THE CONTROL: An Arranged Marriage Romance by Elena Monroe (ebook reader android .txt) 📕

I knew him better than anyone, so when he stomped in, I simply kept working and greeted him like it was inconvenient. “Vic. Need something?”

Waiting for the soft close of the door behind him, he waited silently with his arms closed. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

The emancipation of myself was coming earlier than I expected and it was my own fault, not because I was distracted by my soon-to-be wife.

Glancing his direction with my eyebrows perked up, I waited for an explanation of his presence. “What? I didn’t threaten, fuck, marry, or kill the bitch. Do you want me to apologize for her bleeding heart ruining my office rug?”

Vic broke his serious look that erupted into laughter when he folded at the knees. The Vic I knew before Justice didn’t even crack a smile unless it was a part of his master plan.

Now he laughs for the fucking fun of it.

Can’t say I’m into it. I’m actually rethinking our mutually assigned destruction buddy contract.

His fit of laughter broke when he snapped upright, closing the shade like my office wasn’t already private, dark, and off limits. Stepping with his light, agile feet towards the desk, I swallowed hard recognizing the look in his eye: deranged and protective.

I had seen it before, but never before Justice. He picked up the sphere on the corner of my desk and stole my gaze that was caught up in his silence. “Let me be clear. Justice is off limits in your fucked up games you like to play with people. Got it? I wouldn’t want to hurt the only person I trust.”

I should have challenged him, told him how much I welcomed pain with open arms, how much it wouldn’t rival the hurt already blooming inside my cold, dead heart but I didn’t. I let him fill the room with his vigilance in protecting the one piece of happiness he had.

“We done here? Between you and the band of cohorts, I’ve gotten zero done.”

“Bachelor party this weekend. Khaos’s idea, so mentally prepare for that. There’s no getting out of it. We have to celebrate your last days of freedom,” he tossed over his shoulder when he yanked my office door open to leave.

Rolling my eyes, I leaned back when I heard the band of cohorts outside my office louder than the demons in my head, forcing me to stand up and ignore the bullshit laid out in front of me. Khaos was going to have to wait to be slapped down when I headed straight for the door, pulling it open to have a perfect view of the front desk.

Eve was standing at the desk with a brown paper bag in her hands waiting to be helped as Khaos strutted his way over to her like the fucking welcome wagon he was for the Clave.

The cohorts were whispering to themselves, trying to figure out who the girl was when I sliced through their wonderment, breezing by them.

Grabbing the back of Eve’s elbow, I spoke in a low voice, “What the fuck are you doing here?” I started leading her away from the desk and back towards the elevators.

I wasn’t even sure how she got past security. This building was sealed tight and off limits in a way that kept the elite separated from the rest of the world. We only found out later that Grace and Dove ended up inside through their own set of skills.

Having a background in gangster really did open doors, literally.

Her fingers held onto the bag tightly when her voice shook, “I brought you lunch, you forgot your pancakes.” I could see her gaze looking right past me and at the group of girls that were no doubt still watching.

Stopping in front of the elevator, I still pinched her elbow between my fingers as I pressed the button commanding the elevator. “I don’t eat, and I told you I didn’t want you too close to the Clave. Remember the other night? It’s dangerous. How did you even get here?”

Pretty Princess mode diminished against my cold tone. Her defenses were up, as they should be, when she retorted, “Well, we have Uber in Denmark, and I was around this my whole childhood, Bowen... what’s so secret here?”

The elevator doors opened, but she didn’t budge. “We’ve already talked about this, Eve. You know now that the Clave is so much worse than we ever dreamed, that’s why I need you as far away from here as possible.”

Leaning against the door so they wouldn’t close, she refused to leave. “Who are the girls? Why are they not being escorted out, Bowey?”

Looking over my shoulder, the girls had somehow gotten closer. “Vic, Khaos, and Grimm’s wives-” before I could warn her off, the girls were broaching the elevator and standing inside its doors.

Justice had an I won twinkle in her eye that was unmistakable when she crossed her arms over her chest. “Better luck next time, Bowen. We’ll make sure she gets home.”

Fuck.

If those girls were catalysts then Eve would be the increase in temperature that was going to speed up the reaction. No amount of Pretty Princess would ever change how much trouble stuck to her motivations like glue.

EVE

The elevator doors closed on Bowey, but I could feel the tension and anger even with a thick layer of steel between us.

The girl with pink hair who had the last word against Bowen, which I’m sure wasn’t a normal occurrence, leaned against the railing, staring at me. Keeping my eyes forward, I cleared my throat and waited for a barrage of questions to hail down over me.

The silence swelled before I pivoted into my heel and faced them, taking matters into my own hands even though I was biting back the real