Page 43 of F*ck Steal Kill

Pulling on a white cotton dress, I pulled my dark hair back into a low ponytail. I dabbed on some perfume, slipped on my flats, and returned to my bedroom.

My father was no longer there, but my personal bodyguard was. He nodded, motioning for me to head to the main part of the house where we received guests.

I’d been fortunate to have Theo on my side these past few years. As far as ruthless killers went, he was the most decent. At 6ft, he was several heads taller than me, with broad shoulders and thick muscles. His beard covered most of his face, giving off a grizzly bear vibe. His brown hair was kept short, matching his chocolate eyes. I’d heard from some of the servants that he had a thing for my mom, making him a little softer toward me since I looked just like her.

Whatever the reasoning, I knew he’d shielded me from a lot of the darkness and helped me have as normal of a teen life as the Viper would allow. I’d been able to attend public school for high school, and his youngest son had been tasked as my accompanying guard as part of the Junior program. It worked to not draw attention to me with someone trailing me, letting me have a semblance of a normal life. Thanks to Lukas, I got to make a few friends, volunteer, and pretend like I wasn’t a Savage for eight hours of the day. It was the best four years.

But since graduation, all the freedom I’d had vanished, and my father was fixated on my looming birthday and the subsequent trade he planned to make.

“How’s Lukas?” I whispered as we walked side by side. I hadn’t seen his son since graduation, and I missed him. We’d grown close over the four years, and he’d become my true best friend… maybe more if we’d been allowed to explore our feelings. But we both knew that wasn’t in the cards for us… unless we managed to run away successfully.

Neither of us was placing our eggs in that basket just yet.

“He’s made it through the program. He’ll be graduating next week after he finishes his last job,” he replied, his eyes watching me from the corner.

I nodded, not liking what I’d heard but knowing there wasn’t anything I could do. Lukas and I were both powerless to our circumstances.

“He asked about you,” he said, catching me off guard.

“He did?” I smiled, unable to stop the blush.

“There’s not anything I need to know, is there, Ava? You guys haven’t…?”

I shook my head even though he didn’t finish the sentence. “No. We never. It’s not like that. I promise we never crossed the line.”

Except that was a lie.

We’d kissed once when we were kids, and again on the night of my graduation, the night he left for the training program for senior mercenaries. It had been the best and worst moment of my life.

Theo watched me, nodding as he turned back to the front. I didn’t know if he believed me, but he let it go for now.

The corridor came into view, and I spotted all the Savages present, the snake patch with a large S over it adorning their shoulders. I quickly looked around the room, trying to figure out which suitor was here. None of the options were good, but some were way worse.

A greasy man in his fifties smiled at me, his eyes tracking over my body as we approached. I could feel Theo tense next to me before stepping back along the wall with the rest of the men.

I lowered my head in reverence, staring at my feet as the man stalked around me. His hot breath skirted across my skin, and I had to control my body from shuddering in revulsion.

“How do I know she’s a virgin?” he spat. “Maybe I should have a test?”

I jerked my head up, my eyes wide with fear. No. This was too soon. I wasn’t ready.

“Absolutely not, Marquis! You know the rules, the same as all the other families. No one gets to touch her until they’re married. I promise on her life that she is untouched and have the medical examination to prove it. You wanted to see her, and now you have. Do you have any legitimate requests?” Viper hissed, pissed off he was being questioned. “You’re wasting my day with your obnoxious concerns.”

The small man vibrated with anger, letting me know everything I needed. This man would not be kind to me. If he didn’t beat and rape me to death, I’d end up killing myself to escape a future with him.

“I’ll be in touch,” Marquis said, storming out of the room.

My father stormed over to me, directing his anger at me. He gripped my chin so hard I knew bruises would be visible tomorrow. Good thing I didn’t see anyone.

“If you’ve lied to me and made me look like a fool, you’ll regret it. I’ll kill every single boy at that school. I’ll have all the animals slaughtered at that shelter. And I’ll make you watch every single second of it before letting every Savage have their way with you until you’re begging me to kill you. But I won’t. I’ll wait a month to see if you conceive; if you haven’t, I’ll let them all do it again until you do. Once you provide me with a replacement, then and only then will I kill you, letting you know I’ll be raising your child however I see fit. Do we understand one another, Daughter?” His voice was ice-cold, hatred and ill-intent ringing in every word he said. There was no doubt in my mind that he meant every single thing.

I’d always known he felt this way, but having him say it in front of his top men sent the message home. He had no feelings for me. Not an ounce of paternal love.

“Yes, Papi,” I whispered, my voice wavering as tears gathered in the corner of my eyes. “I promise I’m untouched. The doctor verified it, remember?”

He grunted, dropping my chin as he turned and marched out of the room, not looking back. I wasn’t worthy enough to deserve a response. He made the rules, and we all had to obey them.

A hand touched my shoulder, and I jumped, spinning around as I cowered. Theo lifted his hands, showing he wasn’t going to hurt me.

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