Vivienne's POV

I stood in front of the vanity, still wrapped in nothing but a silly robe I hadn't bothered to tie properly. The dim golden lightning in Ronan's bedroom cast a soft glow on my bare thighs as I stared at my reflection, unmoving.

Makeup lay on top of the glossy surface, and with the dresses spread and strewn across the bed, one would think a tornado had just rocked these four walls, but I knew better. I'd tried to pick out something earlier, something that made a statement, something that matched tonight's vibes, but everything I picked was either screaming too much or not enough.

And fun fact, I didn't want to go. At all.

I didn't want to go to some party with leather clad men and hungry eyed women. I didn't want to be anywhere near a place where I was going to have to be all smiles and pretend like I belonged on Ronan's arms.

Because I didn't. I wasn't his queen. I was just a pawn, a part of a deal that I was seriously starting to regret and ...

The sound of the bedroom door swinging open was all it took to pull me back to the present. I didn't even need to turn to figure out who it was. The sound of boots pounding behind me was enough.

I kept my gaze on anything but the mirror. There was a good distance between us, and while that was slightly preferable, I wasn't ready to lock eyes with him yet. Not when I was in nothing but a thin sheet of clothes.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?" his deep commanding voice cut through the silence. "I told you to be ready by seven."

"Because I'm not going." I inhaled sharply, keeping my voice firm. I clenched my hands into fists, just grabbing the hem of my robe.

Even in a million years, I wasn't sure I was ready to be paraded like some trophy, just so Ronan could prove a point.

A wave of silence settled between us, but it was gone in the blink of an eye. The sound of his boots inching closer reached my ears, and I inhaled sharply. My spine stiffened, but I refused to move. I felt him behind me before he even touched me, his heat licking at my skin.

"Not an option, princess." his voice was dark, dripping with amusement. His breath fanned the shell of my ear, and I fought the urge to shiver. " You're my wife now, and that means showing up by my side, no matter how much you pout about it."

"I didn't agree to be some kind of decoration for your little empire." I let out sharply, but all he did was chuckle. "I'm not going."

I had no idea what I was thinking. In all honesty, I didn't even think it through. It was hard enough that Ronan's presence was suffocating, having him behind me and dangerously close too, wasn't something I was sure I could endure.

I turned, wiggling at the right angle and resting against the vanity like it could hold me up for long. In my attempt to escape him, I'd unintentionally placed myself in his line of vision. He must have read my mind, because a sly smirk made its way to his lips immediately.

Shit.

Ronan's gaze raked down the length of my robe, his eyes lingering on the undone fabric and bare skin. His lips quirked in a way I found dangerous but sexy. "And why's that, wife?"

"Because I'm not your trophy." I straightened. "I don't owe anyone who's related to you, a performance tonight."

"This marriage was never just about you and me." He took a slow step forward, before leaning in even closer. He looked like a predator cornering prey, and I hated that I knew which category I fell under. "It's about power. Territory, perception. You walking in on my arm sends a message tonight."

"I don't care about your damned message." I snapped. "Im not going to parade around like some prize."

I moved to step past him, but he was faster. In a matter of seconds, his palm slapped against the wall behind my head, caging me in place.

"You're not going?" his voice dropped to a whisper, but it didn't make the edges any less blunt. His breath kissed my cheek, so close I could almost taste it. "That's cute."

Ronan's gaze dipped, trailing lazily over my lips before flickering back to my eyes. Amusement and something dangerous dances behind his orbs, but I pushed them aside.

"Tell me." He murmured, tilting his head to the side. " Is it that you don't want to go, or you don't trust yourself around me?"

My breath caught in my throat, and my pulse scattered across my skin, but I managed to mask it all.

"You wish." I scoffed in his face. "You're delusional."

He said nothing in response. Instead, he just stared at me, his eyes drinking in every part of me. While he was enjoying every bit of the show, I refused to look at him. My skin was on fire and my insides were starting to turn to mush, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of finding out.

