Shattered Vows: An Arrange Marriage

"Let's take this shot with a dare."

My bestfriend, Linny, lived on the edge of reason, ready to take life by the horns and make it her bitch. She had too with a successful travel blog that allowed her to fly around the world and be known as some sort of influencer.

"What do you mean?"

When I tilted my head, my long dark wavy hair fell to the side of my bare shoulder. It was all I could master for this night out. The black crop top hinted at my tattoo of the sun and matched my black jeans. I hadn't even tried to put on heels after our limo ride out of our small town to this big city's hotel. My combat boots provided comfort and I needed it, considering I didn't venture out much. Linny's boyfriend, Chet, had put us up in a hotel so Linny could visit him at a club in Miami tonight. We only lived about thirty minutes away but being carted around in a limo in a big city meant something to some, I guess.

"I'll give you a dare to complete by the end of tonight. You give me one."

Linny bounced about in the limo, the seat's leather creaking under her.

"What if my dare was that you have to cheat on your boyfriend?"

Pushing the boundaries of her game was my attempt to shine light on her risky behavior. Still, Linny wasn't a party pooper by nature. She shrugged.

"I'd make do. Plus, your heart's too good to

make me do that."

A disgusted sound came from my throat. I hated being pegged correctly.

"Fine. I'll play. I dare you to figure out his job and invite him to dinner in our town."

Her eyes narrowed, the makeup around them looking even smokier. I guessed my blue eyes had the same effect, considering she'd lined them with dark makeup before we left. It was probably her attempt to make me look somewhat presentable in my combat boots and unkempt hairdo.

"That's playing dirty. You know no one likes our little Coralville town."

Coralville was made up of only about two thousand people and ran off the oil terminals that belonged to corporate in the big city next to it. Tourists flocked in and out but never stayed long.

I shrugged. "I love our town. If he's legit, he'll like it enough."

"Fine." She pointed to my shot, and I downed it.

"My turn. You find the guy you're most attracted to in the club tonight."

She paused, and I thought, this is going to be so easy.

"And you talk his ear off. Have a full-blown conversation for at least thirty minutes. And the first place he invites you to, you go. No hesitation."

I wrinkled my nose immediately. Mentally scrolling down my list of guys I'd been attracted to in the past few months, I cringed.

"That's probably going to be impossible, Linny."

A laugh burst from her, and the bottle of vodka sloshed in her hand.

"Why?"

Before I could answer, a laugh bubbled out of me too.

"Oh, God. All the guys I hook up with can't hold a legitimate conversation!"

She pointed and laughed more. The city lights streamed in the limo as we fell apart at my expense. Some things were downright funny when you accepted them and that was it. For a while now, I'd gravitated toward big men with small IQs. I didn't have a reason for it. They just felt safe, easy... No complications.

Sobering, Linny leaned in and clinked her shot glass with mine.

Her red nails were a hard contrast to my unpainted ones but her dark eyes were genuine and full oflove when she said, "Cheers to hearing your laugh, Morina. It'll get easier after it gets terrible. I'll be here for you whenever you need me."

I sighed and downed the shot with her. The terrible taste made me cough, which only made me chuckle at how inexperienced I must have been in comparison to her.

"God, I'll never get used to the burn of liquor. I'm going to need it in the next few weeks. I just know it."

"How's Grandma Maribel?" she whispered and her dyed black mohawk curl fell onto my shoulder. I let my head fall onto hers as we slumped down together in the leather seats.

"Not good. She's refusing further treatment for the lung. The cancer metastasized, and the doc said two weeks ago that she had two weeks to live."

"For fuck's sake."

She breathed out.

"You need this night out more than me."

"I need a button to pause time. I've wished on it, but the damn stars don't care what I have to say. My horoscope read like a girl's with bad luck for the next week."

"Oh Jesus." Linny rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I didn't wear any bracelets or bring crystals tonight. Be proud."

"I'll be proud when you complete my dare." She poked my bare stomach.

"In my defense, the men I hook up with are normally very nice and amazing in bed."

"Are they though? Like what's amazing in bed if you have no connection?"

Linny loved every man she dated, and I envied that in her. For me, it was just about sex. I didn't need an emotional tie. No complications.

"If they can work their stick, I'm not complaining, okay?"

Linny laughed and turned toward her window to point at the club as our driver pulled up.

"That's us. Get over here for a selfie before we go in, you little player. I need one before we get all sweaty from dancing or, in your case, talking in the club."

I leaned in and stared at us in the glow of her phone screen. Our eyes were ringed with makeup and our straight smiles looked damn good on our contoured faces. Linny was a louder, more-in-your-face beautiful, but my hair was pushed to the side with a bunch of long waves. I'd always been able to snag a guy or two-probably from my oversized chest and butt. I had an hourglass figure because I'd never been any good at counting calories. Linny snapped two photos.

"Enough?" I asked between smiling teeth.

"One more!" She tilted her head and took another.

"Please tell me we aren't going to document every second of this night?"

She shoved her phone in her clutch and rearranged her shirt before opening the door.

"Oh, get over your camera phobia. I have to catalog you dressed this hot out with me

for one night. When was the last time I caught you out of a swimsuit and with makeup on?"

If I sighed, I'd probably be without her as a friend. I ushered her forward as the club's bouncer waved us up.

"We're with Chet," she announced, so loud I was sure the people at the club across the street heard.

The bouncer appeared twice my size, and wasn't thin. He glared at us with his dark thick brows down over his eyes, then he lifted the cord to the inside and pointed to our hands. I glanced at Linny, not sure what he wanted. The local tiki bar was my scene-the one I frequented even as a minor.

