Page 16

I eyed the plate warily. “I’m all about flavor and seasoning, but I think it might take some time for my taste buds to adjust to all this heat.”

“Take your time,” he encouraged, his voice unexpectedly gentle. “We’ve got forever.”

I looked up at him, struck by the contrast between the moment and the violence I knew he was capable of. It was jarring, and I found myself searching his face for some clue to the man beneath the monster.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Ozias warned.

“Like what?”

“Like you want me to put you on this table and eat you for breakfast instead,” he answered calmly. “Because you know I won’t hesitate.”

His comment sent chills down my spine and made my pussy tingle simultaneously. I refused to let him drive me to distraction so early. I cleared my throat and crossed my legs.

“You know, I could make this difficult for you. Scream, fight, try to escape at every turn.” Ozias’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained silent, waiting for me to continue.

My chest inflated with a deep inhale. “But I’m not going to do that.

I can either suffer and make this harder on myself, or I can . . . adapt. Make the best of it.”

A smile spread across Ozias’s handsome face, and for a moment, I saw genuine pleasure there. It transformed his features, softening the hard lines and making him look almost boyish.

“I’m glad to hear that, Demi. I think you’ll find that life here can be quite rewarding.”

I allowed a small smile to peek from behind my teeth in return, all the while thinking how he shouldn’t get too comfortable. My father will come for me. This is just temporary. I just need to survive until then.

But I kept those thoughts locked away, hidden behind a mask of cautious acceptance.

Instead, I picked up my fork again and took another bite of the spicy eggs.

This time, I was more prepared for the heat.

Although I hadn’t had an appetite before being presented with food, my stomach welcomed the nourishment.

I hadn’t eaten in over twenty-four hours, and with the hurting Ozias had put on my body the day before, I needed the sustenance.

“You’re right,” I said, meeting his gaze. “I think I might get used to this after all.”

Ozias leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes stationed on mine. There was a calculating gleam in them that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Speaking of adapting, there’s something I need to tell you, Demi.”

I paused with a forkful of food halfway to my mouth. “Oh?”

He reached across the table, his large hand enveloping mine. The warmth of his sun-kissed skin was startling, and I fought the urge to pull away.

“We’re getting married this evening,” he announced, his tone matter of fact. “At sunset, overlooking the beach.”

I nearly choked on my food. “W-what?” I sputtered, eyes wide.

Ozias’s full lips curled into a smirk. “You heard me. By nightfall, you’ll officially be Mrs. Rivera.”

I couldn’t help it—I laughed. It was a sharp, bitter sound that echoed in the ornate dining room. “You’ve thought of everything, huh?”

His expression softened slightly, and for a moment, I caught a glimpse of something almost vulnerable in his eyes. Who knew the devil was such a romantic? “I wanted to make sure it was at least a little special for you.”

Special? As if being forced to marry my kidnapper could ever be special.

But I bit my tongue, remembering my decision to play along. Instead, I trawled up a smile. “How . . . thoughtful of you.”

Ozias dipped his chin, seemingly satisfied with my response. “There’s more. My younger sister, Maya, will be arriving within the hour to take you dress shopping.”

I blinked, trying to process the new information. “Your sister?”

“ Sí . And Javier will be accompanying you both for protection, of course.”

Of course. He couldn’t have the bride running away before the forced wedding, could he?

Outwardly, I maintained my composure. “I didn’t realize you had a sister.”

Ozias’s eyes darkened for a moment before he shifted his gaze away. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Demi. But we have time for that. A lifetime, in fact.”

The weight of his words settled over me like a blanket. A lifetime. With this man. This dangerous, unpredictable man who’d turned my world upside down in a matter of twenty-four hours. I swallowed hard, pushing down the panic that threatened to rise in my throat.

Remember the plan. Play along. Survive. Wait for Daddy to come.

“Well then,” I said, injecting a note of false cheeriness into my voice. “I suppose I better finish my breakfast. Wouldn’t want to keep your sister waiting.”

Ozias’s porcelain smile was predatory, sending another shiver through me. He grunted. “That’s my girl.”

I had to fight not to flinch at his words.

As I returned to my meal, my mind raced with a million thoughts.

