Page 26 of His Stolen Bride

Everleigh laughed on the other side of the connection.

“Yes. Because you’re his wife. No matter what’s happening between you two, you’re a part of this family. So tomorrow night? Seven-ish?”

“Okay,” Vivian said and smiled when Everleigh cheered.

“Hey, just give it some time and I promise everything will be revealed. They’re all the same, these Knight brothers. It makes sense they would fall in love the same way. And Arabelle and I are proof of that. Plus, you’re gorgeous and we love you already and Belle and I aren’t above telling Elliot how it is.”

She didn’t want to bring Everleigh down by telling her Elliot knew exactly how it was.

“Can I bring anything?”

“No. Absolutely not. I’m making dessert only because that’s all the time Parker is allowing me in the kitchen and I miss doing that so much. So just bring your beautiful self and your handsome husband.”

They disconnected and Vivian was left with her thoughts. How long could she go on this way? She was already on borrowed time. She had to think about a way out.

She had spent the day reading and tidying up. Since she had asked the chef not to show up just to prepare her meals, she made herself a peanut and jelly sandwich but couldn’t bring herself to eat it.

She had completely forgotten about the gifts Everleigh and Arabelle had brought her. In her defense, she’d had her virginity taken and her world spun so far out of control that she couldn’t get back there.

She picked up the boxes and placed them on the table. The first one was filled with chocolate of the most decadent kind. She salivated for a piece but her appetite wouldn’t allow her a taste. She set that box aside in the hope she might actually want to eat a piece later on.

The second box contained the most exquisite lingerie Vivian had ever seen. It was nothing like the ones Deidre had picked out for her. She quickly closed the box. It was the same thing. Those kinda things were not in her future.

She opened the third box and gasped out loud.

She read the little handwritten note.

Rite of passage.

Everleigh gave me a box like this when she first met me. Now it’s your turn. Enjoy!

Leigh and Belle

Vivian picked up a few of the toys and continued gasping.

Oh my god.

She was so startled when the door opened and Elliot entered that in her attempt to hide the toys while she held two huge dildos in her hand, she ended up dropping the box to the floor. An array of sex toys scattered on the marble floors.

Horrified, Vivian bent to her knees and scooped them back up into the box. There was one more toy that had rolled away. She crawled toward it then stopped when the tip of Elliot’s shoe pressed down on it.

He bent, retrieved it, looked at it for a second then slipped it into his pocket.

Vivian took a gulping breath but she wasn’t allowed much else before ruined her again.

“Did you eat today?”

“I’m not hungry,” she said stiffly as she strode past him.

He curled his hand around her arm and brought her back to face him.

“I didn’t ask if you were hungry. I asked if you ate.”

“Get your hands off me,” she cried. She was red hot thanks to the sex toy incident and cranky as hell. Maybe because she hadn’t eaten.

“Answer the question.”

“You don’t get to ask me those questions. You can’t tell me what to do and you can’t tell me what to say. I’ll say his name whenever I want. Now let me go.” She struggled against him. As usual, he brought out every bit of her frustration. She wanted to… kill him. That would solve all her problems but the thought of never seeing him again…that’s what made her so mad.

---