Page 31 of Dance with the Devil

He stared into her eyes and smiled. “And why is that?”

“I’ve got you.”

She knew. Draven saw it in her eyes. They both knew she was pregnant. Neither spoke of it. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her.

Silence filled the car as words were not necessary. They had precious moments together. Days, maybe even a few months, before he’d send her away. Why did this have to happen to him?

He cupped her cheek, stroking his thumb across her bottom lip. Draven had been fine when he was alone. Dancing from one woman to the other. Then he had to go and meet Maria, Antwone had to fucking see his desires, and then her parents had to fuck everything up. There was no way he could have let her die. There was only one outcome that day that would have been acceptable to him, and he made it happen. Maria as his wife. He couldn’t have let her die.

The car came to a stop, jolting him out of his thoughts. He didn’t think, but opened the door and held his hand out for Maria. The biggest mistake he’d made was falling for his wife. No, the even bigger mistake was wanting her in the first place. Not wearing a condom. Giving into his needs to have her. All giant mistakes.

With Maria on his arm, they walked into the engagement party.

Draven didn’t much care for the couple. It was a young woman, just turned eighteen, who was engaged to the son of a capo, who was twenty-five years old. A strong union, and one Draven didn’t care for, but it had been considered an event to celebrate.

He already spotted Antwone. Seeing as it was one of his capos and he’d given his consent to this engagement, his presence was considered a royal event.

Draven hated this as he found himself growing more tense by the second, wondering if someone else would observe what Maria had found so easily. Over the past few months, his brother had found many reasons to come and visit him and Maria.

While he was inside his home, Draven no longer had to worry. Maria hadn’t said a word, and even when Antwone was there, she didn’t ask them questions. They were a family, in a strange way.

Draven wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist. The moment they had stepped inside the house, they’d become the topic of many conversations. A lot of the women couldn’t stand Maria. They felt she should have died the same as her family.

That was the reason for the jewelry. Draven wanted them all to learn exactly who he was, and who Maria was. They would show her respect, otherwise, he was going to fucking kill them all. Even if it meant pissing off his brother. Antwone would get over it.

She’s pregnant.

He needed a drink.

Draven had promised Maria he wouldn’t leave her side tonight. The last party they’d been to, he had no choice, and in doing so, she’d been left alone for a long time. No one would approach her.

He wasn’t going to leave her. Tightening his grip around her, he knew he was running out of time.

Chapter Nine

Maria knew she was pregnant. The morning sickness was a perfectly good indicator, but so was the pregnancy test kit she had seen on the counter that very morning. She didn’t know if one of the staff had gotten it, or Draven. Either way, she was terrified of bringing it up. He’d made his thoughts perfectly clear on the subject.

Waiters passed them, and Maria declined, instead opting for some water. For the past four months, they’d been in their own little world. A peaceful cloud, and that was fast coming down and crashing all around them.

She didn’t know what to do. The last thing she did want was to be sent away as if she was some kind of naughty girl for getting pregnant. Yes, they had used condoms, sparingly. They hadn’t been careful and had gotten away with it for at least two months. When she skipped her first period, she didn’t think anything of it, but now she didn’t know what to say to herself to calm those nerves.

She hated parties.

She’d lost count of the number of people who’d given her a death stare for simply existing.

Sipping her water, she spotted The Boss. Part of her wanted to ask his advice, but if she did say those words aloud, she knew Draven would send her away. The moment she even put their situation into words, this happiness would be snatched away from her, and that scared her.

Draven leaned in close and pressed a kiss to her temple. She loved when he touched her. There was a lot she had come to love about Draven. Waking up next to him in the morning. Even when he wasn’t right beside her. He seemed to enjoy waking her up with his tongue between her thighs. She had no problem with that. She loved his tongue, his hands, his mouth, his body, all of him. Every single part of him. She fucking loved him.

So, this was driving her crazy. This wasn’t fair. Which made her feel like a child.

Draven moved them around the small gathering of people, saying hello, greeting them. They had no choice but to include her. The women gave her deadly looks, while the men seemed to wear poker faces. She had tried to save these people, and yet they saw her as the enemy. She was never going to win with them. She didn’t even know why she bothered to try.

Maria had been loyal to this family.

By the time they got to Antwone, her stomach felt way too tight and her nerves were shot. If one more person glared at her, she felt like she was going to snap. She already knew they all believed she should be dead. To come from a family of traitors, she was their offspring and should have been dealt with accordingly. They didn’t know she could hear this as the women gossiped about her in the bathroom like it was the most natural thing. It was hard to ignore, but she found herself able to do so. Now, though, she wasn’t in a great mood.

Antwone took her hand, and kissed her on the knuckles. With Draven, he shook his hand. Maria didn’t leave Draven’s side, and she sipped at the water.

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