POSSESSION

  “I’m sorry. I’m not blaming you. I’m just so fucking angry.”

  Again, my anger is completely gone, and replaced with it is this need to be near him. “You came to my rescue.”

  He sweeps my hair away from my eyes, causing me to look up at him. “You called me your boyfriend.”

  Shaking my head, I pull away, but it’s no use. He pulls me closer to him. “Don’t get too cocky. It was a slip of the tongue.”

  “You know you’re more to me than that, don’t you? You and me we’re—”

  “Fucked up.”

  “Hey,” he says tugging me to him. “You and I have a special relationship. One that no one can take away.”

  “Not even me?”

  Drake runs his fingers through my hair before grabbing a fistful and making me look into his eyes. “Not even you.”

  In two days time, I will turn eighteen, and from midnight on that day, I will belong to the great Drake Salvatore. I feel sick, and I have a desperate need to run. In fact, I have been planning my escape in my head over and over in the last couple of days.

  “I think the dress looks beautiful,” Mandy coos as she longingly trails her eyes down my white chiffon dress. A dress that denotes innocence and purity. A dress picked out by my parents to please my master.

  “It’s very long, but it is beautiful. Look how elegant it is, Evelyn. I’m so jealous.”

  I laugh sarcastically under my breath, but she doesn’t notice. Yes, the dress is beautiful. It has sleeves with slits down the sides and is held up elegantly on the shoulders by silver and diamond jewellery. It comes in at the waist and cascades down to the floor. I will be the belle of the ball … as my mother calls it.

  Tonight, my parents are having a party in honour of me and Drake, and anybody who’s anybody will be there. I am to conduct myself with dignity and grace, but all I want to do is escape. All I want to do is run.

  When I don’t say anything, Mandy turns and frowns at me. She’s about to say something when there’s a knock on my door. “Come in,” I shout.

  The door opens, and in comes Drake with a huge grin on his face. He spots Mandy hovering around the dress. “Good afternoon, Mandy.”

  Her cheeks instantly blush. She makes it so obvious that she likes him. “Hi, Mr Salvatore. How are you today?”

  He sucks in a breath, making his chest expand. Why does he have to look so good? He’s wearing a navy button-up shirt today with beige chino trousers. His hair is spiked with gel, and his eyes are sparkling with mischief. I hate to admit it, but he looks good enough to eat.

  “I’m doing well today. In fact, I’m on top of the world.” He purposefully looks at me when he says this.

  Mandy, noticing our exchange, moves a little closer to my door. “Would you two like some privacy?”

  At the same time as I say no, Drake says yes. He gives me a frustrated glare, and Mandy looks hesitant. “I don’t think you’ll want Mandy here for what I have to say.”

  Feeling defiant, I stand my ground. “Mandy is my friend, and she was here first. It’s rude of you to barge in here and expect her to leave.”

  Drake glances across at Mandy, and she timidly shrugs her shoulders. “Very well,” he says walking towards me. Once standing a few inches from me, he kneels down in front of me. “Close your eyes, and give me your hand.”

  “Why?”

  “Just do it, please,” he replies through gritted teeth.

  Sighing, I close my eyes and give him my right hand. Nothing happens for a moment, but then I feel him tug at my left hand instead. Soon after, I feel him placing a ring on that finger. It’s Mandy’s gasp that makes me snap my eyes open.

  I look at Drake first, and he’s smiling. Mandy starts clapping. “Oh my God! Oh my God! Evelyn, it’s beautiful. Look at it!” she screams. Drake chuckles, obviously glad that he has someone in his corner.

  “So, what do you think?”

  Bewildered, I look down at the big diamond I have on my finger. It’s a single diamond with smaller diamonds surrounding it on either side.

  “It’s a white gold, eighteen carat diamond ring. Nothing but the best for my girl.”

  I hear Mandy go, “Aww,” and it makes me want to hit her. Maybe making her stay here was a bad idea after all.

  “And what is this for?”

  Drake looks at me like I’ve grown two heads. “Your engagement ring of course. I meant to give it to you for your eighteenth, but plans have changed. Now you can show everyone at the party tonight.”

