Page 2 of His to Keep (Reluctant Vows #6)

F our years later…

Eilidh

“Sit up straight. Keep your mouth shut. If my brother gives you an order, obey without question.” Jasmine Henry barks a familiar list of commands at me as we pull up outside a beautiful hotel in the Scottish Highlands.

She says the same thing every time Jason takes me out of the house.

They’re the first words she’s spoken to me on the three-hour drive it took to get here, but I’m not complaining.

If I never had to hear her voice again, I’d be ecstatic.

The silent bodyguard who was in the passenger seat gets out of the car and opens the door for me.

It’s not a chivalrous gesture. He’s making sure I can’t run.

There’s little chance of that in these ridiculously high heels.

Since the taciturn redhead doesn’t offer his hand to help me down from the seat of the Mercedes SUV, I wobble as I step out onto the gravel driveway.

Thankfully, I don’t fall. That would earn me a punishment, because in the Henrys’ fucked-up world, accidents don’t happen.

As far as Jasmine and her brother are concerned, every action is deliberate, and people have to answer for their mishaps.

Jason is waiting for us at the front door.

He drove up earlier with a couple of his men to take care of some business before Jasmine and I arrived.

A scowl forms on his face as he drags his eyes up and down the length of my body.

I don’t know what right he has to disapprove since he insisted I wear this skimpy red dress tonight.

He’s not alone in disliking it. I hate this dress.

Its neckline plunges deeper than I’d like and the hem lands at mid-thigh, showing off too much of my long, skinny legs. I feel exposed.

Back before Jason murdered my family and locked me away, I didn’t mind wearing clothes like this.

I liked to dress up when I hung out with my friends, trying to attract attention from the hottest boys at school.

Callum Barclay was my first crush. He was two years older than me, and I was desperate to impress him with what I foolishly imagined was my sophistication.

In those days, all I cared about was doing well in school and getting a boyfriend. That was a lifetime ago.

“Her tits are too small in that dress.” Jason’s complaint is aimed at his sister as she gets out of the car to join us.

“Don’t blame me,” Jasmine snipes back. If there’s one thing I can admire her for, it’s that she doesn’t let her brother walk all over her. “You picked it.”

Jason glances at his watch. “It’ll have to do.”

Thanks to his obvious disdain, I’m even more self-conscious as we walk into the hotel than I already was. This is a classy place with antique furnishings and a beautiful chandelier hanging over the grand entrance hall. Dressed like a hooker, I don’t fit.

As we walk into the ballroom, a beautiful space with a polished hardwood floor, gilt-edged mirrors, and French windows leading out to the gardens, a shiver runs down my spine.

The room is full of men, at least sixty of them.

Apart from Jasmine and myself, I can’t see another woman.

Even the servers who are handing out canapes and glasses of champagne like this is some sort of celebration are young men.

This is giving me serious déjà vu. The air is thick with testosterone and that intensifies the dread knotting at the pit of my stomach.

The last time I walked into a situation like this, I lost my entire family.

I know something big is happening tonight. The last few months have been building toward it. For years Jason has kept me imprisoned in his Edinburgh mansion, watched at all times by a select few guards. When his boss died a couple of months ago, Jason became head of the Drummond crime family.

Almost immediately, he started to drag me out to meet various associates of his. He’s dressed me prettily and paraded me in front of countless leering men, going out of his way to emphasize my innocence with remarks about how sheltered I’ve been from the world.

Even if I was the virgin he thinks I am, I wouldn’t be as na?ve as he imagines. Growing up, I was allowed a lot of freedom for a girl whose father ran a criminal empire. The darker side of the business was no secret to me, and I definitely saw things no child should have.

Thanks to my brothers, who wanted me to be prepared for the way our world works, I have some understanding of how men like Jason operate. He spared my life when he murdered the rest of my family. There must be a reason he did that, and it’s not benevolence.

Jason leads us to a large round table with seating for six people. It’s positioned close to a small stage, which is empty. I guess there’s no entertainment tonight. The horrible thought occurs to me that I might be the one who’s expected to put on a show.

