Page 39 of Devour (Blood and Roses #1)

Ariel

I still don’t understand why we need this many bodyguards just to shop for a dress.

I know Luca is an important man, but this feels excessive—three full convoys?

I asked him about it in the car, but all he said was, “Because it’s necessary.

” I pressed further, wondering if it had anything to do with the shooting, but he told me that situation had been handled.

Still, I suspect there’s more he’s not telling me. And it stings a little, knowing he doesn’t trust me enough to be fully honest.

I already know he runs a mafia organization, what could possibly be worse than that? When we arrive at the bridal shop, the drivers struggle to find enough space to park.

The last car ends up parked on the roadside. I cling to Luca’s hand as we enter the bridal boutique. The bodyguards wait outside, but I notice Luca’s body language immediately—he’s tense, constantly scanning the room like he’s expecting a threat.

It’s just wedding dresses and brides-to-be, not an ambush. He’s not even pretending to browse. His eyes aren’t on the dresses, they’re everywhere else.

“You don’t have to look like you’re about to pounce on someone,” I whisper to him. “Lighten up. I want to enjoy this and you’re not exactly helping.”

“Sorry,” he mutters. “Just want to make sure you’re safe.”

An attendant walks up to us with a bright smile.

“Hello, I’m Rose. Welcome to Oyin’s Bridal boutique. Would you like me to show you around?”

“Yes, please,” I say.

She leads me to a stunning gown on display. It gives off a luxurious Cinderella vibe with layers of soft, shimmering tulle, a fitted bodice embroidered with delicate silver thread and crystals, and off-the-shoulder sleeves that add a fairytale touch.

I like it… but something feels off. It’s beautiful, no doubt. But not quite me. I thought I knew what I wanted, but the moment I stepped into the store, I couldn’t decide.

“Why don’t you try it first?” Rose suggests. “If it still doesn’t feel right, we can explore other options.”

“Okay, let’s try it.”

She gently removes the dress from the mannequin and walks me to the dressing room, which is just a few feet away.

I change into it carefully, when I step out, I feel like a model walking the runway. The moment Luca’s eyes land on me, the way they eat me up makes my stomach flutter—I feel giddy, like my insides are tingling.

He’s finally stopped pacing and hovering. Now he’s seated on a velvet lounger, directly facing the center podium, the space where brides showcase their dresses to admirers or critics. And that’s where I’m standing.

I glance at my reflection in the full-length mirror. I look like a Disney princess. No, I feel like one. If only Mai was here to share this moment with me…

Then the thought creeps in again. If Luca said he didn’t hurt any of his workers, then maybe she’s just away.

Maybe she’s on a vacation. Or maybe she ran off with someone…

But why wouldn’t she tell me? I’ve gone over every scenario in my head since yesterday, and I still haven’t come up with anything that makes sense.

Wherever she is, I just hope she’s okay. I turn toward Luca. “What do you think?” He gives me a long, deliberate once-over before growling the word, “Hot.”

I was feeling like Cinderella a moment ago—but now, I feel like Beauty… and he’s the Beast, holding me captive with his gaze. Despite the full-blast air conditioner, heat blooms under my skin. I feel hot all over.

It looks like he’s about to say something else, but then his phone rings. He glances at the screen, sighs, and then gives me a wink.

“I have to take this,” he mouths before standing and walking off to answer the call. I turn my attention back to Rose. “Should we try another one?”

The dress I’m wearing now is daring—a low-back design with thin, delicate straps and teardrop diamonds scattered across the fabric. It clings to my body in all the right places, and a dramatic veil trails behind me.

Rose is helping pin the veil in my hair when I suddenly notice a familiar silhouette reflected in the mirror. The figure pauses, just as I do then.

“Dr. Eli?” I breathe.

“Ariel.”

Before I realize it, I’m stepping down from the podium and running into his arms. I hug him tightly, maybe because I’m genuinely happy to see him, or maybe because this man once saved my son’s life. I’ll forever be grateful for that. He looks just as surprised as I feel.

“How have you been?” I ask, smiling.

“I’m good. And Noah?”

“He’s fine. He’s responding well to treatment,” His gaze sweeps over me, pausing on the dress.

“You’re… getting married?”

As if only now realizing I’m in a wedding dress, I nod. “Ahh…Yes. I haven’t picked a date yet, just shopping for a dress.” My voice drops a little near the end, guilt creeping in.

If Luca hadn’t come back into my life, maybe I would’ve given him a chance. He’s a good man. He would’ve been an amazing father to Noah. Not that Luca isn’t… but it’s different. I manage a small smile.

“You’re getting married too?” He shakes his head quickly, almost too quickly.

“No… no, I’m just here with my sister. She’s shopping for her dress.”

“Oh. Yes, you—”

A deep, rumbling voice, laced with fury cuts me off.

“What the fuck are you doing standing close to my wife?”

Dr. Eli and I both turn our heads as Luca approaches. I hadn’t realized how close I was standing to him. I’d completely forgotten myself.

Luca is walking slowly but there’s something dangerous in his stride. Power and rage radiate off him like heat waves. I take a step back as Luca stops in front of us.

He’s a full head taller than Eli, and the tension between them thickens instantly. But Eli doesn’t flinch—he stands his ground, returning Luca’s glare with one of his own. I can practically hear my heart beating in my throat.

