Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 39687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
If she’d tried to make a run for it, he’d have already been alerted by his guards.
After an hour of hitting the bag, he was done. Picking up his clothes, he dumped them in the laundry room on the way up to his bedroom.
At first, he didn’t think Laura was there, but then he spotted her in his bed, on the side where he usually slept.
Moving toward her, he saw her eyes were open.
“You’re sweaty.”
“I was training. I’m going to have to teach you how to protect yourself one day.”
“I don’t fight.”
“In this life you will. I’m going to take a shower.”
“You have guards around your house all the time?” she asked, but it didn’t sound like a question, more of a statement of fact.
“Always, for protection. You were thinking of running.”
“Would it really matter if I was to try and run?”
“You’re not going anywhere, Laura. You belong to me now, and because of this, you will always be mine.”
“I hate this.”
“You can hate it all you want. It’s not going to change the fact you are mine.” He went into the bathroom and started a shower. Removing his sweatpants, he climbed beneath the cold water, and he let it cascade all around him, calming the anger burning within him. This was all he needed for now.
He washed his body, thinking about his wife in the other room. After dealing with his hair, he turned off the shower, brushed his teeth, and padded back into his room, dry and naked.
Climbing into bed, he knew she was asleep. The sounds of her breathing soothed him.
Glancing over at her, he couldn’t seem to resist her pull. He reached out, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her in close. At first, she didn’t budge, but it was like she couldn’t resist him.
With her in his arms, he lay back down, closed his eyes, and allowed sleep to claim him. Having his wife in his arms wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Chapter Six
Five years ago
Laura sat down at the table as people congratulated the latest couple on their marriage. The bride looked like a girl and the man appeared old enough to be her father, but it didn’t matter what she thought of the goings-on. According to her own father, she had to learn to keep her mouth shut.
It was hard to do so when you knew deep down something was very wrong.
Running fingers through her hair, she tried not to think of the men checking out other women. These kinds of events always made her feel lonely. The women often avoided her, but she also noticed if her father wasn’t by her mother’s side, no one approached her either.
Pushing those doubts to one side, she got to her feet and left the procession of men cheering on the groom.
She didn’t even know why she had to attend. No one knew her here, and no one cared what she did or didn’t do. It was pointless to her.
Entering the home, she knew it was a new place she’d never been before. Stepping into the kitchen, she offered the waitresses and chefs a smile before she moved away from them, heading toward the dining room. The long table wasn’t set as food was being served outside in the warm summer day.
She walked into the main hall, noticing the guards taking up residence near each door.
“I need to use the bathroom,” she said.
“Upstairs.” One of the men spoke up but didn’t give her any further direction.
Gripping the banister, she made her way upstairs and tested a couple of doors to find them locked.
Coming to the one at the end of the hall, she paused when she heard a feminine moan.
“Oh, yes, fuck me. Marcus, yes. You have such a good dick. That’s right, there. There.”
The bathroom door was open, and she saw Marcus and a woman she didn’t recognize in there. She was completely naked while Marcus appeared fully dressed, but there was no doubt what was going on, as he slapped the woman’s ass. He kept on fucking her, and Laura gasped, trying to move away from the door.
She didn’t get far before Marcus had her pressed against the wall, a gun poised to her head.
“What the fuck are you doing sneaking around?” he asked.
“I’m not sneaking. I needed to use the bathroom.”
“You shouldn’t be looking at things that don’t concern you.”
“I’m not. I needed the bathroom,” she said, repeating herself.
“You know, all it would take is one word to my father calling you a traitorous bitch and you wouldn’t leave here alive.”
Her heart raced as he cocked the gun, and she knew he would kill her.
For as long as she’d known Marcus Giovanni, he’d hated her. He wanted to kill her. to hurt her. This was his chance.
“Would you ever betray us?”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” she said.