There, Bradley waved me in with a smile and no

questions asked. She held her hand up, fingers curled, and he stamped the back with a large, capitalized font. VIP. Right away, a man with spiced cologne beckoned us down an aisle that only a few select people seemed to be admitted to. We took stairs that lined the club and watched the sea of people below dancing with the pumping music.

The second floor held a beautiful, dark oasis of men and women who indulged both in alcohol and people-watching those downstairs. As I stepped toward them, the man with too much

cologne shook his head and pointed to a dim staircase.

"Another floor."

I narrowed my eyes, but Linny shrugged and waved me on. As we ascended to the third floor, I could barely make out the steps. Thank God, I'd worn combat boots. When the door opened, diamonds and glass and crystal shone like the ocean at sunset on black everything. I gasped as I walked forward-even the floor was made of glass. We stood directly above those on the floor below.

"Interesting." I murmured to Linny and pointed down.

Her eyes lasered onto her man, though. She'd scanned everyone along with me and squealed when her gaze landed on a tall man with hollowed-out cheeks and ghostly eyes. He lit up when he saw her, though, like she could cure him of whatever caused his distress.

He hugged her when she jumped into his arms and murmured something into her ear. Laughing, she pointed to me.

"That's Morina, Chet. She accompanied me. So I'm no on my own."

"Morina." He held out his hand.

"You both should have a guard for how good you look."

What was I supposed to say to that? The comment threw me off.

"Thanks. We're not really that important."

"Anyone with Linny is important to me." He snuggled into her neck, and the butterflies for both of them started.

I didn't know much about love, but his smile with Linny was genuine, infectious, and doting.

Too many romance novels and movies made me long for something I didn't need. Linny turned to wink at me.

"Remember the dare, Morina." Her eyes got wide as she ticked her head at a guy in a navy suit walking up behind Chet.

Not really walking, but gliding like he couldn't be

bothered by the mere restriction of gravity. His dark eyes read me, the room, and all his surroundings, but his face drew everyone to him. He was tall and well built, sure, but he had a bone structure that cut through all the others.

The strong jaw and plump lips had my mouth dropping open. The problem was his suit. It held all the information I needed to know that I would never see him again. A man who wore something that well-tailored wouldn't be in one place for long. Money pulls people in all sorts of directions.

He'd have been a nice conquest. Except this time, Linny thought I was going to chat his ear off and I was seriously concerned that his IQ was as striking as his looks. He looked me up and down as if taking me all in and then glanced away, like I wasn't worth his time.

I completely accepted that. To him, I probably didn't meet some standard of the wealthy businessman who had a model on his arm at every event. Instead, I took on a guy here and there who stopped on his way through our town to talk business regarding the plant.

Chet turned and nodded to him and the other man I noticed stuck by his side.

"Bastian, meet my girl, Linny."

Bastian's smile flew across his face, welcoming even, as he extended a hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Linny."

She tilted her mohawk my way. "Also a pleasure. That's Morina, my very best friend. Out to enjoy a night with us all."

"I figured." He whispered almost to himself before his hand slid out of hers to shake mine. This time, his smile dropped, and he glanced back at the man on his shoulder. Immediately, the guy ducked into his phone. My eyes narrowed. Were they wary of me for some reason?

"I'm going to go get a drink," I mumbled, but Chet waved a waitress over. She wore leather booty shorts and flirted shamelessly with all three men who stood near us.

Bastian took a moment to talk with her, and I kept from rolling my eyes. She'd get a big tip and probably a date by the time the night was over. Instead of idling, I stepped around them to talk to the man behind Bastian. His smile was gentle when he looked up from his phone, and his dark green eyes popped against his tanned skin in such a unique way. I might have stared a bit too much.

"Want a picture, Morina?" His deep voice rolled out, soft and comforting like a warm tide creeping in.

"Jeez. Sorry." I shook my wavy hair from my face.

"You have really pretty eyes."

A glare came over his face. I almost took a step back from the way it plowed through me, so mean I wasn't sure if I should cower away or try to ignore it, if only to save myself. Then, his face cracked into a smile so bright, I thought I had whiplash. Yet I found myself smiling back.

"I'm Dante. And I get that a lot. I'm messing with you."

I bit my lip and relaxed enough to tease him back.

"Can't you buy a girl a drink before you start with jokes?"

"I bought the drinks instead." Bastian's voice rushed through me, loud and lethal this time. It was nothing like a warm tide washing over me. Instead, a cold wave crashed onto me, taking my breath away, and he had all my attention immediately.

Bastian's big hand held a small glass filled with clear liquid, lime, and ice. The gold ring on one of his fingers matched the very expensive watch that peeked out from under his cuff. I'd learned to judge an escapade by his attire and accessories, because that's all he'd be to me for an evening or two.

"We good, Dante?" he asked his friend without looking at him. Instead, our gazes held over our drinks like he searched for something more from me, and I definitely tried to read way too much into our interaction. And there was the stupid dare. Should I talk to him or Dante for the next thirty minutes? I broke our stare to look over at Linny. She was already on one of the chaise lounges with Chet.

"All good, Bast." Dante nodded at me like I was the topic of conversation.

"Well, Morina. Seems you're a legitimate friend of Linny's." Bastian announced and took a sip of the amber liquid in his tumbler.

"Um, what?" I sputtered, my eyes wide. "Are you

researching me?" Dante patted my shoulder but didn't say anything before disappearing into the crowd like he wanted nothing more to do with my gaping mouth.

"You've got to be kidding," I murmured and glared up at Bastian. "I'll have you know I'm a stand-up friend."

"Seems that way." Bastian's finger tapped his glass a few times as he glanced around to find Linny and Chet.