Page 9 of Villainous Soul

“And you’re naïve enough to think those policies are upheld. Do some research. The atrocities associated with diamonds still occur, and regulations aside, most jewelry companies don’t know where their diamonds come from.” She took a silver band from her right hand and switched it to her left ring finger. “I’ll wear this.”

It was a fucking Claddagh ring engraved with a heart, crown, and two hands, a sentimental trinket symbolizing love, loyalty, and friendship. “No one would believe I gave you that. It can’t cost more than twenty pounds. My guests won’t give a fuck about your cause. They’ll expect a proper ring.”

“You’re pathetic, and you didn’t strike me as someone who cared what people thought.”

“Enough,” I yelled, grabbing her face in my hand. She had hit a nerve. She was right. I normally didn’t care what people thought. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I did, but this weekend was different. They would be looking for anything that looked amiss with this engagement.

Her eyes were round with fear, but she didn’t back down. Instead, she pushed my hand away. “The way I see it, we both get to negotiate the terms of our agreement. This is a hard line for me.”

I smiled wickedly. “You have to have a contract to negotiate terms, but if we did, are you sure you want that to be your hard line,” I said, running my thumb across her bottom lip.

She looked down at the ring, clearly understanding my meaning. “Yes.”

I brought my mouth down on hers hard, plunging my tongue into her. This time I would show her no mercy. This time she would remember who was in charge when she tried to play her silly games. A soft sigh caught in her throat as I slowly ran her lip between my teeth. My mind wandered at the innocent sound, and I was shocked to find myself wondering who gave her the silver ring and what it meant to her.

ChapterFive

EVIE

The jolt of the tires on the runway announced our arrival as the plane skidded to an abrupt stop. I looked down at my ring and thought of my mother. I hoped I could conjure an ounce of her strength. I had won this battle for now, but I knew Keir wouldn't let me win another one. His retribution would be swift.

Simon handed me a burgundy coat and black gloves, watching me put them on. "Will you call Claire and tell her where we are when you find out?"

"I can't," he answered. "They took our phones, and we are being taken to a private house where we have to stay for the weekend."

"Did Claire know this was going to happen?" I asked, hating myself for thinking she would set me up.

"No. Nobody knew. Just do as he asks, and it will be fine."

"That's easy for you to say."

I picked up the black Channel clutch off the table.

"Evie, it will be okay," he repeated, squeezing my shoulder.

I nodded. Keir was waiting for me at the exit, and he took my hand, holding it tighter than necessary as we descended the stairs. Nothing could save me now. Whatever was going to happen lay ahead of me, and there was no point looking back. Outside, the wind blew in strong gusts, cutting through the thick wool of my coat. I looked around, trying to get my bearings. Keir was right. The airport was nothing more than a building with a runway no longer than a thousand feet. Three black helicopters stood off in the distance.

My heart sank when we reached the bottom, and two men wearing black suits and trench coats met us and led us over to them. This, unfortunately, wasn't our final destination.

"Mac, this is my fiancée, Evie Young," Keir said, introducing me to the older gentleman. "Evie, this is my bodyguard Mac."

Mac gave me a bow with his head. "Nice to meet you, lassie."Lass. Keir had called me that on the plane. I almost forgot about it until this gentleman spoke. He was Scottish. That would explain the slight lilt I detected earlier. The length of the flight would match up with Scotland.

"And this is Brendan," Keir continued with the introductions. I smiled at the young man, placing him close to my age. He just nodded.

"You and Evie will be in the first bird with me. Alan and Brendan will follow in the second," Mac explained. "And the third will have luggage."

"Very good. The sooner we leave, the better. The others will be arriving soon enough," Keir said. He helped me into the helicopter. I fastened the harness while he checked my straps and handed me a headset before getting in himself. The captain announced our takeoff, and soon we were lifting off. I looked out the window. Below us lay a small village on the ocean's edge, with small farms dotting the landscape. No large city was to be found. If we were in Scotland, we would only be for a short time as we were headed out over the ocean. A large flat slab reef could be seen with heavy barreled waves forming perfect tubes until they crashed toward the shore. The farther we got, the more despair I felt until no land could be seen. I looked at Keir, but his face was like stone, giving nothing away.

Soon he was pointing to something out in the distance. "Look, it's the archipelago."

"What's an archipelago?" I asked, not familiar with the term.

"It's a group of islands. There's over seventy of them in this group."

"Is this where we're going?" Clear turquoise ocean surrounded the different islands, each with its own unique land mass ranging from tranquil farmland to sandstone cliffs and pebbled beaches. It was stunning, and I almost forgot for a second that I was being forced into this situation.

"No," he said bluntly. "It's not."

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