"Move." I blurted out, but not with the vigor I'd imagined.

"No." His response was sharp, and he leaned in closer.

"Tell you what," Ronan said, his mouth ghosting over my ear. " Let's play a game."

"What?" I blinked back in confusion. I wasn't sure which was more confusing, his suggestion or the things his scent was doing to me. He smelled accurately of smoke, whiskey and something fruity. It was a weird combination, so maybe that's why it threatened to override my senses.

"If you can stay still," he whispered. "and not react to what I do next, you can stay here."

"But if you react once," his fingers trailed lightly down the side of my neck, sending a violent shiver through me. "You're mine tonight. In every sense of the word."

"That's ridiculous." My lips parted. "That doesn't...."

"Is it?" His hands slipped into my robe, cutting me short. He brushed the bare skin of my waist so gently, I couldn't help but stutter. "Still want to play, sweetheart?"

"I'm not going anywhere." I clung to the vanity, my fingers clenching against its edges. Like that was going to change anything, I let out through gritted teeth. "I'm not going."

"You'll just have to prove it then."

His fingers trailed lower, slipping under the silk and skimming my thighs.

"Your heart's racing." He added, his voice pure sin and amusement dancing in his words. "You like this?"

"No, I don't." The lie tumbled past my lips faster than I could catch it.

Again, he dipped his head, his lips just barely grazing my collarbone. I jolted in response, a low moan bubbling at the back of my throat, and just like that, I'd lost.

"You flinched." He smiled, triumph shining in his eyes.

"That doesn't count..."

"Yes, it does, princess." He pulled away, just enough to take every inch of his body warmth with him. Without blinking, he grabbed a dress off the bed and it just happened to be the one I'd been avoiding.

It was blood red, and the perfect definition of sin.

"Put this on." He tossed the dress at me. "I'll be back in ten."

"I hate you." I glared at him.

"You'll hate me more when I show you what kind of party it is." His smile widened. "Ten minutes, or I'm dressing you myself."

And with that, he walked out, leaving the door wide open and my heart pounding like war drums in my chest.

I looked down at the dress in question

I was really going to the damn party, and deep down , a part of me already knew I wasn't coming back the same.

Vivienne's POV

I already knew this was a mistake even before he forced the words down my throat, but what did I do? I went ahead with it.

Did I regret it? Yes

Was this going to be the end of such horrible decisions? Not at all.

I was screwed.

Really.

My eyes landed on the dress still sprawled on the bed. For the next couple of seconds, I deliberated my options.

One, actually wear the dress before Ronan's ten minutes were up, or two, shred it into pieces till it was completely unwearable for the party.

While the second option sounded plausible, it didn't take me more than a second to figure out the downside. Ronan was unpredictable, and no matter how much I thought I knew about him, which was little by the way, I just knew I would never be able to outsmart him, or play him from underneath his nose.

If I tore up the dress, I wouldn't put it past him to make me go in my underwear or anything more revealing. Yes, he was crazy that way, and for some strange reason, I found it exhilarating.

I already had one leg in the blood red dress when the door creaked open beside me.

Ronan.

How had ten minutes gone by so quickly?

Shit.

I gulped, not knowing what else to do or how to react. He'd given me ten minutes, and I was nowhere near done. What was he going to do?

Drag me out like this? Give me a little more time, or was he really going to dress me up like he said?

A shudder raced down my spine at the thought, but thankfully, I didn't have to dwell on it for a second longer.

Ronan's shadow spilled into the room first, followed by the man himself. Leather and danger clung to him like a second skin, and I wouldn't be exaggerating when I said he looked untouchable. He had his signature smirk on his face, the one he always wore as a crown, and hell, it suited him really well.

His gaze locked on me in the mirror, and I couldn't bring myself to avert my gaze, no matter how hard I tried. I was half dressed and a flustered mess, with my heaving chest giving it all away.

He was having a darn good time and he didn't even bother to hide it. Like that wasn't enough, I watched his eyes darken, slow and deliberate, as he dragged them over my body.

