Chapter 9 - The Ring
|
We left the Continental Club an hour later, the tension having remained at a knife’s edge the entire time. Volkov had tried to intimidate Dante, but Dante had simply smiled and dismantled every threat with quiet, lethal logic.
As Silas drove us back to the estate, Dante remained silent, staring out the window at the passing city lights.
“Did I do okay?” I asked softly, breaking the heavy silence in the back of the SUV.
Dante turned to me. His expression softened instantly. “You were perfect. Volkov didn't know how to read you. Your silence unnerved him more than any threat I could have made.”
He reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a small, black velvet box.
My heart stopped.
“Dante,” I breathed, staring at the box. “What is that?”
“Volkov noticed your bare left hand,” Dante explained, his voice entirely serious. “In our world, an unmarked woman is a target. If they think you are just a temporary companion, they will try to use you against me. They need to believe you are untouchable. Permanently.”
He popped the box open.
Resting on the velvet was a massive, flawless emerald-cut diamond, surrounded by a halo of smaller stones set in platinum. It was blindingly beautiful, catching the ambient streetlights filtering through the tinted windows.
“Give me your hand, Emma.”
I slowly raised my left hand, my fingers trembling. Dante took my hand in his, his calloused thumb gently brushing over my knuckles. With deliberate, reverent precision, he slid the heavy diamond onto my ring finger.
It fit perfectly.
“It’s for appearances,” I whispered, stating the logical fact to protect my own fragile heart.
Dante looked up from the ring, his silver eyes locking onto mine with a burning, undeniable intensity.
May you like
“For now,” he murmured softly.
The weight of the ring felt entirely different from the cheap band Marcus had given me. Marcus’s ring had felt like a shackle. This ring felt like a shield. I was no longer an invisible catering waitress. I was officially wearing the protection of the most dangerous man in Chicago.