  Realisation dawns on me. “So, that’s why we’re having a party?”

  “To announce our engagement.” Drake stares at me like I’m stupid. It makes my blood boil.

  “You haven’t done this traditionally, Drake. You’ve forced this upon me. You haven’t asked, and I haven’t said yes.”

  Seeing the anger in my eyes, Drake’s frustration rears itself. I see the moment his jaw ticks and he grits his teeth. “Mandy, I would appreciate the privacy now.” Although it sounded like a request, it wasn’t.

  “Sure,” she says, quickly scurrying out the door.

  The minute he hears the door click, he grips my hand. “I thought we had already discussed this?”

  I shake my head. “No. See, that’s the thing. We haven’t discussed anything. As usual, you’re making plans behind my back.”

  “What is there to discuss? I love you, and we’re getting married. It’s as simple as that.”

  I try to get up, but Drake grabs my hips and sits me back down. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  “I’m not wearing this tonight,” I spit.

  He grips my hips tighter. “Yes, you fucking well are. If you defy me, Evelyn, I will punish you.”

  “And how can you possibly punish me more than you already have?”

  Without warning, Drake pulls my hips up, and I land with an undignified huff on the bed. Soon, Drake is in between my legs, and with a hand on my face, he starts stroking my cheek.

  Arousal and fear creep up my spine as he tenderly trails his finger down from my cheek to my jaw before placing his hand around my neck. He doesn’t squeeze, but he’s certainly giving me the idea that he holds the power. As usual, he commands me like a puppet on his not-so-delicate string.

  “Tonight,” he whispers, pushing my head to the side before kissing my neck, “we will be having our engagement party, and one of the hosts will wear that ring with pride.”

  “I don’t want—”

  “Shh,” he murmurs, placing a finger to my lips. “You’ve said enough. Now, it’s my turn.” He starts kissing me around my neck again, and I can’t help the spike of arousal I feel as his warm lips touch my skin. With every glide of his mouth over my neck, the sparks fly, and a want like no other crawls into every pore of me. I don’t will it, but my heart races, and with it, my breathing becomes laboured. I know Drake can feel it because he’s just as affected. He, too, is breathing heavily. He wants to take this further just as much as I do.

  “Two more days,” he says breathlessly. “Two more days, and I’ll get to see you bare, feel skin on skin. I know you want it just as much as I do, Evelyn. Stop denying what your body obviously wants. I can feel you tremble beneath me. I can feel your heart beating just as wildly as mine. You want me to take you. You want me to caress you. You want me to fuck you.” He emphasises the word “fuck,” and I can’t help what that does to my insides. I don’t mean to, but the sound of that word on his lips makes me moan with want. What makes it even worse is the fact that I can feel his hardness digging into me. He wants me, and knowing this makes my own arousal spike that much higher. I hate him, though. I hate what he’s doing to me, and I hate what he’s making me do against my will. Maybe if he was nice about it, I would love him like he wants me to. But he’s not asking for my love.

  He’s trying to force it.

  “I’m not wearing the ring.” The trembling in my voice betrays me.

  His fiery kisses stop as he pulls his head from my neck. With
a tug of my chin, he makes me look at him. “This isn’t a request. If you do not comply, then I shall have to take matters into my own hands.”

  “What does that mean? What could you possibly do?”

  Without a beat, he sighs and with a matter-of-fact voice says, “I had guests around my house a few days ago. I showed them our stables. They were most taken with Ireland.”

  My eyes widen. “You wouldn’t.”

  He frowns. “Wouldn’t what? Sell her? They are offering a very good price.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Do you want to bet on that, darling?”

  Feeling my face flush with anger, I try pushing him, but it’s useless. “You’re a hateful, spiteful, despicable man.”

  “Is that a yes then?” he asks with a smirk.

  “I hate you.”

  “I love you. Now, if you want me to be a gentleman and ask you, then I will. But if I don’t like the answer, I’m afraid I will be making a certain phone call today.”

  I can feel the tears prick my eyes, but force them down. He knows how much I love and care for Ireland. “Did you buy her deliberately so that you could use her against me like this?” When he doesn’t answer, realisation dawns on me. “You did, didn’t you?”

