Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“Where are you going?” I watch him walk to the shower. “I hoped we might—” But what did I hope for? That we’d spend a lazy afternoon together? This is a business deal and I can’t lose sight of that.
“Another time,” he murmurs then disappears into the bathroom.
I sit back with a sigh and force myself to enjoy the breakfast. I’m not hungry first thing, but it’s a sweet gesture. The pancakes are warm and fluffy, and the syrup is thick and sweet, and I can forget that I’m partially a prisoner here in this house. A prisoner by design and consent, but still.
I close my eyes, coffee to my lips, only to feel the snap of that gun barrel against my head again. I grimace, try to shake it off, but the memory is still fresh.
Evander comes out after showering. I placed the tray aside and drink the coffee, scrolling mindlessly through the phone he gave me. When I look up, he hesitates near the closet, still shirtless, wearing only a pair of dark slacks.
Tattoos cover his chest. Script in Greek is slashed along his collarbones. I can’t tell what they are, but they look serious. There’s a knife over his heart, and a wolf’s head on his stomach. His smile tilts sideways as he watches me watching him, and blood rushes to my cheeks.
“You know you stare a lot, asteraki mu,” he says with a teasing smile.
“I do not. That’s funny, coming from you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
I adjust myself to move closer to him. “You’re always stomping around and glaring at everything. It’s like you want to win a staring contest with inanimate objects.”
“Perhaps I do and I can.”
“Doubtful.” I keep looking at his chest though, at the graceful bulge of his biceps, down to his vein-knotted forearms, down to his big hands and his thick fingers—
And I frown, my breath catching.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, sensing my discomfort. He takes a step closer as if he’s going to throw himself on top of me to keep me safe from some invisible attacker.
“You’re not wearing the ring.”
His eyebrows raise and it’s like he doesn’t know what I mean. Slowly, he lifts his left hand. Where there was a ring last night, now there’s nothing.
“I took it off,” he says with a shrug. “I don’t like jewelry.”
“It’s not jewelry, it’s—” I hesitate, grasping for words. “It’s a symbol. Would you like it if I took my ring off?”
“That’s not how this works,” he says, his tone lowering now into something dangerous. “You are mine.”
“And that only goes one way? So I guess you can fuck around and do whatever you want, and I’m supposed to be the good little obedient mafia wife? I tried that once and I won’t do it again.”
His eyes widen. “That’s not what I said.”
“Then why aren’t you wearing the ring?” I feel desperate and foolish. This is such a small issue, but why does it feel like the most important thing in the world?
We’ve been married for less than a day and already he’s taking off the one outward symbol of our union. Something about that feels wrong.
“I don’t like wearing rings,” he says, coming toward the bed. “It’s meaningless. It’s a nothing gesture. Everyone that matters knows that I am your husband and you are my wife.”
“What about everyone that doesn’t matter, huh?” I narrow my eyes. “If you don’t have to wear them, then neither do I.” I pull off my rings and toss them onto the covers.
His eyes flash darkness. The intensity of his browns turn almost black as he comes toward me, jaw flexing, the muscles in his shoulders tightening. He’s a terror and a beast, a massive and monstrous human that could tear me into tiny pieces.
I won’t back down, no matter how much he growls.
“You will put those back on, asteraki mu. You will not complain about our arrangement.”
“I won’t, not until you put the stupid thing on too.” I sit back, breathing fast, trying to keep it cool. But I’m far, far from cool right now. I’m on fire, burning with anxiety and anger. I feel hurt, betrayed, like he can’t just do one thing for me.
“Remember that it is my life on the line,” he says through his teeth. “This is my family. These are my people. I know how they will react if they see my wife walking around without her rings. There will be whispers and rumors. You really want to risk that already?”
“It’s up to you now, Lord Evander.” I sit back, put my coffee down, and cross my arms.
He holds my gaze for agonizing seconds. I don’t know if he’s going to come over here and force the rings down my finger, but instead he turns away.
“You are going to get us both killed,” he says before disappearing into the closet. He returns a moment later in a black dress shirt, tucked in, hugging his muscular torso.