Trapped In The Devil's Bed

The Vow Of Silence

Elara's POV

I was so eager for the end of the day. The flowers, the laughter, the romantic music were absent.

The ballroom was filled with men in black suits and women wearing diamonds that shimmered like ice shards.

They eyed us as if they were predators, searching for a c***k in the armor of the Rinaldi legacy.

I was a ghost in my own flesh. The dress was a work of art in white lace and silk that hugged my body and fell behind me like a funeral veil. A sheer veil masked my face, clouding the world around me into a white haze.

The music continued; it was a mournful, minor-key piano exercise and the doors swung open.

I walked down the aisle by myself. My father was not there; Dante had made sure of that. Each step was like walking off the edge of a cliff.

Dante stood at the altar, looking devastatingly handsome in his black tuxedo. His face blazed with triumph. I reached out to take his hand, but before I did, he reached out himself and flipped back my veil.

The officiant, a nervous-looking man who definitely knew whom he was marrying, began the ceremony. "Do you, Elara Vance, take Dante Rinaldi to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

The silence hung heavy. I looked at the people, then back at Dante. He tilted his head ever so slightly, the warning in his eyes. I thought of my mother. I thought of the debt.

"I do," I whispered, the words bitter in my mouth.

"And do you, Dante Rinaldi, take Elara Vance to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do,” he said, his words ringing out clearly across the high ceilings.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Dante didn't hesitate. He moved forward, his hand slipping around the back of my neck to ensnare me in his grasp. His lips were hard and flavored with premium scotch, taking my breath away.

The rest of the reception was a haze of forced smiles and stiff handshakes. Dante had his arm slung around my waist, his fingers digging into my hip as if to remind me of my position.

Hours passed before we returned to the estate.

I shivered as I entered the dark bedroom, lit by only a few candles. I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands shaking while I struggled to unfasten the pearls clutched at my throat.

Dante stood by the window, removing his tuxedo jacket. Looking at me through the reflections in the glass, he said, "You handled today well, Elara. You almost seemed like you wanted to be there."

“I hate you,” I spat out, finally managing to remove the necklace and let it clatter on the nightstand.

He laughed, a deep humming noise. "Hate is a very powerful emotion. I can work with hate," he said.

He turned to me, his shirt already undone. He moved to the bed with a smooth, deadly motion.

My breath froze and I crawled backwards to escape him until I had nowhere else to go.

His face itched in and I closed my eyes. His warm breath touched my skin then it disappeared.

I opened my eyes to see him push his hand into his pocket and produced a small, plastic card.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“A keycard to the door,” he said, waving it back and forth with his fingers.

“The only way out of this house without setting off the silent alarms.”

My heart skipped a beat. "Why are you showing me this?"

"Because I want to see how much you want your freedom," he said, his eyes glinting wickedly. "It’s yours if you can take it from me.”

He raised it, just out of reach. I didn’t think; I reached out, lunged for it.

He laughed and raised it higher. I leaped again and lost my balance, crashing on him.

Our bodies collided. My fingers touched the card, and then he backed away, and I staggered.

I lunged again, and my foot snagged on the hem of my dress. I stumbled forward and pressed my palms to his chest.

Dante’s towel came loose from his waist and dropped to the floor.

I froze, my eyes wide open. He stood before me completely naked, his body covered in tattoo ink.

I took in his face, my breathing coming in short, staccato bursts then I looked down, curious and gulped.

"Notice anything you like, Mrs. Rinaldi?" he teased, his voice full of amusement.

And I screamed loud, my face flushing red.