“Yes. I love it, actually,” I answered truthfully, my smile emerging despite my nagging stress.
“Good.” His smirk deepened as he allowed his gaze to drag over me, but not in a sexual way. It was more like he was attempting to get a read on my personality. “I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know the first thing about being a husband, but I’ll do my best to spoil you rotten, and make sure you have whatever you need.”
Unable to think of an adequate vocal reply, I nodded. He was offering me more than any of the men I had dated through the years. All they had offered me was mediocre sex and the failure to commit.
Rumor had it, the Vallin men had earned the name “animals” because of the savage way they attacked their enemies or prey before they dragged them off to destroy them. Although, I sensed hints of the dangerous edge Arjen possessed, I wasn’t picking up the sort of brute savagery that was associated with the Vallin name. Maybe he knew how to hide the most brutal part of his personality.
He sprang the door open to a foyer and stepped aside so that I could enter the house first. He had good manners, a quality I appreciated in him. I took in the recessed lighting and a large fresco of colorfully splashed paint on a glossy black canvas hanging on the wall. I followed him as he continued the extended introduction into his life, snatching glimpses at what would become my home.
“I don’t want you to feel like you’re being imprisoned, but because of my place in the organization, you will always have a guard with you wherever you go. Once word gets out that you’re married to me…” he paused, shaking his head. A deep sigh followed, plunging him deeper in thinking mode.
“Once they find you’ve married me, they are going to attempt to take you, kill you, rape you, or torture you to get at me. It’s one of the reasons I’ve never considered a serious relationship before now.”
His detailed updates about the dangers that sat waiting in my future, destroyed the small traces of ease I had forced on myself. All these same threats applied here as the ones I lived with being Raymond Evan’s daughter, but I sensed the danger level had been upgraded with the Vallins. Did he see me as someone that was disposable, someone he wouldn’t miss if I died?
“I’m a peaceful man, Desiree. I like order. I can be stubborn and demanding, but I’m not unwilling to negotiate or listen to reason. Outside of us, and where it concerns you, I will be unbending. If anyone lays a hand on you, they will have to face me.” His statement was punctuated with a finality that made my heels do a double click against the beautiful marble floor.
The part of his personality he knew how to hide was starting to seep out, breathing life into that famous Vallin name. However, I appreciated that although he didn’t know me, he was still vowing to fight for my honor.
I forged ahead as his words sat in my brain. The best I could do was soak in the situation as it unfolded and attempt to ease myself into understanding it as I move along the chaotic path.
Once we cleared the hall, the space opened to a large living room that sent my eyes darting in every direction. The contemporary design captured my attention immediately. It showcased art deco and a modern style, musing them into a unique design that breathed life into the area. As someone that dabbled in multiple areas of art, I appreciated the decorator’s touch and keen eye for intricate patterns and mind-musing color schemes.
I fixed my gaze on the floor-to-ceiling, hand-painted piece that sat at the center of his living room where one would normally put a fireplace. The painting boasted a sexless person sitting with their head tucked behind their arms and knees. Although the piece was large shapes with no sharp turns or explosive colors, its theme drew you in. It left you pondering what the person was thinking and what made them fold into that position? Was it a man or woman, boy or a girl?
Arjen walked me to my bedroom door after a short tour. He hadn’t said much after he’d promised to protect my honor, but his lingering gaze revealed his interest plainly. Thankfully, he was enough of a gentleman to allow me to decide if I wanted to feed the expressions of desire he bestowed on me.
He walked me into my bedroom, where I noticed my bags had already been placed. His finger was aimed at the keypad on the wall next to the door. “If you need anything: food, water, me, use this,” he instructed. Again, I didn’t miss the way he’d placed extra emphasis on the word me. Each button was labeled by room, the button at the top adorned with a fancy, A, for Arjen.
“May I ask you something, Arjen?” I questioned, my tone low and unsure.
“Ask me whatever you want. I will be straightforward and honest as I prefer not to bite my tongue.”
“Why did you agree to do this? Why me and my family?” I stopped at two questions, although dozens were waiting their turn. Also, I didn’t know him well enough to speak freely.
“I saw an opportunity for a product market we hadn’t tapped into and decided it was time to broaden our horizons. I know this is an unorthodox engagement, but I think we can make it work.”
His answer aligned with what I’d concluded. Although I was uncomfortable with the situation, I wasn’t left with many options. I had to make it work for my father’s sake. Thankfully, Arjen continued his briefing, saving me from having to reply.
“We are low-key, so it causes speculation and rumors. We do a good job of keeping ourselves and our people from making headlines. If someone knows us deeper than outside appearance, it’s because we wanted them to know. All else is hearsay and whispers that we never confirm or deny. Our name and what we do, and keep behind the scenes, speak for us in a way that a printed resume will not. There are times when fear is attached to the knowledge of who we are.”
I nodded, hanging on to his every word even as the most horrific parts of those rumors about them flashed in my brain. Dismembered bodies stacked in unmarked graves, people disappearing without a trace, whole families being taken out.
“I met you when your father introduced us six years ago at the gala fundraiser for the homeless. It was right after I had taken my father’s position in our syndicate. I’m not going to lie to you, Desiree. I was immediately attracted. You were classy and beautiful, and the air of quiet confidence you carried impressed me. Those big, brown, curious eyes of yours captured me the most. We danced, but there was something about the way you held me. You weren’t clingy or desperate, but there was an assured comfort there that I appreciated.”
My eyebrows rose, my response a jumble of mixed-up words I failed to unscramble fast enough to reply. He was well-spoken for someone with a reputation like his. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but I believed I wasn’t dealing with an average criminal.
The revelation made me all the more curious as to why he’d chosen to marry me. Attraction was one thing, but I supposed criminals on certain levels looked for certain types of women to marry. He had a type, and in the short span of times we’d spent together, I was convinced I wasn’t it.
Arjen had chosen me because I had been battle tested and knew that things could go from zero to blood and bullets in a matter of seconds in this type of life. However, no one, not my father or Arjen, had bothered to ask me if this was the kind of life I wanted.
“Let me explain,” he continued, pulling my train of thought back to the subject of us. “I sleep with a lot of women, Desiree.” Figured that much. “I could sleep with a woman right now and forget her name and face within a few hours. For me, with you, there wasn’t this great big love connection that people lose their minds over, but something I sensed. There has to be a reason I remembered you.”
I swallowed the lump of surprise caught in my throat. “Yeah. Has to be a reason.” I was unaware of the lasting impression I had made on him. Our introduction had been brief, a dance, and an exchange of pleasant small talk. The night ended, and I saw him briefly in passing with my father a few more times over the years.
“When your father presented me with the idea of us forming an alliance, I was ready to say no until you became a part of the deal,” he stated, his gaze locked on mine, freezing me in place.
Like before, I was left without words, unsure of how to respond.
“I know this is a lot for you to digest,” he noted. “Take your time. I won’t rush you into anything.”
I nodded. “I appreciate that.” There was so much more I wanted to ask, but decided to set the questions aside for later. A small sigh escaped, glad Arjen didn’t appear to be an overbearing man and prayed that he would not turn into the husband nightmares were made of.
“Have a good evening. Remember, if you need anything, call me or just walk around and get familiar with the place.”
“Thank you.”
Once he’d closed the door behind him, I released a deep exhale, spun, and took in my new surroundings. My status in life had certainly been upgraded, but I hadn’t yet figured out how much of my soul had been bartered to gain it.
Since I had agreed to this proposal for unselfish reasons, would I be spared from the inevitable misery of danger meant for men like Arjen and my father?