Page 14 of Reckless Promises

I’m fighting sleep whenthe car finally pulls to a stop.

Cillian’s door opens first, and he climbs out without looking back at me. And when it slams behind him, I’m alone for the first time today.

My father’s guards wouldn’t leave my side until we arrived at the auction, scared I might run. They didn’t understand escape was never an option. Because even if it meant selling my soul to stand on the auction block, I’d do it for my sister.

Last night I had a nightmare of roses. A wedding with wilted flowers and sharp thorns. A sign of all the things I didn’t see coming when I woke up. And now I belong to Cillian Cross.

Closing my eyes, I try to steady my racing heart with a deep breath, but all it does is fill me with the hauntingscent of his cologne. Something spicy with a hint of blackberries the longer I hold it in.

I remind myself that even if everything went sideways today, it changes nothing. The plan was always to escape my father, even if it meant handing myself over to someone else temporarily. Cillian’s complete disinterest in me, apart from how he can use me in his war, might work to my benefit. If I can at least bargain for my sister’s freedom when he destroys my family, it will all be worth it.

Assuming there’s a way to convince Cillian to show mercy.

My car door swings open, and the night air once more sends a shiver running the length of my spine. I stay seated for a moment before climbing out because I’m not sure what’s in store for me.

No matter how much my mother prepared me for this moment, I don’t feel ready. Not that I have a choice.

Until I’m in the ground, this isn’t over.

Smoothing my hands over the front of my white dress, I climb out of the car and find two women waiting for me.

“Ms. Bardot, welcome,” the older of the two of them says, taking a step forward. “I’m Darci, and this is Peyton. We’ll help you get settled.”

Darci reminds me of the majority of the women who work on my father’s staff. She’s direct and rehearsed. The only brightness on her freckled cheeks is a faint rosy hue from the chilled winter air. And she’s pursing her lips as she inspects me, frowning when she skims me from head to toe. It’s the same kind of disappointment I’m used to seeing from my mother.

“It’s late. Let’s get you to your room.” Peyton smiles.

While Darci is cold, Peyton’s smile is warm. And even if she’s quiet, and clearly smart enough to understand her role here, her welcome feels friendly.

“I need to get my things.”

“They’ve already been taken inside,” Darci says.

Of course they have. Just like my future husband, apparently, who isn’t out here waiting for me.

Following Darci and Peyton up the steep staircase, my feet ache with every step. There’s a blister forming on one of my heels, and it rubs harder after the rest my feet had on the car ride here.

Darci leads the way into Cillian’s manor, with Peyton on her heels, and when the door shuts behind me, the hollow echo stirs up the bile already rising in my throat.

I’m first met with a foyer that’s larger than my father’s living room. Everything from the décor to the art is grand. And while I was raised surrounded by expensive things, the Bardot family compound is nothing compared to Cross Manor.

Staff bustle around even though it’s the middle of the night. They weave in and out of hallways that break off in every direction. It’s a maze tucked into the middle of an endless snowy forest.

Nowhere to run. And even now, as I glance over my shoulder, Cillian’s bodyguards haven’t taken their eyes off me.

“Are you hungry?” Peyton asks, spinning to a stop in front of me.

A dark curl breaks free from her ponytail, unlike Darci’s tight red bun, and there’s life to Peyton—from her grin to the bounce in her step.

I shake my head. “No thanks.”

It’s been hours since I’ve eaten, but if I put anything in my stomach right now, I’m worried I’ll just throw it up.

Peyton glances to where I’m holding my stomach, and her smile falters just for a second. “You can call us anytime if you change your mind.”

“Come.” Darci is still walking ahead, not bothering to wait as she starts for a hallway on the left. “Your room is in the East wing.”

I pick up pace behind Darci and Peyton, following them around a corner into a long hall. And once we reach the end, Darci types a code to open the door to the wing.

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