Chapter 5

Lisa

Her dark eyes are wide and unblinking as she stares at me, and I know exactly what her choice will be. As far as her parents are concerned, she'll be the happiest bride in the world.

She'll put on the best act of her life.

Anger and something else—something I don't care to examine closely—churns in my gut at the thought. Rationally I understand her hesitation. I know what I am, what I have done to her. A smart woman would run as fast as she could—and Jennie has always been smarter, more perceptive than most.

She's also young. I forget that sometimes. In the comfortable world, few women get married at her age. It's possible that marriage is not something she thought about yet; in fact, it's likely, given that she had been in high school when I met her.

Rationally I understand all that . . . but rationality has nothing to do with the savage emotions seething under my skin. I want to string her up, whip her, and then fuck her until she's raw and begging for mercy—until she admits that she's mine, that she can't fucking live without me.

I don't do any of that, though. Instead I smile coolly and wait for her decision.

She inclines her head in a small nod. "All right." Her voice is barely audible. "I'll do it. I'll tell them all about our love affair."

I conceal my satisfaction. "As you wish, my pet. I'll have Bambam set up a secure connection for you."

And leaving her standing there, I walk over to Bambam to discuss the logistics of that specific operation.

I ask Padre Diaz to give us an hour before starting the ceremony and then sit down on one of the benches, giving Jennie some privacy to talk to her parents. Of course, I'm monitoring her conversation through a little bluetooth device in my ear, but she doesn't need to know that.

Leaning back against the wall, I get comfortable and prepare to be entertained.

Her mother picks up on the first ring.

"Hi Mom . . . it's me." Jennie's voice is cheerful and upbeat, practically brimming with excitement. I stifle a smile; she's going to be even better at this than I thought.

"Jennie, honey!" Julia Kim's voice is filled with relief. "I'm so glad you called. I tried calling you five times today, but your phone kept going to voicemail. I was about to go over there in person—oh, wait, what number are you calling from?"

"Mom, don't freak out, but I'm not at home, okay?" Jennie's tone is soothing, but I wince internally. I don't know much about normal parents, but I'm pretty sure saying the words 'don't freak out' ensures that they do exactly that.

"What do you mean?" Her mother's voice immediately sharpens. "Where are you?"

Jennie clears her throat. "Um, I'm in Colombia, actually."

"WHAT?" I flinch at the earsplitting shout. "What do you mean, you're in Colombia?"

"Mom, you don't understand, it's great news . . ." And Jennie launches into an explanation of how we had fallen in love on the island, how devastated she had been when she'd thought I was dead—and how ecstatic she was to learn that I'm alive.

After she's done, there is only silence on the phone. "Are you telling me that you're with her now?" her mother finally asks, her voice hoarse and strained. "That she came back for you?"

"Yes, exactly." Jennie's tone is jubilant. "Don't you see, Mom? I couldn't really talk to you about any of this before because it was too difficult—because I thought I'd lost her. But now we're together again, and there's something . . . something amazing that I have to tell you."

"What is it?" Her mother sounds understandably wary.

"We're getting married!"

There is another long silence on the other end of the line. Then: "You're getting married . . . to her?"

I suppress another smile as Jennie starts trying to convince her mother that I am not as bad as they think—that it was a combination of unfortunate circumstances that resulted in her kidnapping and that things are very different between us now. I'm not sure if Julia Kim is buying this, but she doesn't really need to. The recording of this conversation will be distributed to key individuals in certain government agencies, helping soothe their ruffled feathers. I'm too valuable for them to fuck with, but it still doesn't hurt to play along. Perception is everything, and Jennie as my wife is much more palatable to them than Jennie as my captive.

I could've married her earlier, but I was trying to keep her hidden, keep her safe. That's why I abducted her and took her to my island: so no one would find out about her existence and her importance to me. Now that the secret is out, however, I want the entire world to know that she's mine—that if they dare touch her, they will pay. News of my vendetta against Al-Quadar is starting to filter through the sewers of the underworld, and I've made sure that the rumors are even more brutal than the reality.

It's those rumors that will keep Jennie's family safe—that and the security detail I put on her parents. It's unlikely anyone would try to get to me through my in-laws—I'm not exactly known as a family man—but I am not taking any chances. The last thing I want is for Jennie to grieve for her parents the way she's still grieving for Sorn.

