Page 144 of The Devil Can Be Kind

“It was still for sale?” I was only half listening as I took in the beautiful vehicle.

It had been almost eight months since I—well,Marco—had bought the Brabus…

He didn’t answer for a moment, stepping forwards to look around the car.

“No, I bought it the day your Brabus arrived.”

Shock must have been evident on my face as he snickered in response.

“And why exactly would you buy your hostage a Lamborghini?” I questioned, skeptical that he was telling the truth. It didn’t make sense for him to have bought me the car all those months ago.

He shrugged simply. “You’d looked so happy when your car arrived, I guess I just wanted to be the reason you’d smile like that again.”

I smiled in sudden understanding. “That’s why I couldn’t park in the garage wasn’t it?”

He shot me a sheepish look and I laughed, wandering over to him and wrapping my hands around his waist. I pressed my face against his silken shirt until his smell of spice hit my nose.

I sighed in contentment. “I love it. Thank you, baby.”

The next day,I had auctioned off my Hellcat and donated the money to charity. There was no need for me to keep all three cars. Even as spoiled as I was, I didn’t need three cars on the driveway just for me to get to and from work.

Jesse and my usual parade of security guards had come with me that afternoon when I went to try on wedding dresses from a local designer. It was too short notice to have something custommade like Marco had wanted, but I was happy to have something simpler. My tastes had changed over the course of the last few months and perhaps the old me would have wanted a $10,000 bespoke dress by a renowned designer, but something about it just didn’t sit right anymore.

The ladies at the boutique couldn’t quite believe their eyes when the four of us piled into their tiny store and I snorted out a laugh as the hulking great big men were forced to share a dainty little sofa opposite the pedestal.

They had watched me try on various gowns one after the other all afternoon. Jesse had been enthusiastic enough, though his tastes were questionable at best…Tom had passed out cold after he’d eaten his way through half the finger sandwiches and drank most of the champagne. Thankfully, Alonso was the most helpful of the bunch and actually made some insightful suggestions.

I surveyed my reflection in the mirror, certain that I had found my wedding dress but also certain of something else too.

I walked out of the changing room and over to the pedestal, just as I had with the numerous dresses before. Jesse let out a low whistle and Alonso’s smile almost touched his ears.

I grinned excitedly at both of them. “I think this is the one.”

“You look bea—” Alonso began, but was quickly cut off by an exuberant and over the top Jesse shouting,

“ARE YOU SAYING YES TO THE DRESS?!”

Tom stirred and groaned, still half asleep. “Shutup, Jesse!”

I chuckled as Jesse reached behind the man and smacked him on the back of the head, jolting him awake. Tom’s gaze focused after another second, and he finally looked over at me, letting out a quiet ‘wow’.

The dress was stunning. It was a simple A-line dress, made of liquid white satin. A strapless modern corset allowed the material to hug my features, before fanning outwards at thewaist into a simple skirt with a slit that rose up to my thigh. An elegant train fanned out behind me, rippling like water.

It was simple and elegant…and I had never looked so beautiful.

I looked over to the man that had become my closest friend over the course of the last few months.

“What, Bandit? You said it’s the one!” He enthused, standing and coming over to me.

I patted away a few stray tears and stepped down from the pedestal, enveloping Jesse in a hug. “It’s not that, I just figured something out is all.”

“That you’re…getting married?” He guessed and I felt him place a kiss on my head before pulling away.

I smiled, “It’s not that. For some time now I’ve been trying to think of some way to help other people.”

“Like your fundraiser?” He responded, retrieving a glass of champagne and bringing it over to me.

I took a small sip and nodded.

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