Silence lingered, causing me to glance up as I swiped my tears away. Khane’s gaze was still locked on me, and Arjen’s was locked on Khane. At any moment, it appeared one would snap and hit the other.
“Desiree, are you okay?” Khane asked a second time. I nodded, unable to speak through the thick emotions that had pinned my tongue to the top of my mouth.
“You are one bold motherfucker. Anyone else would be dead for the shit you’re pulling. For the shit the both of you pulled,” Arjen spat.
Khane released a deep sigh before he turned to leave.
“No. Don’t leave. You need to stand your ass here and listen to what the fuck I’m saying,” Arjen continued.
“That’s the problem. You aren’t saying shit. You don’t give a shit about her. She’s nothing but a money transaction according to you. What more do you want me to do? We can’t change what’s happened. I apologized. We fought. Do you want to take one of my limbs? Would that make you feel better?”
Arjen squinted at his brother in curiosity. “I want to know how this shit happened. Did your dick unzip your pants and hop out?” He didn’t wait for an answer before he turned in my direction. “Did your pussy leap out of your panties? Were you two fucking the entire time I was gone? Just had yourselves a fuck festival.”
“I’m not listening to this shit. Call me when you need me.” Khane turned and left the questions unanswered. Arjen didn’t push for a reply because getting answers wasn’t his goal. He wanted us to stew in our guilt, to suffer and be tortured by the burning residue our actions had left behind. He had accomplished his goal because I was suffocating, dying inside. A bullet to my brain would have felt better.
Arjen made his approach, his heavy steps sounding like dropped bowling balls on hard wood. Once he was in place and standing above me, he started up again.
“The only reason I didn’t let Angel Ramirez keep you is because I paid ten million for you. But that wasn’t the only reason I couldn’t leave you. You want to know the other reason?” I glanced up at him, his figure blurred by the tears that kept filling my eyes.
“I couldn’t leave you because I know how my brother feels about you. Hell, I can see it,” he spat, grinding his teeth into the syllables. He pointed a finger into his chest.
“Fuck my feelings! Fuck that I cared about you too. I don’t love you and don’t know if I ever would have, but I cared, Desiree. I at least wanted the chance to see if we could have been more than a struck deal. You never gave me a chance.” His words were making my guilt boil over and melt my heart because he was right.
“I wanted to leave you with Angel. Every fiber in me wanted to take the money he offered me and leave you there, but I knew that my brother wasn’t going to leave that compound without you. Instead of leaving you like I wanted to, I dropped another ten million, paying Angel the money your father took from him. Twenty million fucking dollars for a woman I can hardly stand to look at.”
After that revelation, the well of sorrow I was wallowing in just got deeper and darker.
A sinister laugh slid from Arjen’s throat, raising the hairs on my arm. My eyes widened at the sight of the fury in his pinched expression as he glared at me through narrowed eyes, freezing me with his wicked gaze.
“As punishment for you two betraying me, you and I will be married. Every time you two see each other, which will be often, you will be reminded of your betrayal. Khane will be at our wedding tomorrow because he will be marrying your cousin Mecca.”
Arjen stared at the wall before him, anger tightening his face before he cast another glance in my direction.
“Love has to be the most potent shit on the planet to make my brother betray me. If this is the result, I’m glad I don’t have it in me to love a woman. I wanted to give it a chance with you, but I must say, thank you. You have kept me from making the worst fucking mistake of my life.”
He shoved a stiff finger in my face, “If he ever touches you again. If you ever touch him again. I will kill the both of you without hesitation.” The deadly strain in his tone made me aware that it wasn’t a threat, but a promise.
How was I going to live a lifetime with Arjen after I had caused so much turmoil before we had even exchanged vows?