By the time Jennie is wrapping up her conversation, Padre Diaz starts getting impatient. I give him a warning look, and he immediately stops fidgeting, all visible traces of annoyance fading from his features. The good Padre has known me since I was young, and he knows when he should exercise caution.

When I glance in Jennie's direction again, she waves to me, motioning for me to approach. I get up and walk over to her, turning off my bluetooth device on the way. As I get close, I hear her saying, "Listen, Mom, let me introduce you to her, okay? I'll ask her to put us on video—that way it'll be almost like we're all meeting in person . . . Yeah, we'll connect with you in a couple of minutes." And hanging up, she looks up at me expectantly.

"Bambam." I barely raise my voice, but he's already there, carrying a laptop with a secure connection. Placing it on a windowsill, he props it up so that the little camera points at us. A minute later, the video call is established, and Julia Kim's face fills the screen. Alejandro Kim—Jennie's father—is behind her. Both pairs of dark eyes immediately turn toward me, studying me with a peculiar mix of hostility and curiosity.

"Mom, Dad, this is Lisa," Jennie says softly, and I incline my head with a small smile. Bambam walks back to the other end of the room, leaving us alone.

"It's very nice to meet you both." I purposefully keep my voice cool and steady. "I'm sure Jennie has already filled you in on everything. I apologize for the speed with which this is happening, but I would love it if you could be a part of our wedding. I know it would mean a great deal to Jennie to have her parents present, even if it is remotely." There is nothing I can say to the Kim's to justify my actions or make them like me, so I don't even try. Jennie is mine now, and they will have to learn to accept that fact.

Jennie's father opens his mouth to say something, but his wife elbows him sharply. "All right, Lisa," she says slowly, staring at me with eyes eerily similar to her daughter's. "So you are marrying Jennie. May I ask where you're going to be living after that, and whether we're going to see her again?"

I smile at her. Another smart, intuitive woman. "For the first few months, we'll probably be here, in Colombia," I explain, keeping my tone light and friendly. "There are certain business matters that I have to take care of. After that, however, we'd be more than happy to come for a visit—or to have you visit us."

Julia nods. "I see." The tension on her face remains, though relief briefly flickers in her eyes. "And what about Jennie's future plans? What about college?"

"I will make sure she gets a good education and has a chance to pursue her art." I give the Kim's a level look. "Of course, I'm sure you realize that Jennie doesn't need to worry about money anymore. Neither do you. I am more than comfortable, financially, and I always take care of my own."

Alejandro Kim's eyes narrow with anger. "You can't buy our daughter—" he starts saying, only to be elbowed into silence again by his wife. Jennie's mother clearly has a better grasp on the situation; she realizes that this conversation could just as easily not be happening.

I lean closer to the camera. "Alejandro, Julia," I say quietly, "I understand your concern. However, in less than a half hour, Jennie will be my wife—my responsibility. I can assure you that I will take care of her and do my best to ensure her happiness. You have nothing to worry about."

Alejandro's jaw tightens, but he remains silent this time. It's Julia who speaks next. "We would appreciate it if we could talk to her on a regular basis," she says evenly. "To make sure she's as happy as she seems today."

"Of course." I have no problem making that concession. "Now, the ceremony is starting in a few minutes, so we need to set up a better video feed for you. It was a pleasure meeting you both," I say politely, then close the laptop.

Turning, I see Jennie watching me with some bemusement. In the long white dress and with her hair all done, she looks like a princess—which I suppose makes me the evil stealing her away.

Inexplicably amused by the thought, I lift my hand and run my fingers down her baby-soft cheek. "Are you ready, my pet?"

"Yes, I think so," she murmurs, staring up at me. They did something to her eyes, those women I hired, making her eyes seem even larger and more mysterious. Her mouth also looks softer and shinier than usual, utterly fuckable. A sharp surge of lust catches me off-guard, and I force myself to take a step back before I do something sacrilegious at my own wedding.

"The video is all set up," Bambam informs me, coming up to us.

"Thank you, Bambam," I say. Then, turning toward Jennie, I take her hand and lead her toward Padre Diaz.