A wedding. A dress. A sister-in-law I never asked for.

It was all happening so fast, and I felt like I was drowning in a sea of chaos.

But I’d stay afloat. I had to. Because somewhere out there, my father was coming for me.

And until he arrived, I’d do whatever it took to survive in Ozias’s world.

Even if that meant saying I do to the devil himself.

I pushed the remaining food around on my plate. As hungry as I once was, my appetite had suddenly vanished. A question burned on the tip of my tongue—one I’d been too afraid to ask but I needed to know the answer to.

“Ozias, w-what happened to the bodies of all those innocent women you had murdered?”

He looked up from his plate, his dark eyes unreadable. “Excuse me?” he questioned, his brow furrowing slightly.

I clenched my fists under the table, frustration bubbling up inside me. “My best friend Samara was the woman who was beside me when that yoga instructor drugged and helped kidnap me. I want to know what you did with her body.”

I’d been wrestling on and off with the thought of my best friend’s lifeless body lying in the bottom of the ocean somewhere and her soul never truly being at peace.

A neutral expression masked Ozias’s face. “Are you sure you want to know the answer to your question, mi amor?”

“Yes. I want to know what happened to my friend, Ozias. I want to know what the man I’m about to marry is truly capable of,” I stated, leaning forward so that my eyes bore into his.

“Would it make you feel better if I told you I had my men carve the words return to sender into their chests before shipping them back to where they came from? Or how about if I told you I had their bodies burned and their ashes scattered in the ocean?”

Ozias took a sip of his coffee, seemingly unfazed by my intensity.

“I gave my men clear instructions,” he answered calmly.

“Take you at any cost and clean up the mess. Despite what you may think of me, I’m not here to make you my enemy.

Your father, on the other hand, is another situation in its entirety.

I wasn’t looking for a war, there is one on the horizon. I can feel it.”

“Me too,” I said softly, surprising both of us.

We fell into silence as he continued his meal. My thoughts raced with possibilities, plans, and prayers that my family would find me sooner than later.

I must’ve stayed idle too long because I caught him staring at me through the corner of his eye. “What?”

“Eat your food,” he demanded.

“I’m no longer hungry.”

“You need your strength.”

“I don’t care.”

“Damnit, Demi,” he roared, slamming his fist against the table so hard the silverware rattled. “Why the fuck must you fight me at every turn?”

“Because I hate you,” I stated matter-of-factly.

“Fuck it. I know what you need.”

I folded my arms across my chest in defiance as I leaned back in my chair. “What the fuck do I need?”

He grunted. “A fuckin’ attitude adjustment.”

Before I could respond, he shot to his feet and knocked everything off the table, making a loud, crashing sound as everything hit the polished floor beneath us.

Ozias grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of my seat.

In one swift motion, he tossed me on top of the table and ripped open my robe, revealing my naked body.

I didn’t object. I couldn’t. I was too busy trying to swallow the melon-sized lump in my throat.

“Ozias,” I said breathlessly, unsure if I wanted him to stop or go.

Regardless of my decision, he was going to do whatever he wanted to me, and the lust bubbling up inside me wouldn’t let me stop him.

My heart pitter-pattered in my chest as he spread my legs from east to west and buried his face into my center.

My body ticked forward, arching off the table.

I squirmed at the tickling feeling of his beard against my freshly washed skin.

“You smell so fucking good,” he mumbled while peppering soft kisses against my inner thigh.

Upon instinct, I bucked forward, eager to feel the familiar pleasure of his tongue against my folds and his soft lips gently sucking my clit. I couldn’t deny the fact that Ozias had a gift. From the way his long, snake like tongue flicked and lapped my sweet spot as if he’d been born to do it.

I opened my eyes long enough to look down at him, watching him slurp my pussy up like a chocolate milk shake. “Oooh shit,” I hissed, sucking in air through my clenched grid of teeth. “Don’t stop. Keep licking me.”

The sight of him between my legs alone had me ready to explode. And I did. It was hard, fast, and had me seeing fucking stars. It was then and there that I knew I’d never be able to escape that man. His tongue held too much power over me, let alone his strong hands.