Chapter 4

Killian gave a low laugh and pulled a black velvet box out of his pocket. Inside sat a massive diamond ring.

"One, I take over the whole Winslow mess and put in two hundred million in fresh capital, so your father can live out the rest of his life in peace in Switzerland."

He picked up the ring, speaking with the arrogance of a man used to giving orders. "Two, first thing tomorrow morning, Onyx Capital pulls out of underwriting the Vane IPO and reports the company for fraud. Julian will be ruined and buried under more than a hundred million in debt before he knows what hit him."

He knew exactly what I wanted, down to the last detail. I stared at him. "And what do I have to give you in return?"

The hand on the back of my neck tightened, and Killian pulled me hard against his chest. Before I could fight him off, he seized my left hand and pushed the ring all the way onto my finger.

To my shock, it fit my ring finger perfectly.

A perfect size five and a half.

"Wear it, Chloe.

"Take off those dirty clothes that smell like someone else. You're staying here tonight.

"In four days, you'll be my wife, legally and officially."

I could feel how fast his heart was beating.

"Buying a wife..." My eyes stung. "Killian, you want to humiliate me as much as possible to reclaim the pride the Winslow family trampled on all those years ago. Is that it?"

Killian didn't deny it.

He lowered his head and bit down on my ice-cold earlobe.

"You can think of it as the lowest kind of revenge there is, Chloe."

His hand slid down my back and gripped my waist.

"But whatever you think," he said against my ear, biting off every word, "there's no way out for you tonight."

"Why do I have to be your wife?" I looked at him in despair, trying one last time.

"I can be your maid. If it pays off the debt, I'll do any dirty job you want."

I was the heiress of an old-money family with a century of history. Marrying the enemy we'd once crushed would shatter what was left of my family's pride.

"A maid?" Killian scoffed. "Chloe, you think way too highly of yourself. I've got plenty of people to wait on me.

"I want you to be mine, officially, in front of everyone. I want the whole world to know that the almighty Winslow family now lives on whatever scraps I decide to throw them." He leaned in closer. "I want my name carved into your soul."

One look at that madness in his eyes told me there was no backing out now.

I took a deep breath. "I'll be your wife, Killian.

"But I want a front-row seat when Julian and Mia go down."

Killian raised an eyebrow. "Good.

"Since we have a deal," he said, sliding an arm around my waist and lifting me off my feet, "you can start with your first duty as my wife."

Killian carried me into the master bedroom.

He didn't tear at my clothes. He just set me down on the bed and took off his robe.

I watched him warily, my hands clutching the sheets. "So tonight is the first step of the deal? You promised me that tomorrow morning..."

Killian scoffed, grabbed a bath towel, and tossed it over my head.

"Stop looking at me like you're about to face a firing squad."

He leaned down and braced his hands on either side of me.

"Am I really that desperate? You smell like that broke tailor, and you look like a drowned rat. I don't even want to touch you.

"Get cleaned up and take care of that cut on your back." Killian straightened up and pointed toward the back of the suite. "You'll find ointment in there, along with clean clothes that'll fit you.

"If you can't stand next to me tomorrow looking absolutely perfect, every deal we made tonight is off."

I yanked the towel off my head. "Don't worry, Mr. Valentine. When it comes to destroying those two, I'm better at it than you are."

After Killian left, I went into the walk-in closet to change out of my filthy shirt.

A silk nightgown had been laid out near the door.

I put it on, then froze.

It was exactly my size.