Get a grip on yourself, woman.

"Well, well, well." He drawled. "When I said ten minutes, I wasn't expecting a show in return"

A scowl made its way to my face, and I found myself pulling up the dress faster than I intended. His eyes lit up in amusement, and I fought the urge to slap it right out of his eyes. It was a little too late for modesty, but the least he could do was to rub it in my face.

"You said ten minutes." I huffed. "You're early. Why?"

"And you're still not ready." I hated the way there was a hint to his voice, one I just couldn't place my finger on, no matter how hard I tried.

Was it anger? Irritation, or something else? Did he mean it, or was he only trying to get a rise from me as always?

Without waiting for so much as a response from me, he crossed the room like he owned it, like he owned me., before coming to stand behind me at the vanity.

Our eyes met in the mirror, and in a flash, it felt like a repeat of what had just happened some minutes ago.

I hated how my breath hitched in my throat and how breathless I felt. I hated how the heat between us refused to die down. Hated how.....

Ronan reached for the zipper at the back of my dress without asking, and that was all it took to pull me out of my thoughts.

"I can do it myself." The goal was to sound confident and show him how much I didn't need his help, but my voice betrayed me last minute.

"I know." He murmured, his voice a low whisper. "But I want to."

His words stirred something in me, something I didn't like.

His fingers brushed my bare spine as he slowly, and deliberately pulled the zipper up.

The brush of his knuckles made goosebumps erupt across my arms, and I bit my lip, refusing to give him any satisfaction of another win.

"You're shaking." He breathed against my neck. "And I wonder why."

"I'm cold." The lie tumbled past my lips in an instant.

"Liar."

I swallowed.

"You look like war in that dress, Vivienne." he leaned in, his lips ghosting over the nape of my neck. "All sharp lines and red warnings. You're definitely going to ruin lives tonight, mine included."

My knees nearly buckled, but he was quick to catch me either way. He caught my waist, fingers biting into my hips long enough to steady me, and to remind me that no matter what I told myself , he had an effect on me I couldn't fight.

Way to go, Vivienne. Way to go.

"I don't want to go." I blurted out, quieter this time. I'd been approaching the matter head on, and Ronan had been outrightly refusing.

What if I tried a different approach instead? What if all Ronan was to be submitted to? If I could get my way tonight, then maybe I would be able to work something out later in the future.

Heavy on the maybe.

"You're not going for them, princess." he turned me around to face him, his voice surprisingly soft. "You're going for me, and If anyone touches you tonight, they'll lose the hand they used."

For some strange reason, there wasn't a hint of a false promise in his voice. I knew he meant it, and it made my skin hum.

Without warning, he reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I had no idea why it happened, but for a brief second, I imagined his huge hands fisting my hair from behind while he rammed into me and.....

Vivienne, stop.

"Finish getting ready." he nodded toward the lipstick on the vanity. I'll be waiting by the bike."

He turned to leave, and had already gotten as far as the door before coming back again.

I had no idea what he had up his sleeve, but it definitely wasn't what he did next.

In two strides he was in front of me again, one hand cupping my jaw, and tilting my head up.

His lips brushed mine and I shuddered. It was barely a kiss, nothing sweet about it, It was all heat and intent, with the hint of a promise of more.

So why the hell did it make my toes curl?

"Don't keep me waiting." When he pulled back his breath was rough.

And without warning, he was gone, leaving behind the scent of leather, sin and something unspoken.

My pulse raced as I walked back to the vanity. I was dazed, but still steadied myself just enough to grab my lipstick. I reached to the dresser for a hairpin and I'd barely gotten it out when something clinked in the clutter.

I paused.

Tucked beneath a pile of bandanas and coins was a small black handgun.

My breath hitched in my throat, and I fought the urge to pass out right there and then.

It obviously wasn't mine, and I didn't want to believe that Ronan had left it there. Why would he leave a gun in my dresser?

I stared at it for a second, heart thumping like a wild drum, then slowly and almost without thinking, I closed the drawer again.

