Page 64 of Forgive Me For I Have Sinned

"Why is he here?" Jess asks in a snarky tone.

Dorian looks between Jess and me in mock surprise. "She hasn't talked about me?" Gia shakes her head, glancing at me. "My name is Dorian…Dorian Black. I believe we haven't been formally introduced. I'm Veronica's fiancé."

Anger spirals underneath my skin at that word. It is the last word I want to be associated with when it comes to Dorian Black.

"I missed you in your class. I wanted to take you out to lunch."

I inch away, sliding farther into the booth. "What for? You know the rules, Dorian."

"I don't think it matters, princess." He lowers his voice. "It wasn't like lover boy over their objected to the vote. He couldn't care less. After he's through fucking you out of his system, you belong to me. In sickness and in health."

I’d rather in sickness so I can die.

"I think you need to leave," Gia snaps.

He slides a black box on the table, and I look away. "In a minute, Mrs. Bedford, I want to give my future wife her engagement ring. She will be mine in every sense of the word in two months."

"What the fuck are doing here, Dorian?" Alaric asks in a harsh tone.

"I came to see my future wife and..." he flips open the black velvet box, revealing a black marquis cut engagement ring on a platinum band, "surprising her with her engagement ring."

My lips form a thin line. The ring is hideous; it reminds me of him, fake with no class. The center diamond is huge and oppressive. I remember seeing a pin on Pinterest of ugly engagement rings, and I saw one similar to this one.

Reid leans on the table to take a look. "Dude, that shit's ugly."

"I agree," Dravin chimes in, leaning over. He glances up at me. "It looks like a ring you find in a ‘This shit is ugly store,’ and no one wants it."

Jess looks away in disgust, and Gia blows a puff of air out of her mouth when she takes a look. "Who would wear that thing?" Jess says repulsively.

Dorian takes it out, and I hide my hands under my thighs. "She will. Because she will wear whatever I tell her to. In two months, she's mine." He turns to Alaric. "It wasn't like you cared so much about her. I didn't see anyone lining up to take her hand. They do like to have fun with her, though." I look away because as much as I hate him and want it to be a lie, it's the truth. But right now, he can't do shit about me being with Alaric, and I'll die before wearing his ring or going anywhere with him before I have to.

Alaric's jaw is set, and his eyes are full of rage. The little muscle in his jaw ticks rapidly back and forth. "You're just mad because I would never choose to be with you. I'd rather die than spread my legs for you."

Dorian's lip curled. "Too bad, I'll enjoy spreading them for you."

"Touch her, and I'll cut off your hands. I would be careful what I do next if I were you," Alaric warns.

Dorian leans back in the booth, as my eyes dart to Alaric. His gray eyes provoking Dorian. You couldn't see a crucial flicker that he wasn't serious.

"You're gonna threaten me for touching my wife."

"She isn't your wife, and I've done worse for much less."

Dorian smiles. "Like Gino? I heard he went missing."

Valen clears his throat. My stomach rolls over thinking about that day when he called me a bitch and a cunt. What did Alaric do?

"I don't know what you're talking about. I…canceled his contract."

Dorian moves to slide out of the booth. "Canceled his contract." He repeats like he's thinking it over. "I like it. Well, I gotta go. I have a business to run." He glances around until his eyes reach me. "My lawyers will be in touch, princess."

Dorian starts to move away, but then turns and comes back. I reach for the ring and throw it at him, causing him to flinch when the ring drops to the wooden floor like a nickel. "I knew you were coming back because you forgot something."

He knows I would never want to marry him after what he did. He made sure kids in school would put tampons in my locker. I overheard Crystal Mathison say it was Dorian Black that told the incoming freshman football players going to Ohio to do it. I thought Alaric was behind it, but Alicia said he wasn't. He just wanted nothing to do with me. Dorian never had a reason. When the Order voted for him to marry me, I knew something was behind it because I would never go out with him or give him the time of day. Dorian Black and his father are like a disease. There is no cure for their form of cancer. They just keep coming back.

Dorian's eyes are slitted, unemotional, aimed right at me, promising me that he will make me pay. He doesn't bend to pick up the ring; he simply smiles. A smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "You're mine, Veronica. And deep down, you know it."

"Yeah, I can tell she is ecstatic," Draven says morosely. "Get off of it, man. Everyone knows she wouldn't look at you if things were different. It's bad enough we have to listen to you. Take your ring and get the fuck out of here before we all lose our patience."

---