  Ignoring me, Drake gets off, pulling me up and positioning himself between my legs. “Now,” he says, grabbing my left hand. “I’m going to ask you two questions, and the answer better be yes to both.”

  I feel like crying, but I stop any tears from falling. I’m not going to let him see that he’s winning. He has me and he knows he has me. He knows I would do anything and give anything to keep Ireland … even if it means selling myself to him.

  As he looks me in the eye, I try to take steady, even breaths. I’m so angry with him … so pent up with rage. He wants me to agree to marry him, but all I want to do is scratch his eyes out.

  “Evelyn,” he finally says, holding my attention, “will you marry me?”

  Through gritted teeth, I say, “Yes.”

  His face lights up with a breathtaking smile. For a moment, I feel lost in that smile, but it quickly fades when he asks me the next question.

  “And will you wear your ring tonight to show everyone that we’re engaged and that you’re mine and mine alone?”

  I take in another deep breath before answering him. “Yes.”

  “Good.” He places my hand down and pulls me in for a kiss. It’s not a tender kiss. It’s a forceful, no holds barred kiss. With anger and resentment building in my veins, I kiss him back. But, the more I kiss him, the more intense and passionate it becomes. The anger and rage feed into passion and longing.

  Without thinking, I start tugging at his shirt, pulling it out from inside his trousers. Heat pulses through me as Drake trails his hand up my leg before resting on my thigh. He squeezes gently, making me moan with desire. I feel frenzied. I feel wanton. I feel suddenly alive with fire.

  “Fuck me,” I demand as I try pulling his shirt over his head.

  It’s then I feel a douse of cold water over my head as Drake pushes me away and stands—all six-foot-seven of him and an erection so tall a male porn star would be proud of.

  With hooded eyes and uneven breaths, I stare at his flustered state. He is as breathless as I am as he tries hard to compose himself. “Fuck. What are you trying to do to me?”

  With a sultry smile, I cock my head. “I need you to fuck me. Isn’t that what you want me to say?” I go the extra mile by placing my hands behind me on the bed and opening my legs wide for him.

  Drake growls and looks at me with a heated, but angry stare. “Evelyn, stop this right now. If you keep pushing this, then I will snap. And believe me, I won’t be gentle. I’ve waited too fucking long for you already.” When I don’t move, he sucks in a breath. “I mean it.”

  His command snaps me out of it. I dutifully close my legs, and I notice the slight relief on Drake’s face. He bends down, grabbing my face. “I’m going to ask you one question, and you’d better listen to it carefully: Do you know what happens when you rattle an animal’s cage for years and then suddenly let him out?” My eyes widen a little, making him smile. “Just think about that every time you pull a stunt like this.” Getting up, he straightens himself and his shirt before moving towards the door. “Just remember what I said, Evelyn. That ring stays on your finger tonight no matter what. In thirty-four hours, you will be mine.”

  He leaves after that, looking every bit the pissed off, controlling alpha male I’ve come to know these past three years. Not long after that, Mandy rushes in and sits beside me.

  “Wow, you two look positively fucked. What on earth happened in here?”

  What on earth did happen in here?

  Mandy’s words drill deeper and deeper into my brain, making the fear, anger, and anxiety crawl back up. To make matters worse, she picks my left hand up and inspects my ring. “Oh my God, it’s beautiful. You’re such a lucky fucking bitch. I would give anything to have Drake plaster a ring on my finger like that. I hate you.”

  She places my hand down, and I know I should answer her, but I can’t. All I can do is stare into space and wonder how the fuck I can possibly get out of this. I guess it boils down to one thing. Tonight, I will go to this party. I will show everyone the ring and be the diligent, obedient guest. Then, in the dead of night tonight when everyone is in a drunken sleep, I will escape.

  Only thirty-three hours, fifty-two minutes, and twenty-six seconds left.

