Page 12 of Savage Promises (Quinlan Empire #2)

Lennox

A t two p.m. on the dot, a few days later, Shane arrives at Club Echelon in a sleek red Corvette, the kind of car that turns heads.

Even in a city with mob bosses everywhere.

He steps out of the swanky ride wearing a perfectly tailored charcoal suit.

The crisp white shirt open at the collar reveals a teasing glimpse of skin.

Behind the glass doors with my club logo etched into the frosted design, I tug at the hem of my navy blazer. I’d gone for practical instead of sexy and paired it with cream slacks. But my clothes suddenly feel more like pajamas next to Shane’s polished perfection.

Even though it’s mid-November in New York, he doesn’t bother with an overcoat and my heart does a stupid, fluttery thing it has no business doing.

When I step outside into the cold, tugging my wool coat tighter around my shoulders, Shane does a doubletake.

“You look beautiful,” he says, his voice softer than I expect.

Like he means it.

I don’t thank him. I can’t. Not when he has my stomach in knots. I consider making a last-minute excuse to postpone, after all, it’s my birthday. I would never tell Shane, just argue that Neve should be picking out her own damn rings. But she’s still busy with classes and volleyball.

As Shane correctly figured out, Neve has shown zero interest in this wedding.

“Let’s just get this over with,” I say firmly.

“I intend to take my time with you today,” he laughs, opening the car door for me .

“Oh, goody.” I fold myself in half to get inside this death trap, feeling self-conscious about my wide hips in these narrow bucket seats.

Shane closes the door and gets behind the wheel then stares at me.

I glance his way. “Yeah?”

“Kiss me,” he deadpans.

My body heats up. “What?”

He taps his cheek. “Kiss me hello. We’re going to be family.”

I tilt my head not wanting my lips anywhere near his skin. I don’t trust myself not to hop in his lap again. And there’s zero room for me between his bulky girth and that steering wheel this time.

Thank God.

“I’m waiting. I’m going to be your brother-in-law.” His eyes press into a sinister frown. “Don’t make me ask you again, Lennox.”

“You’re serious?” I’m floored.

“Would you rather be on your knees—”

“ What?”

“Would you rather be on your knees kissing something else?”

“Yes,” I whisper.

“What?”

“I mean... Kissing what?”

“My ring.” He smirks, knowing he caught me. “I am third-in-command of Quinlan Empire. You... Your family. I’m your...liege.”

“And you want to be worshipped?”

“Honored.” He brings his face close to mine and tilts his head.

Having no choice, I lay a soft peck on his cheek that’s smooth down to a rough stubble for a close-trimmed beard he keeps now .

“Thank you.” He leans back and zips into traffic, handling the car like it was custom-built for him.

On the quiet drive, Astoria blurs past my window and soon we’re on a bridge heading toward Manhattan. This makes me sit up in the soft buttery leather seat. “I thought you made an appointment with the jeweler on Mayfair?”

“I made an appointment somewhere else,” he says, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

I swear I feel the heat of his skin raising the temperature in this car, even though it’s freezing out and he doesn’t have the heat on.

I glance at my phone to distract myself and look for the birthday messages that I know won’t be there.

Everyone forgets. My father, my brother, Neve. .. I’ve not heard from anyone today.

Even Rafael! He’s traveling again, and I’m sure he forgot, too.

In the heart of the Diamond District, we pull up in front of a store with a valet.

But Shane gets out and opens my door for me.

Keeping his hand on the small of my back he tosses his keys to the valet, a man dressed as nicely as him.

The valet jogs to Shane’s sleek ride, and the car hums as it disappears down the street.

Shane ushers me inside the jewelry store with gold accents, crystal chandeliers, and velvet cases. This is a place where the staff wear suits more expensive than most people’s rent.

A woman with a pointed blonde bob and a wolfish smile greets us immediately, knocking me from my thoughts about the decor. “Mr. Quinlan, it’s so wonderful you’ve chosen us for your jewelry needs. This must be your beautiful—”

“I’m not the bride,” I blurt out.

“Oh.” The woman blinks. “My apologies. Are you close friends then? I caught a certain chemistry between you immediately. ”

“This is Lennox.” Shane clears his throat. “The bride’s sister. She’s here to help me pick out rings for my fiancée, Neve.”

Neve. The bride . His fiancée . The words land like a punch in the face.

The saleswoman nods, oblivious to the way my lips twist in discomfort. She steers us to a private room with a glass case and two exquisitely upholstered chairs.