I already had too many problems on my plate, and I'd be damned if I added a fucking gun to the list.

Vivienne's POV

The night air nipped at my skin as I stepped outside, heels clicking against the concrete. Each step was tighter than the last, but there wasn't so much I could do, so I kept walking.

Ronan was by the bike, just like he'd promised. He had one booted foot propped up against the curb, with a cigarette hanging lazily from his lips. At first , he didn't even look at me, I wasn't sure he had noticed me even. All he did was exhale smoke like this scene was something straight out of one of the action movies he was probably obsessed with, if he did watch movies that is.

Knowing him, I could bet my life he had enough drama going on in his life he didn't even need a TV. He could even...

"Done checking me out, princess?" His voice broke into my thoughts, ripping the night air of its previous silence. "Or do you need a couple more minutes?"

Before I could cook up an answer, his head turned, and I felt the full weight of his gaze on me. His eyes raked over me without permission, and I wondered if he was trying to decide if he was going to worship me or ruin me. If you asked me though, I would say both.

"You took your sweet time." He muttered, flicking the cigarette to the ground.

"You kissed me before I could even breathe." I folded my hands across my chest. "That slowed me down."

"Don't worry, I'll make it up to you very soon." a slow, wicked smile tugged at his lips. Like that wasn't enough, he added. "Get on."

"Do I even want to know the kind of party we're going to?" I hesitated for a second, glancing at the beast of a bike beside him.

"No." he shot back a response at me, before tossing a helmet in my direction. "But you're going to walk in it, with your chin up high, your hands in mine and the reminder that you belong to me."

I stared at him in shock, while I loathed myself for how his words made me feel.

He swung his leg over the bike and patted the seat behind him. I climbed on awkwardly, just to jerk when his hand found my thigh, just to pull me closer to him.

"Hold on tight, Vivienne." He let out. "It's going to be a long night."

The ride there was a blur of adrenaline and leather, and I had my hands wrapped around Ronan's torso all through. Every twist of the road sent sparks through me, and by the time we pulled up at the venue, I almost didn't recognize the place.

The party in question was more of a gathering of the lawless and lethal than anything else. The party venue was a large warehouse, bathed in red neon, with music thumping like a heartbeat gone rogue. Bikes were parked in every direction, some of them empty and others occupied. Men and women spilled out of the entrance, either drunk, laughing, fighting or making out like their lives depended on it.

Ronan parked at the front of the building like he owned the place, and my heart skipped. He probably did.

Carefully, and to my surprise, he helped me off the bike, with his hand lingering on my waist, for just a couple of seconds more. I muffled my gasps as he intertwined my fingers with his. His touch was possessive, and it made my stomach churn.

"Ready, princess?" He whispered and I swallowed.

As we walked inside, heads turned, and this time, they didn't just focus on Ronan, their eyes were on me too. They stared at my dress, the heels, the fact that I was with him , hand in hand too.

Shit.

"Look what we have here." someone let out a low whistle. I traced the direction the voice had come from, just to lock eyes with a man. He was older, and had old scars rubbing down his cheeks. "I had no idea the biker king did repeats."

Even a child could tell the last jab had been at me. Before either of us could stomach it, Ronan stepped in.

"She's not a repeat." Ronan didn't flinch, instead, a slow dark grin made its way to his face. "More like an upgrade, don't you think?"

Catcalls and low murmurs rippled through the air, but that was it. No one dared to say anything else, and even though it had temporarily settled it, I wasn't sure how it made me feel.

Inside the warehouse was pure chaos, and it made my skin hum. Loud music blasted from all corners, with smoke hanging thick in the air. I watched shots being passed around like candy, alongside girls dancing in nothing but leather on the tables. Everything seemed normal, as normal as a biker party was supposed to look like, until my eyes landed on something else.

No, scratch that.

Someone else.

Her.