  Age Sixteen

  It’s my sixteenth birthday today, but I don’t feel like celebrating. My parents have had my hair straightened, my eyebrows plucked, my face painted, and my body dressed in a delicate peach dress. It’s a beautiful dress that is supposed to make me feel beautiful. I don’t feel beautiful. I feel put on display for the world to see. I feel like a freak show with the number one guest being the great Drake Salvatore.

  For the past year, Drake has slowly but surely shown me the monster that lives inside of him. Sure, I do get moments of his sweet nature with his great, dazzling smile to go with his equally dazzling eyes. I hate to admit it, but for the past few months, I have also been adapting to new feelings that I have for Drake. Sure, hatred is one since he paid to put a down payment on me a year ago, but there’s also been something else. Something needy and heated … primal even. To me, he’s unfortunately starting to look more and more appealing. I want to violently quash these feelings. But, it seems like the more I try, the more I fail to ignore the obvious pull he has for me. Sure, he looks after me. I never want for anything. He also makes my parents treat me somewhat civilly, which I must admit I’m grateful for.

  I just stumble over one word every day that makes my hatred for Drake grow.

  Choice.

  I should have a choice, but that option has been stripped from me. In my own mind, I’m choosing to want Drake more than I should, but in another sense, I can’t help thinking he’s somehow forcing me to want him. Maybe he’s just a great magician.

  “I saw this and thought of you.” Pushing a small, wrapped gift my way, Drake smiles. I notice the light in my parents’ eyes when they see it. It looks an awful lot like a small jewellery box.

  “Oh my. Is this what I think it is?” My mother gushes, making my eyes widen. He hasn’t … has he? I’ve only just turned sixteen.

  “Not quite,” Drake says, making me sigh with relief. “But close.”

  My eyes snap to Drake, and he urges me to open the gift. I do as expected of me, and when I open it up, my eyes widen again. A beautiful silver ring with diamonds encrusted in a figure-eight shape stare back at me. It’s beautiful.

  “It’s an eternity ring. It’s a symbol of my devotion and dedication to your daughter. I hope you don’t mind?”

  I know he’s only asking to be polite. He doesn’t care whether they approve of him giving me this or not.

  “Of course not,” my mother chimes. “I think it’s so romantic. Isn’t it romantic, William?”

&nbsp
; “It is.” My father nods his head with a smile, but notices my hesitation. He gives me a disapproving frown. “What do you say, Evelyn?”

  I turn my head to Drake and smile. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”

  Taking the ring from the box, he takes my right hand. “Not as beautiful as you.” He places the ring next to my right index finger. It’s on the right finger, but wrong hand.

  Once securely on, he smiles back up at me. “Every time you look at this, you can be sure in the knowledge that I’m here for you—no matter what. This is a symbol of what we mean to each other. Look,” he says, grabbing my hand. He holds it gently in his, and with a finger, he gently glides it over the figure eight. “This is us. We’re never-ending. Constantly going around and around and never stopping. That’s what we are, and that’s what we’ll continue to be.”

  My mother places her hand on her heart. “That’s just so beautiful.” She smiles, and I know what she means is genuine, but I can tell there’s a hint of something in that smile. Jealousy maybe? There’s definitely something. I ignore it. I’m past caring what my parents think at this point. They obviously never loved me, so why should I care?

  Squeezing my hand a little, Drake makes me look at him. “See, you and I are infinite. You’re stuck with me forever now.”

  Three Days after Eighteenth Birthday – Present Day

  I stare at the ring Drake got me when I was sixteen. The one that denotes our infinite love. It makes me laugh when I think about it.

  I then take a look at the other ring he bought and forced me to wear five days ago, and it makes me laugh even louder. I am his now in every sense of the word. He promised that we would get married next year, but I know for a fact he’s already planning our wedding. The reason I know is the because of the little visit I had yesterday from a woman who came in and measured every nook and cranny of me. When I asked what she was doing, she laughed like I was stupid and said, “It’s for your wedding gown, silly.”

  I’ve been held prisoner for three days after my insubordination on my eighteenth birthday. I could have been good and let him take me, but—just like always—I fought him at every turn. Now, I’m stuck in my allocated bedroom day and night, planning my escape during the day and yearning for Drake’s touch at night.