On top of the glass counter, she lays open a velvet tray of rings, each one more dazzling than the last. “I have pre-selected some beautiful pieces. Have a look. Take your time.”

A massive heart-shaped diamond catches my eye.

It’s beautiful, but I know Neve couldn’t care less about a big diamond ring.

This all feels impossibly wrong. This is the future I once stupidly imagined I’d have with Shane.

I would appreciate any one of these rings.

Wear it proudly. I know in this world rings are a pissing contest. A man like Shane needs to display his wealth and power on his woman’s finger.

I’d wear any one of these rings and shove it in people’s faces day in and day out.

Neve will lose it in a week.

When I look up, Shane’s watching me, not the rings. I bury those useless thoughts and dreams away. “Neve likes...simple,” I manage to say.

“Do you think so?” Shane remarks in a rough voice.

“Do you know your sister’s size?” the saleswoman asks.

“Seven,” I say.

She hands me a round-cut diamond ring in a plain solitaire setting. The diamond sparkles so bright I need my sunglasses.

“Try it on.” The saleswoman needs to sell this ring to Shane by seeing it on someone’s hand.

I’m just some crash-test dummy along for the ride waiting for my head to smash into the windshield.

My hand trembles as I let her slip the engagement ring onto my finger. The diamond catches the light from the fixtures above and it sparkles like shards of ice. The second this ring glides past my knuckle, though, my heart stops. It’s stuck. And will have to be pried off.

“Let me find the wedding band for that ring,” the saleswoman says and steps away.

“Oh, damn it,” I whisper, tugging at it.

“What?” Shane notices my panic.

“The ring. It’s stuck.” I start sweating.

Gripping my hand, Shane says, “Here, let me.”

“I’m sorry.” I hold my breath as our skin connects.

His warm, sleek hands are a stark contrast to the cool metal around my swelling finger. He tugs gently, but the ring stays put.

“I’m sorry. I should have said no. I’m...bigger. My ring size.” I’m bigger everywhere. So different from Neve, who is tall and thin with an athletic build.

I’m average height and curvy.

“Shhh,” Shane says, his voice low. “It’s okay.”

God help me, I go breathless when he lifts my hand to his mouth. His lips brush my knuckle as he licks along the edge of the ring. Heat blooms beneath my skin traveling up my arm, setting my entire body on fire.

“Shane,” I mutter, my core pulsing. “What are you doing?”

“Fixing the problem.” My finger disappears inside his mouth, his tongue sweeping possessively around my knuckle.

As I’m gasping, he pulls my finger from his mouth and tugs the ring again. Lubed with his salvia, the ring clears my knuckle and slides free. But he doesn’t release my hand, he holds on to it.

Our eyes lock and for a heartbeat, it’s just us. The past feels ready to collide into this hazy present where the lines are blurry as hell. I think he might kiss me. And my God, I want him to. Frenzied, I even lean in.

“Lennox,” Shane hisses, clearing his throat. “Aren’t you engaged to someone?”

Holy shit.

“Yes. Right. To Rafael...Marchant.” I hold up my other hand to show Shane the plain silver band Rafael gave me, one he claimed is a family heirloom. “Of Marchant Vineyards.”

“Yes, I heard.” Shane watches as I attempt to come up with a reason why I forgot about my engagement.

“He travels a lot. We’re taking it slow.”

Like glacier slow.

Shane’s jaw tightens. “Sounds...convenient.”

“I’m busy with the club and work strange hours.” I grab a tissue and a squirt of sanitizer from the bottle on the counter to wipe down the ring. “So yeah, I guess it’s convenient.”

I sound more defensive than I need to be.

Up until now, Rafael has been kind. Safe. So safe, he hasn’t touched me below the waist even though we’ve been engaged for a year. Old-world traditions , he said he wants to uphold.

I fit into his picture of perfection because I’m still a virgin. Even if my father doesn’t think I am. Some quack told him years ago I wasn’t. Dad beat me when he heard, and demanded the name of the man who soiled me, but I never gave him one because there wasn’t anyone.

Even after a year-long engagement, Rafael has made no attempt at intimacy. I worry my marriage will be for show. The same as Neve and Shane’s. Only, I don’t expect Shane to have a name-only marriage. Shane is too passionate to live platonically with someone.

