“Maria?” I look at my brother. I hadn't realized I was staring at my food, the food I've hardly touched. I don't have much of an appetite lately. “Is there anything you'd like to say?”
I shake my head. There's nothing I want to say right now. Other than, go fuck yourself, I'm not marrying this pig, and I don't care what you do. However, I don't say any such a thing. “If I'm no longer needed, could I go outside for some air? I'm feeling a little hot.”
“Are you all right?” Draven eyebrows knit together slightly.
“Fine. Just need some air.”
“Go.” I thank him and leave the room without a word to Jovanni. I need to get out of here for a few minutes. I need to try and clear my head.
However, even in this vast garden filled with flowers and garden furniture, garden ornaments, and water features, I can't find anything bright in my world.
I slump down on the stone bench next to the rose bushes and sigh. “I wish you were here, Mama,” I say to the sky. I do wish she was here. She died when I was twelve, of a heart attack. She was so young, too young to die like that, not even forty-two years old.
My mother was beautiful, classically so. She reminded me of a dark haired Jayne Mansfield. She was always impeccably dressed, and she never left the house unless her hair was styled beautifully, her body was always waxed to perfection. I never saw her without makeup or a smile on her face. How my father managed to get her to fall for him once was beyond me, let alone twice. My father was handsome in his own right, but he was no George Clooney. Plus, he was so very mean to her all the time. She could have done so much better.
We were close, my mother and me. I loved spending time with her, loved the makeup and fashion lessons she gave me. She taught me so much about being a perfect young lady, one my brother and father could be proud of. I can't help but wonder if she's ashamed of me up there, because I know she's in heaven, she was too good to go anywhere else.
I close my now wet eyes and let the tears fall, and the sobs escape me. I miss my mother so much that I can't cope without her. I need her here to tell me how to get through this. This whole mess is my fault, and I will do what's expected of me, but my brain is fried, and I can't hold myself up as much as I try.
I hear a rustling near the wall that leads to the outer grounds. It's not an overly high wall, maybe eight-foot, but there are always guards stationed outside of it. It must be one of them.
However, the noise is getting louder. My heart is beating a little faster. I should go inside and tell Draven in case there's an intruder, but I can't seem to force my feet to move. Why can't I move? I can't even get any noise to come out of my mouth!
I hear an oof sound as someone falls to the ground. They jumped over the wall! I wish it were lighter so I could see who it was. Even though I'm scared right now, I'm wondering if maybe whomever, it is will kidnap me and take me the hell away from here.
What the hell am I thinking? I do not want to be kidnapped, no matter how much my life might suck right now!
Oh, God, he's coming closer!
I turn to run, but arms encircle my waist, lifting me off the ground. I try to scream, but a hand slams over my mouth. I'm so scared. I should've run when I first heard the nose. I know not to linger when I sense danger. Always trust your instincts, your gut feeling. Why the hell didn't I run?
I scream behind his hand while struggling to get away from him. I don't want him to hurt my baby; I just want to go inside to my brother where I'm safe.
Oh shit, my heart is racing in fear.
Please let me get out of this in one piece. Please don't let this man hurt my baby and me. I'll do what Draven wants me to do, and I won't complain ever again. I promise.
“Shh, baby. Calm down it's me. It's Jett.” Jett? I instantly calm and go slack in his arms. I can smell him all of a sudden, that woodsy, manly scent that had me falling for him in the first place.
“I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk. Okay?” I nod my head, and he removes his hand from my mouth.
I turn to face him, and it's really him, Jett. The father of my baby, the man I've been dreaming about all these weeks.
He strokes my face with his big hand, and it feels so good to have him touch me. “You can't be here, Jett. Draven will kill you.”
“I don't care about Draven, Maria. All I care about it making sure you're okay.”
As sweet as that is, I'm scared something bad is about to happen. “I'm fine.” I look behind myself for a second to make sure no one is coming before looking back to Jett. “You have to go it's not safe here.”
“You've lost weight,” Both his hands come around my face, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs. He's not even listening to me. “I know this is hard on you, but you have to take care of yourself, princess.”
“I'm trying. It's not easy, though. I had to meet my future husband this evening, and I hate him already.”
“He's not going to be your husband, Maria. Trust me. I'm not going to let it happen.”
“You can't stop this.” A tear falls from my eye. When he's close to me like this, I can't think straight. He clouds my mind much like he did the night we slept together. “I'm getting married next week. Oh, Jett!” I wail.
He grabs me and pulls me into his strong arms, and I melt into him, nuzzling his big chest. If only I could hold onto him and never let go. “I don't want you to worry about anything, princess. I'm going to fix everything.” He strokes my hair softly, and it's soothing, so much so, my eyes are getting heavy.
“I wish I could be with you tonight.” Damn, where the hell did that come from?
“Is there no way you could sneak out?” I shake my head. There's no way on earth I could do that. “I best go. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Okay,” I say with little effort. “Will I see you again?”
“Have no fear, baby, you'll see me again.” I nod while forcing myself away from his big body. “Try not to worry.” He winks at me, and I can't help but smile, and then I moan the second his lips hit mine. I didn't expect it, but I won't deny it.
Sliding my hands around his neck and into his hair, I pull him closer to me. His hands slide around my body, over my ass and back up over my spine. I'm groaning into his mouth, shamelessly rocking my hips against the monster erection through his jeans, and I feel the same fire I felt within me as the night he first took me. Oh god, I want him so badly.
He pulls away from the kiss but rests his forehead against mine, one hand on my stomach, and I smile. This is what it's supposed to feel like, natural. I know he's not in love with me, but he wants to be there for me, to marry me, to take care of our child. I know I could be ha
ppy with him. I could fall in love with him and be happy for the rest of my life.
Of course, there's the worry that he might cheat and find pleasure with other women, but I'd be so good to him that he wouldn't need other women. I could love him so well he'd be falling in love with me faster than the breeze blows through the trees in a storm.
“See you soon, beautiful.”
“See you soon,” I fold my arms around myself and watch him scale the wall like a profession ninja, his huge size not making it difficult for him to move quickly. I giggle to myself because he holds himself on top of the wall for a second and winks at me before dropping to the ground below.
“Maria!”
I'm coming, big brother.
Chapter Eight
Jett
I chuckle all the way back to the clubhouse. I have no fucking clue how I got over that wall without being caught, but I had to see her. It'd been three goddamn weeks. I was going crazy, and after what Avery told me the other day about Maria admitting she wanted to be with me, how she sobbed in her arms, well, I can't give up yet.
I didn't even think about what I'd do if Vidal's men caught me jumping over that wall, all I thought about was getting over the wall and then the conservatory to reach her bedroom window. I was going to sneak in and wait for her. If she was already there, I was going to hold her and tell her not to give up hope, that very soon things will be okay. However, she wasn't in her room she was standing there staring into the darkness, scared because she couldn't see who was coming towards her.
She melted into me when I held her close. Moaned into my mouth when I kissed her. Won't lie, my fucking cock was rock hard just being near her and breathing the same damn air. She smelt so good, felt so good in my arms.
I promised her everything would be okay. However, the truth is, I have no idea if things will ever be okay. As far as I know, Draven is adamant that Maria is going to marry one of his men to save her honor or some bullshit like that. His honor more like. Of course, I've spoken to Hammer a couple of times to see if he can talk some sense into Draven. Because let's face it, this is total fuckin' madness!