“Why is it important to you?”
“It’s my life. Of course it’s important.”
Damon stepped around her. He moved some of the paperwork out of his way and sat down. “When we get married, I don’t want there to be any secrets between us.” He rubbed his hands together. This was the most he’d ever spent with one of the women betrothed to him. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her. Every waking thought was about her. His cock was in a constant state of hardness just to be close to her.
“What do you want from me?” she asked.
“The truth, but I can see you’re still too scared to trust me, so I’m going to be open and honest with you. I know.”
“What is it exactly that you know?”
“I know about the girls. The ones you save. The kids.”
Her mouth dropped open and she covered it with her hand.
“I know that after your fitting you went to a separate apartment building and there is someone you clearly care about. Now, I know there is more to you, Isabella, than meets the eye, but if I’m going to be able to protect you, I need to know all the details.”
“You don’t need to know anything.”
“I do. For your sake and for whoever you’re protecting.”
She paced the room and came to stop in front of him. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and protect her. Of course, he also wanted to fuck her brains out, that was a given.
“I don’t … this is hard. I, my dad, he knew. He was worried about it but so long as I wasn’t in any real danger, I’d be fine.” She ran fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. “I don’t know what to say right now.”
“Just the truth. You’re open and honest with me. I’ll do the same with you.”
“Is that how you want to play this marriage?”
“I don’t want to play anything. This marriage will be real. There will be no fighting or stupidity. It will be us against them.”
“The Family?”
“If it needs to be.”
She tucked her wild hair behind her ears. “I help women who have been tossed aside. They come to the Family by the black market, container ships, or some random girls they pick off the streets.”
“How do you find them?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I hear about shipments, and sometimes, I take them before they can be sold. If I can, I send them back home.” She pressed her lips together.
Damon was aware of lost women, some suspected of being dead. “All this time that was you?”
“I don’t always work alone,” she said.
“Who?”
She shook her head.
“Isabella.”
“I have a cop friend, okay?”
Damon looked at her in shock. All this time he’d been trying to protect her and there was a fucking silent target on her head. “Does Randy know?”
“Yes. My father knew as well.”
“And they didn’t try to fucking stop you?” This explained why her father said there were some things he needed to find out for himself. This was fucking one of them. Now it was his time to pace.
“Why would they stop me? We’ve got cops in our pocket all the time.”
“Not the kind of cops that will help you to protect these women, Isabella.”
“It’s not like that, okay? He’s not pumping me for money, or for anything. We’re not even friends. We’ve got an agreement. That’s all. You don’t have to start worrying about every detail.”
He shook his head, ran his fingers through his hair, and wanted to go and find her so-called protector and kill him.
“If the Boss has anything to do with your attempted murder, this is all he needs to get every single Capo on board. They won’t even need to hide their intention in secret. You will be killed. Tortured even, and there won’t be any kind of protection. Your dad won’t be there to stop them. They’ll just keep on going until the job is gone.”
“Are you trying to scare me?”
“No, I’m stating a fact.”
“I’ve been working with this man for over two years. He knows who I am and who I’m connected to. All he ever wanted to do was help. He knows how far the Family’s pockets go. He’s willing to do what it takes to help, that’s all. To stop them from hurting everything it touches. I give him what he needs and we help those women and kids. Some of them, Damon, they’re not even of legal age. Not that it’s right what happens. Do you agree with selling women? Are you on their side?”
“I’m not on anyone’s side, Isabella.”
“I don’t … I can’t marry you unless I know your stance on this.”
“Are you fucking real right now?” he asked.
“Yes!” She slammed her foot down.
“You know you look like a child right now.”
“I don’t care. I need to know what you think about the men who sell women. I need to know.”
He growled. She’d just revealed information that would put her up for the get-killed list, and she wanted to know if selling women were part of his morals. Fucking hell!
“If you must know, I don’t have a hand in selling women. It’s one area I’ve always disagreed on. Don’t mistake this for me accepting what you do. Some of the women, they come into the profession because they want to. Those are the kinds of women I don’t mind helping and dealing with. Taking, stealing, selling, hurting women or girls who want no part in this life, that’s where I draw the line.”
“Have you ever been with a prostitute?”
“Don’t ask me questions you don’t want the answers to.”
“Was she stolen?” she asked.
“Damn it, Isabella, drop it.”
“No! I’m asking questions I want the answers to. I’m not hiding behind anyone or anything. I want the truth and I’m willing to stand here to get it. Doesn’t that tell you something?”
“It tells me you’re fucking stupid!” He shook his head. “Yes, I’ve been with a prostitute. No, she wasn’t stolen. I was thirteen years old and my dad said I was to become a man. Most sons end up having their first time taken care of with an experienced whore. It’s just the way it goes. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
“Where are you going?”
“To find out who your fucking contact is.”
“Why don’t you just ask?”
Chapter Seven
“You look beautiful,” Henrietta said.
Isabella’s stomach twisted and turned as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. The woman staring back at her looked afraid. Her wedding day had come around way too soon. Damon had insisted on bringing the date forward. He wanted their names connected as soon as possible.
Her contact on the police force was still alive but he’d called her after Damon went to speak with him. Any time she called her contact, he was to get back in touch with him. He’d invaded her life, her meaning, what made her get up in the morning to help the people who were hurt.
She ran her hands down the silk wedding gown. It was really beautiful. No expense spared, just like everything else in their world.