The saleswoman returns with a tray of wedding bands to match the solitaire engagement ring. When I cluelessly look at the rings, she pops out a hip and says, “Shall we make another appointment for the bride?”

I scoff to myself thinking: Good luck getting Neve in here.

“No need. I’ll take whatever band goes with this one.” Shane takes the solitaire ring from my hand and lays it on the velvet tray.

He doesn’t care what the rings look like. This is transactional to him.

Still, my eyes catch the diamond’s last bit of sparkle as the saleswoman boxes it up and stuffs it away. That ring is a symbol of everything that can never be mine.

“When will you give her the ring?” I say, pushing the dreaded words through a tight throat. “I didn’t hear anything about an engagement party.”

“Not enough time,” Shane says with no emotion. “I thought I’d do a public proposal.”

My eyes flutter. “Sounds...romantic.”

“It’s not. It’s business. And I’ll arrange it. Clearly, your sister can not care less.” Shane glances at me with dark and conflicted eyes.

“Here we are.” The saleswoman lays out another black velvet tray in front of me.

“These are the other pieces I mentioned in my phone call?” Shane says to her.

I brace for more heartache, seeing what additional bounty of jewels my sister will be rewarded with.

“Absolutely.” The woman turns to me with a wide smile.

I pull back, emotionally checking out. I don’t need to approve any ruby jewels a mob boss showers his arranged marriage bride with to symbolize a blood oath between families.

Only, glancing down, I see a spread of blue topaz stones set into a teardrop gold and diamond necklace, a choker with black onyx, a matching bracelet, earrings, and an ankle bracelet.

“These are unbelievably gorgeous, Shane,” I say. “But my sister will not appreciate them.”

“Can we have a moment alone?” he asks the saleswoman, who steps away. Keeping his jaw tight, he leans in and whispers, “Did you think I forgot today was your birthday?”

My heart drops into my stomach, but I play it cool. “With so much happening, yeah. Everyone else did.”

“It’s not just a date on the calendar.” He takes the riviera-style necklace channeled with cerulean blue stones and drapes it across my neck, his fingers lingering on my skin. “I never forget your birthday because it was the night I kissed you.”

My pulse spikes at his touch. “I thought for sure you’d forgotten.”

He presses a brawny knuckle against my right cheek. “Never. Not for a second.”

I touch the stones and want to cry. “Topaz is so pretty, isn’t it?”

Shane leans in to whisper again, “Confession.”

I’m ready to have a heart attack. “I... I don’t need one.”

“Those aren’t topaz gemstones. Those are rare blue diamonds I asked them to source just for you, Lennox.”

I choke up. “Why?”

“Because you deserve them.”

My mind fractures. How do I tell Rafael, who hasn’t even called me yet today, that one million dollars’ worth of diamonds is a friendly gift from my sister’s fiancé?

Rafael isn’t the jealous type, but every man’s ego would take a hit from this move. He might even start trouble with Shane.

“I can’t accept these.” I caress the necklace with the tip of my index finger.

“You can and you will.” Shane ignores my protest, takes my hand, and slips the bracelet on.

“Shane,” I rasp. “I work nearly seven days a week at the club. I can’t walk around dripping...”

His eyebrow raises. “Go on.”

“I can’t walk around in diamonds.” I remove the jewelry and set them down. “I’m the boss. Not a trophy wife.”

Shane thinks about that. “I understand. I don’t want some drunk fool at your club eyeing the ice around your neck and trying something stupid. So, let’s make a deal.” He snags the anklet with five blue diamonds in a platinum setting and gets down on one knee.

“Shane!” I gasp when he reaches for my ankle.

He lifts my leg and pushes the pant hem away. With scary precision, he slides the adorned chain up past my heel and around my ankle. His thick fingers easily secure the clasp.

“You will take this one piece and wear it every day.”

I glance down and want to cry at how beautiful it is. “Okay,” I whisper.

He leans in, his teeth bared in a feral grin. “When Rafael Marchant is fucking you, I want this dangling from your ankle so you think of me.”

I get chills at how visceral he sounds.

“This is our secret, Lennox. I want you to wear this. For me .” His face is hard as granite. “Can you do that, Lennox? Can you make that commitment to me?”

I can make this commitment, but what can he commit to me? Will seeing me wrapped in diamonds he bought make him forget my sister is his wife? Does he want us to live in some alternate reality?

From the determination in his eyes, I know he won’t accept anything less than yes.

Having no choice, I close my eyes and whisper, “Okay.”