Marie Hudson
SHAY
I was sitting there, feeling the weight of six pairs of eyes on me. It was unnerving. Conner picked up a shot and downed it in one go.
“Your name is Shay, right?” His blue eyes seemed to see right through me.
I lowered my gaze, “Yes, sir. My full name is Shaylee, but my friends call me Shay.”
“I like that name,” he said, his smile softening the tension I felt. His voice carried a thick accent.
“Where are you from originally? Your accent is quite unique.”
“We’re originally from Italy. Born and raised. We moved here when we got older. Zane’s parents still live there, but we wanted to strike out on our own.”
Conner’s gaze held mine as he shared their backstory.
“Are you all friends or brothers?” They didn’t resemble each other at all.
Noah leaned forward in his seat. “We’re lifelong friends. We’ve known each other since we were kids. Our families are close, so we practically grew up together.”
“That must have been nice, always having someone to play with?” I asked, nervously fiddling with my fingers.
“We were always together. Zane’s parents are…” His voice trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.
I glanced at him, then followed his gaze to Zane, who was glaring at something with a murderous look in his eyes.
Noticing their empty glasses, I stood up.
“Where are you going?” Zane’s voice was harsh and demanding.
“You’re out of drinks. I was going to get you some more.”
“Not tonight, my love. You’re staying here to chat with us. I want to get to know you better.”
“Why do you call me that? It’s not my name.”
Zane smirked, a devilish grin spreading across his face. “Where we come from, we call women what we see. To me, you are ‘my love’.”
“I wish I could believe that,” I said, still standing and eyeing the curtain, hoping for a quick escape. “I don’t think I am.”
Zane was on his feet in an instant, stalking towards me. I jumped as he backed me up against the floor-to-ceiling tinted glass overlooking the dance floor.
“You don’t think you’re beautiful?” His breath smelled of cigarette smoke and tequila.
His eyes held mine as he waited for my response. He leaned in, his lips just millimeters from mine. “Well? I asked you a question.”
“I’ve been told by many men that I am, but there are many other women who are prettier than I am.”
I tried to control my breathing, which was now starting to quicken due to the heat of his body so close to mine.
“Why do you doubt yourself? Why do you think you’re less than others?” His gaze was intense.
“I just don’t see myself as untouchable. I know there’s always someone smarter, prettier, or more deserving than me.” I kept my voice steady.
He pushed himself off the glass and took my hand, leading me back to the chair where I’d been sitting just a few minutes ago.
“You need to see yourself as untouchable, because I am, and now you will be too,” he said.
“Excuse me?” I stared back at him, shocked. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re mine now, my love. You’ll be by my side as my girlfriend, and eventually, we’ll be married with children.”
I tried to bolt out of the room, but two men blocked my way. I turned to see Zane flick his wrist, signaling them to do his bidding.
“I’m not a prize to be won. I can make my own decisions about who I want to see and who I don’t.
“You know nothing about me, and you think you can just claim me like that?” I crossed my arms, standing my ground.
He stood up slowly, turning towards me with a look that sent chills down my spine. His words were laced with venom.
“That’s why you’re here, to get to know each other better.” He snapped his fingers and another man handed him a folder, which he opened.
“Let’s see, you’re Shaylee Morris, twenty-two, living at 2364 Parkinson Road. You live in an upscale apartment building, sixth floor, suite two.
“You own a six-year-old silver BMW that you just paid off. Do I need to go into where you were born, where you grew up, how much money you have in the bank?”
“How did you get this private information about me?” I asked, my arms falling to my sides as I looked at the folder in his hand.
He grinned, a devilish smile spreading across his face, and sat down with his back to me.
“Come, let me tell you about myself,” he said, pointing to the chair I’d been sitting in. I stayed where I was, not moving.
I saw his head nod and the two men grabbed me, forcing me into the chair and holding my arms back.
I was furious now and tried to fight them, but their grip was like iron. Zane glared at me with a cold, hard look.
“I won’t bite you, but if you don’t stop fighting my men, they’ll give you something to calm you down so we can talk properly.”
One of the men pulled out a syringe filled with a clear liquid. He showed it to me, and I stopped struggling.
“Good girl. Now relax, get comfortable, and we’ll have a nice little chat.”
I glanced around the room quickly. There were about seventy-five men milling about, but none of them came near us.
I nodded to Zane, and the men released me. I sank into the chair.
I'd never set foot in this room before. I took a moment to take in the opulence of it all, from the high-end furniture to the plush carpet beneath our feet.
“You were the one in the alley earlier, weren't you?” I asked, trying to steady my racing nerves.
Zane’s smile was all the answer I needed.
“Yeah, I was waiting for a buddy when you passed by. You caught my eye, and when I spotted you down here from my perch, I had Alec send you up. You're my company for the night.
“Now, let's get to know each other a bit better.”
With a snap of his fingers, the room cleared out, leaving only the two men who had escorted me here and the others I'd chatted with earlier.
If I had any thoughts of bolting, they were quickly squashed by the sight of the three men seated before me and the two standing guard at the curtain leading out of the room.
I let out a sigh and settled into the chair, readying myself for this so-called conversation.