her anymore. She had developed feelings for him, despite her trying not to. Their attraction was undeniable, and she wanted him to touch her more.
Devlin stopped kissing her and whispered into her ear, “I want to make you mine.”
Her voice came out strained. “As opposed to someone else’s?”
His chuckle vibrated his chest and, in turn, reverberated through her. He let her go and offered his arm. “Let us go and meet with the boring old men and their loquacious wives.”
Case: 1: A Dystopian Mystery (Annalise Storm Chronicles Book 2) Page 15
