“A caveat?” he asks, intrigued.
I clench my jaw as memories of Raven on his arm come to mind. For years, the two of them were seen together, dating on and off again. I wish there was someone else better suited for the favor I need, but this fucker truly is the best of the best.
“I want them to stay out of sight. They are to protect someone without her knowing about it. I want all threats to her eliminated before they even have a chance to materialize. That includes men that harass her or that won’t take no for an answer. I don’t care how they do it, but the second she looks even remotely uncomfortable, I need someone to step in.”
He chuckles darkly, the sound fucking irritating. “Who is it that requires protection to that extent? Your fiancée? I thought we already put someone on her?”
I look up at my ceiling, an inexplicable hint of nerves running down my spine. “Raven Du Pont.”
He falls silent for a moment. “You would go to such lengths to protect her in secret?”
I close my eyes and inhale deeply. “I would.”
“It’ll cost you.”
“I’m sure it will.”
“One favor. To be called whenever I please, and you cannot deny me.”
I hesitate. Silas fucking Sinclair. He knows how much a favor from a Windsor is worth.
“Anything but that.”
“Then I suppose you’ll have to find someone else, Windsor.”
Fuck. This fucking asshole. “Did you ever even give a fuck about her?” I snap.
He laughs, the sound grating. “I did, and I still do. My wife and I both love Raven as though she’s family, and we always will.”
“Yet you demand such a high price for her protection?”
“I don’t mix business and my personal life.”
“That’s bullshit. You founded your entire company to find your wife.”
He laughs again, and never before have I been this tempted to punch someone in the face.
“Yes,” he admits. “Alanna is my only exception.”
“Fine,” I say through gritted teeth. “One favor. So long as it doesn’t harm anyone and doesn’t breach my personal values.”
“Done,” he says. “Raven will never realize some of the most skilled and ruthless men I’ve got are protecting her round the clock.” Then that fucker laughs again. “By the way, you should probably know that Raven has unknowingly had my protection for years now — for free. You just paid one hell of a premium just to keep men’s advances at bay, something I never bothered with. You should probably ask yourself why.”
Then he hangs up on me, leaving me fucking fuming. Fucking piece of shit.
Chapter Six
Ares
I’m apprehensive as I park in front of the Du Pont mansion. I should be looking forward to celebrating Hannah’s birthday tonight, but things just haven’t been the same between us in a while, and it’s becoming harder for me to ignore it.
With a mere month until our wedding, every issue we’ve ever had seems amplified. Perhaps I’ve just got cold feet, but it feels like more than that. Part of me wonders if the only reason she and I even started dating was the knowledge that we’d end up together eventually, through our arranged marriage.
Except… would we have? The woman my parents wanted me to marry was Raven. If I hadn’t… if that night hadn’t happened, would I be married to Raven now?
I run a hand through my hair and draw a shaky breath. It doesn’t matter now. There’s no going back in time, and cold feet or not, I’ll have to marry Hannah if I want to keep my job and my inheritance.
I steel myself as I get out of the car, feeling oddly out of it. I haven’t felt like myself lately, and I’m not sure why. It isn’t just about the wedding. It’s more than that.
“Ares!”
I look up to find Hannah’s father standing by the door, a wide grin on his face. It’s been a while since I last saw him, and I have no doubt he’s got a nice bottle of scotch to share with me. When it comes to my future father-in-law, I’ve hit the jackpot. He’s a genuinely nice guy, and he quickly became a second father to me. He makes my own father’s absence a little easier to bear. The pain of suddenly losing your parents never really goes away, but it dulls over time.
“Arthur.” I shake his hand before he ushers me in, the sound of laughter greeting us as we head toward the patio in the back.
“How’s work been, son? I’ve barely seen you around. You staying over tonight?”
I nod. “Work has been busy, but I’ve freed up the weekend.”
Hannah looks up when I walk toward her, my birthday gift in hand. Thankfully, it’s just a few of her closest friends and her family tonight. Larger events are too stressful for both of us, and lately it’s put a lot of additional strain on our relationship. Tonight is exactly what we needed.
I wrap my arm around her and lean in, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. “Hey, Han,” I murmur, before pulling away and holding up her birthday present.
“Ares,” she says, smirking. “I can’t wait to see what it is!”
Her friends surround her as she opens the box, all of them equally excited. All of Hannah’s friends are actresses too, so I can never tell whether any of their reactions are genuine or not.
“It’s beautiful,” she says. “Can you help me put it on?”
I nod and take the necklace from her, closing the clasp at the back. “Looks stunning on you,” I murmur, even as my mind flashes back to Raven holding it up against her.
She looks into my eyes and smiles. “I was wondering why there were paparazzi photos of Raven and you floating around. The two of you being spotted at a jewelry store sparked some really weird rumors. Turns out it was because of this.”
I nod. Ever since Raven became famous, she stopped going out as much, and I can see why. The media goes wild when they do catch her outside. These days I only really see her at the Windsor Estate or when she’s with Hannah. Fame hasn’t changed her the way it did Hannah — instead, it made her even more of a recluse.
Hannah’s friends all surround her as she shows off her necklace, and I sigh as I take a step back. It’s so rare for her to have a night off with her closest ones that I’m more than happy to give her space. I’ve got all night with her, after all.
I grab myself a drink and walk toward the swing in the corner, not even remotely surprised when I see Raven sitting on it, her eyes glued to her tablet. She’s no doubt drawing new designs for her fashion brand, and I smile to myself.
I sit down next to her, pushing the swing into motion, and she looks up, her eyes finding mine.
“Ares.” There’s something about the way she’s always said my name. It feels different. It’s a strange kind of addiction.
“Why are you sitting here all by yourself, Cupcake?”
She laughs then, the sound soft and refreshing amongst the fake laughter that surrounds us. “Are you really going to call me that for the rest of our lives?”
I nod. “I still vividly remember your cupcake keychain, the t-shirt, the pin on your bag. You were really into cupcakes.”
She glares at me, but there’s no malice in her expression. “I was fourteen, and I was going through a phase, okay? I guess I should be glad we didn’t meet when I was going through my emo phase. That would’ve been a disaster.”