Page 4 of Wicked Devotion

Rowan walked directly to the minibar and pulled out a small bottle of scotch. “Who would like a drink?”

The other men raised their hands and sat down on the chairs in the room.

Rowan handed them a glass and sat on the sofa.

Rafael took a long drink. It had been one of the weirdest days of his life, that was for sure, and it still wasn’t over.

“What are you guys thinking?” Casen asked.

Rafael looked at Rowan and then back at Casen. “I’m hoping I didn’t make a huge mistake doing this for Franklin.”

The other two nodded.

Rafael opened his mouth to say something else when one of the bedroom doors opened. His mouth fell open as the triplets walked out, holding hands. They were dressed in short dresses that were tight at the top but flared at the bottom. None of them had shoes, so he could see his intended bride’s little toes with pink painted nails.

They looked identical except for the color of their hair and eyes. He’d never heard of or seen anything like it. All the women had long hair that flowed down their backs to the top of their butts.

His bride-to-be had very dark brown hair and blue eyes. All the women were pale, which set off their coloring even more. He figured some were their natural complexions, but some of it was because they were afraid of the unknown.

Casen stood and took a few steps toward the women and held his hand out. “I’m Casen.” He shook all their hands but stood in front of the redhead. “I am to be your husband.”

Rafael watched to see how this first meeting would go. He was surprised when she stepped forward, looked up at her fiancé, took his arm, and they moved off to a small seating area away from everyone else.

Next came Rowan. He stood and walked to the blonde and took her hand, and they moved away.

The last one stood and waited for him. Rafael could tell she was the most timid of the girls and he was pleased. He curled his finger at her. “Come here.”

She walked to him, sat where he indicated, and turned her upper body so she could face him.

“My name is Rafael.”

“I’m Faith.”

Rafael nodded. “Did your father tell you anything about me?”

Faith nodded. “He told me you were a good man, that you’d protect me, and to give you my trust.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“I trust my father to know what’s best for me.”

Rafael nodded, pleased. He set his arm on the back of the sofa behind her and took a long drink of his scotch. “So, you are okay being with a man you don’t know, Sweetheart?”

Faith nodded. “Where my father comes from, it is typical for the royal family to choose who the daughters are going to marry.”

“Do you find that old-fashioned in our modern world?”

She looked down at her lap and shrugged. “I’ve not really lived in the modern world. I’ve had to live in isolation with my sisters, mostly.”

“Why?”

“Before my stepmother took over, my dad protected us. He felt staying at home was the best way to go, so we were homeschooled and very rarely went out. When Eldora took over … she wanted us hidden for other reasons.”

“Do you know what those reasons were?”

Faith nodded, looked away, and bit her bottom lip. “She wanted to keep us pure, so she’d get more money for us.”

Rafael grasped her chin and turned her to face him. “Don’t let that bitch make you feel embarrassed. She’s the one who should be ashamed of herself.”

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