A woman stood near the back bar, all curves and venom. She was hard to miss, and it took me a while to figure out if it was all thanks to her dress, or the aura she possessed. It was easy, both. She was dressed in skintight black, and had the kind of face you couldn't forget even if you wanted to. Her eyes flicked to my face, and for a moment time seemed to stop. She saw me, then Ronan and smiled like she already knew how this night was going to end.

I didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Ex?" The question tumbled past my lips before I could stop it. My chest tightened as I waited for Ronan's answer, but something already told me I wasn't going to like it.

"Complication" his voice was smooth, and I bit the insides of my cheek.

"Of course she is." Every attempt of mine to not sound bitter had been thrown out the window by now, and I wasn't sure I liked it.

A thousand more questions hung on the tip of my tongue, but before I could get any more of them out, a man approached us. He looked older, tall and built like a bear. He wore a cut with more patches than I could count, but it was the way Ronan nodded at him that made me realize how much he mattered.

"Vivienne , this is Maverick." Ronan quipped. "My second in command."

"She's hot." Maverick said more to Ronan than to me. One glance was all he took, before turning his attention to Ronan again. "Dangerous too. You keeping her?"

"Yeah." Ronan didn't hesitate. "She's mine."

Goosebumps crawled over my skin at his words. I wasn't sure if it had anything to do with the fact that he'd just agreed to me being hot, or the fact that he called me his.

My stomach churned, but before I could make sense of what had just happened, someone shouted across the room.

"You're gonna want to see this, king."

"Stay here." Ronan turned to me, his jaw tight. "Don't move, I'll be back in ...."

"No." I cut him off immediately. "We agreed that you weren't just going to parade me like some trophy...."

"Boss!" The voice called out to him again, and if it were up to me, I wouldn't mind tossing the heel of my shoes in his direction.

"I'm coming."

"Ronan..." it didn't take too long for my voice to blend in with the loud music. I felt my heart drop to the ground as I watched Ronan's back slowly disappear into the crowd.

I wasn't sure what I was thinking, but I had barely taken a step in his direction, before someone's hand wrapped around my arm, causing me to come to a standstill.

I turned, just to come face to face with her.

Up close, she looked even more lethal. Dark lipstick, sharp cheekbones, and a smirk that said she'd killed softer women with nothing more than her mouth.

"Well, well, well." She purred, circling me like a vulture in stilettos. "So you're the one who got him all twisted. Didn't think he'd go for the dainty type."

"And I didn't think he'd ever be desperate enough to scrape the bottom barrel." I yanked my arm free, a frown making its way to my face.

"Cute. But let's be real, men like Ronan?" her smile turned razor sharp. "They don't fall, they fuck. And when they're done, they move on."

"Then you must've been very disappointing in bed if he didn't come back." I didn't blink.

I'd always been a girl's girl, but tonight, I was going to rip her into shreds, provided that was what she wanted.

Her eyes flared at my response, but she didn't lash out. Not yet. Instead, she stepped closer.

"Let me give you some advice." Her voice dropped to a low venomous whisper. "This little fairytale you're playing, it ends with blood, his or yours, and I like to think you're smart enough to figure out whose it's going to be."

"If you came here to start something." my fingers curled into fists. "Don't waste your breath."

"Oh, sweetheart." She stepped closer again, heels clicking against the pavement, like some sort of warning. "I'm not here to start anything. You already did that."

I gasped, but it did nothing to faze her. She leaned in until her perfume mixed with the scent of smoke and leather hit me square in the nose.

"One more thing." She added. "You should really ask him what happened to his last bride."

"What?" My stomach dropped. "What are you...."

But she was already walking away, hips swaying like she hadn't just detonated something inside me.

I stood there, too stunned to move or think. My mind worked overtime, a million and one questions crashing around me all at once.

Bride? What bride? Ronan never mentioned anything like that, so what the hell was she talking about?

Before I could even chase the thought, a gunshot shattered the night.

Crack.

It came from the back, loud and vicious, and as screams rippled through the place, I found my heart jumping at the thought of one person and one person alone.

Fucking Ronan.