As I sit with Jason on my left and Jasmine to my right, I glance discreetly around the room, trying to figure out an escape route.

It’s a game I play whenever Jason takes me out of the house.

I come up with elaborate schemes I know I won’t act upon.

I’m guarded too closely. It’s probably for the best. The repercussions if I got caught trying to run away would be too severe.

Tonight, I might throw caution to the wind and make a break for it.

I’ve been at this hotel before. A distant cousin got married here when I was ten.

I’d never met Vicky before, but because of my dad’s position as head of the family, she asked me to be a bridesmaid.

During the endless after-dinner speeches, I got bored and wandered off to explore the hotel.

I think I remember where some of the exits are.

Getting out of the building would be only half the battle, of course. We’re in the middle of the countryside, by the waters of the Beauly Firth. The nearest city, Inverness, is miles away. Hitchhiking wouldn’t be an option. Jason’s men would pick me up before I could catch a ride.

There is another possibility. The last time I was here, there were boats moored on a small wooden jetty beyond the trees that surround the property. If I could get there through the kitchens, I could get on a boat and… argh!

I mentally slap myself for the absurd direction my thoughts have taken me in.

What would I do with a boat? I’ve never driven one in my life.

I wouldn’t know how to navigate it, especially in the dark.

I’d probably drift all the way out to the North Sea.

With my luck, I’d end up in Norway. That wouldn’t be so bad, I guess.

It’s the last place anyone would think to look for me and I’ve always wanted to visit Scandinavia.

That tantalizing fantasy of freedom is shattered as Tommy McCain approaches the table.

None of Jason’s men could be described as warm and fuzzy, but he’s the coldest fish I’ve ever met.

There’s nothing going on behind his eyes and his cruel smirk chills me to the bone.

He has a fondness for dragging me around like a rag doll.

Leaving bruises seems to get him off. If I’m ever in the position to take revenge on these assholes, he’ll be one of the first to feel my wrath.

Though the massive brute is quiet when he leans down to speak to Jason, I hear what he says. “He’s waiting for you.”

Immediately, Jason jumps to his feet, startling me. I’ve never seen him nervous, but it’s clear he is. Whoever he’s expecting, it’s someone important. Jason runs his fingers through his thinning blond hair and leans down to speak to me.

“Behave while I’m gone.” His pale blue eyes narrow in warning.

As he straightens, he glances over my head at his sister.

A petite brunette with dark eyes and a willowy figure, Jasmine bears little resemblance to her brother, who’s tall and broad-shouldered.

One thing they do share is an almost permanently sour expression.

Perhaps they had a miserable childhood. I can’t say I’d feel sorry for them if they did.

Something unspoken passes between them. It’s like she’s trying to telepathically offer him support.

I wonder why he needs it. Nodding, he turns and walks off.

I don’t ask Jasmine what’s going on. Experience tells me she won’t share anything important.

She’s never made a secret of her dislike for me. The feeling is entirely mutual.

Turning away from my jailer’s sister, I look toward the French doors leading out to a terrace, just as a man steps through them. The breath catches at the back of my throat. I press my thighs together as my pussy clenches. I’ve never had such a visceral reaction to a man.

Tall with dark hair, he’s wearing a suit that molds perfectly to the firm contours of his body.

He looks like he just stepped off the cover of a billionaire romance.

Reading is one of the few pleasures Jason allows me.

I devour books at a startling rate. It gives me an escape from the confines of my captivity, if only for a short time.

I’ve often daydreamed about someone like this demigod sweeping in to rescue me.

His presence is arresting, and it’s not purely because of his physical attributes.

Though he can only be a year or two older than me, he walks into the room with the confidence of a more worldly man.

He owns the space the minute he enters it.

“Who’s that?” Though it’s dangerous for me to show an interest, I can’t help asking Jasmine about him.

“One of the Volante brothers.” Jasmine’s tone is dismissive. “Giorgio, or Gianni, something like that.”

“He’s Italian?” With those darkly handsome features, he fits the stereotype.

“American. He’s the insignificant brother of some Mafia bigshot.”