Page 8 of Bride By Initiation

His lips twitched at my confusion, and his expression grew friendlier. "There's a world waiting for you, Zara, that few are allowed to enter. Once you're in, you'll have all the answers you've ever wanted at the tip of your fingers."

Goose bumps popped out on my skin, but Pandora's box had been opened. Curiosity flared in my cells, keeping me pinned to the cement, unable to move.

John continued giving me the same look, as if he knew he had me in a corner and that I wouldn't be able to resist whatever he offered.

I tried to appear unafraid and confident, lifting my chin, squaring my shoulders, and not batting an eye under his intense scrutiny when I'ddeclared, "If you're going to speak in riddles, I'm afraid I can't help you."

A gruff chuckle flew out of his mouth. It was as if he hadn't laughed in years and didn't know what to do with it.

"What's so funny?" I snapped, wondering again why my driver wasn't there.

Gathering his composure, he took a deep breath, assessed me further, and replied, "Everything will soon become clear. You'll vow to serve, and in return, all the things you've wanted will be yours."

"You don't know what I want," I spouted, then glanced behind me. My anxiety grew, knowing my driver was never late for any reason. My father would kill him.

Where was he?

A crooked smile formed on John's face. He stepped closer, leaning into my ear, murmuring, "You want answers. Riches. Power."

I blurted out, "I'm already rich," then my cheeks had heated. My father's wealth wasn't something I bragged about, and I didn't know why I felt it necessary to argue with this man I'd never seen until now.

He scoffed. "You don't understand rich yet. But unlimited knowledge gives you power. And power gives you control. And all the things you ever wanted lie within."

I took a few shaky breaths.

"You deserve to know the truth about why you never knew your father. And The Underworld will give it to you."

I should have run. Yet I couldn't help myself. I stayed, taunted by this dangling carrot of finally having the answers to the questions that burned within me for as long as I could remember. "The Underworld?" I asked.

He stepped back and put his finger to his curving lips with a harsh, "Shh!"

More confusion filled me.

"There is no speaking of The Underworld outside of us. You won't ever get access if you tell anyone about our conversations now or in the future. The truth you seek will stay hidden. The riches set aside for you will stay buried. And all the power and control you don't know you want will become someone else's. Do you understand?"

I gaped at him, a tidal wave of mixed emotions pounding me.

"There will be no other warnings. These rules aren't negotiable. I won't ever speak about them to you again, and before you vow, you'll get tested. The only time you'll hear them again will be on initiation night."

My voice was shaky when questioned, "What's initiation night?"

"You'll see," he replied, then glanced at his watch and back at me. "I suspect your driver will be here in the next minute. He may have had a flat tire. You might want to check your text messages."

I couldn't breathe. I watched him turn and stroll down the street. The moment he disappeared from sight, my driver pulled up.

Calogero jumped out of the SUV and, in disapproval, fretted in his Italian accent, "Ms. Marino, what are you doing outside in the dark? Did you not get my text messages?"

Still stunned by my encounter with John, I shook my head and said nothing.

Calogero put his hand on my back and led me to the vehicle, adding, "I texted you to stay inside. Your father would not approve of you standing out here by yourself." He opened the door.

"Sorry, didn't get it," I replied and slid inside.

He shut the door, got into the driver's seat, then pulled forward. He glanced at me through the rearview mirror. For several minutes, he lectured me on safety precautions and how I should look at my messages if for any reason he wasn't there.

I barely heard him, nodding occasionally and apologizing while reassuring him I was fine.

In a haze, I went through the motions, going through my day, wondering what this Underworld was that John had spoken of or if he really knew the truth about my father.

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