The air between them crackles. Luca’s eyes burn with lethal fury, his jaw clenched, fists twitching at his sides. I know that look. He wants to kill someone.

I have to do something before this gets messier. I know if it escalates, Dr. Eli won’t back down, but Luca has the upper hand. Even injured, he’s still dangerous in a fight. And his guards are just a shout away. If this turns violent, Dr. Eli will get hurt.

I can’t let that happen. I move quickly, stepping between them and pressing myself against Luca’s chest. I reach up and grab his face, trying to make him look at me. But he doesn’t budge.

“Baby, we were just talking. It’s nothing,” I say softly, trying to diffuse the tension. His eyes are still locked on Dr. Eli, their silent battle raging.

Then, without breaking eye contact, Luca growls, “I don’t think he knows who you belong to.”

Before I can respond, he grabs my hand and drags me toward the dressing room. Dr. Eli instinctively moves to stop him, but I shake my head at him, a silent plea not to intervene. I see the hesitation in his eyes, the concern, but he doesn’t follow.

The attendant looks shocked as Luca yanks the curtain closed behind us. The dressing room feels much smaller now, almost suffocating, with Luca’s solid frame pressing me against the mirror. His eyes gleam with something dark, something dangerous.

“Moan,” he commands.

“What?” I blink, startled. I heard him, but I’m confused.

“Moan like you do when I fuck you.”

Now I understand. I narrow my eyes. He’s in full alpha mode again, all dominance and ego. He wants to stake his claim, to remind everyone including Dr. Eli who I belong to.

If he thinks I’m going to scream, he’s got another thing coming. I am not embarrassing myself again like I did in his boardroom… not after his secretary walked in on us.

“No,” I say firmly, tilting my chin up in defiance. He looks at me with a raised eyebrow that says, are you sure you want to defy me right now? When I don’t reply, he takes my silence as a yes.

He spins me gently but firmly to face the mirror. His weight pins me against it—firm, but not enough to break it. The glass looks sturdy. My chin is pressed flat to the surface, and I watch my breath fog up the mirror.

His hand starts to move up my dress. I try to bat it away, but it’s like trying to move a tree, it won’t budge.

He continues upward, inch by inch, until he reaches the edge of my panties. His fingers slide beneath the fabric until he touches my clit. I try to wiggle away, but all it does is rub me harder against him.

“You like that?” he murmurs.

“No.”

It’s as if denying him only makes him angrier. He furiously tweaks my clit, and I’m forced to stop pushing his hand away just to cup my mouth, muffling the sounds threatening to escape.

His fingers move from my clit to my pussy, and he slips two inside me, thrusting them in as deep as his long fingers can reach, then pulling them out, only to drive them back in again, over and over. My toes curl in my heeled sandals as I moan into my palm.

When he adds a third finger, I press my face harder into my hand, desperate to silence myself completely. But when he doesn’t get the reaction he wants, he withdraws his hand from my panties.

I watch him through the mirror as he licks my wetness off his fingers. I exhale a shaky breath, thinking—hoping—he’s finally done. I was wrong.

He grabs both my wrists and pins them above my head against the mirror with one hand. With the other, he drags the zipper of my dress down my back.

If we were in our bedroom or anywhere private, I might not have fought this hard. Sex, to me, belongs behind closed doors. But he doesn’t care. He wants them to hear. And that’s what makes it worse. People are outside. Dr. Eli could still be out there.

He has my dress shoved to my waist already. Not knowing how else to get out of this, I said the only thing that came to mind. As he reached for my panties, about to pull them down, I blurted, “If you do this, I will hate you.”

That got his attention. He froze, hand paused mid-motion, as if weighing whether to keep going. I watched him through the mirror as his eyes bored into mine, dark and dangerous.

Then I said the words that cut deeper than any blade. “I will never love you.” It hit him like a shockwave.

He pulled back instantly. I didn’t even think it was possible to create space between us in such a cramped room, but he managed it.

When I turned my face, I saw the back of his head as he walked out, stepping carefully over the trail of discarded fabric. He yanked the curtain shut behind him.

I heard his footsteps and the low growl in his throat as he stormed off. He must’ve snapped at the attendant on his way out.

I knew I hurt him with my words. But it was either that or let him screw my brains out and walk out of here a mess, ashamed and wrecked. I pulled down my dress and began adjusting it.

Some of the diamond droplets had come loose during our scuffle. I couldn’t wear this for my wedding, not like this—but I’d have to buy it now. It looked incredibly expensive, with all the detailing and diamonds.

Well, it’s a good thing Luca’s paying. He ruined it, after all. I was still distracted, fumbling with the zipper, when the curtain suddenly opened. I thought it was Luca again. I was ready to apologize for what I said but not now.

“Luca, I need—” I couldn’t finish the words. A cloth was pressed over my nose and mouth muffling my screams. I struggled in the person’s grip, trying not to breathe.

I held my breath for as long as I could, but eventually, it became a choice between inhaling or suffocating.

The moment I took a breath, the sharp, chemical sting of chloroform filled my lungs. My vision blurred.

My limbs grew heavy. The last thing that flashed through my mind before the darkness took over was Luca… and Noah.