A ship that I knew too well. A ship that I had not seen in three years. On that ship, was a man. A man that terrified me.
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"A child? And-...Anabelle?" he asked. Oh, God. My blood ran cold and my heart almost stopped.
"How? How are you here?" he asked, in a tense, strained voice. He looked like he wished I was anyone else. I wished I was someone else.
His face was emotionless. His eyes, oh his chocolate eyes, were hard, cold. His black hair was falling around his face, making him seem even more intimidating.
"I was on a ship, trying to provide for my child. Dios mío, I'm glad I'm alive," I replied in a soft voice.
"Ven. Te mostraré tu habitación. I don't want you anywhere near my men, so you'll be staying in the room adjoined to mine. You'll not leave your room unless it's for food, me, or bathroom. Comprendé?" he spoke in a disgusted way. I hope he didn't mean what I think he meant. Seeing the look on my face, he smirked, "yes, mi amor, you will be mine during this stay. I hope you understand, I never liked sharing what's mine. Don't you remember?"
As Claire aims to leave her oppressive stepfamily behind, she befriends Zion. Will he be her ticket to freedom or a distraction in achieving her dreams?
*****
Claire Olsen has had a crush on Zion Petrakis since the first time she laid eyes on him, but he never noticed, instead only having eyes on the school's it girl, Maddie Jennings. Knowing she couldn't compete with Maddie, Claire hid her feelings for Zion, satisfied with admiring him from afar. However, when a series of events led Claire closer to Zion, her feelings for him grew from infatuation to love. And despite fighting hard to keep her feelings contained by distancing herself from Zion, he was determined to show her that he's earned a spot in her life.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]