Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
“Stolen, purse, huh? Is that what happened Anna?” He asks, walking in a slow circle around me.
I hesitate. I’m not the greatest liar and—my heart sinks—this man is going to be my husband. Shouldn’t there be some sort of trust between us? But then, if he wants trust, he shouldn’t be forcing me to marry him.
I nod as he comes back to stand in front of me. So close, I can see the pale skin around his hairline where the tanner didn’t do it’s thing. “It was terrifying.”
He huffs. “I’m sorry that happened to you. We were all very worried. But it’s given me more clarity about our…situation. I don’t like waiting and I won’t chase you ever again. This marriage is happening today. Right now. Get in the car.” He snaps his head toward his Lincoln as his driver races toward the door closest to me, swinging it open averting my eyes.
“What?” My father and I say in unison.
My mother squeals. “Oh, how romantic! A wedding!”
I shoot her a look, but she doesn’t notice, her blissful private world isn’t connected to reality.
My father steps forward, his brow covered in sweat. “Alex, is that really necessary? I thought there was going to be—”
“She travels in my car. You follow behind with her mother. I have a priest heading to my house right now who will perform the ceremony. Let’s go. This is happening.” He nods to me, then turns, apparently expecting me to follow like a puppy.
If he’s so disinterested in me, why does he want this marriage so much? Is it really just about taking me from my father as payment for a debt?
“Go.” My father mutters with shame in his eyes. “I’m sorry, but you need to go with him.”
I force a smile as my mother waves taking the long five steps toward the open car door and lower my head, sliding across the leather seat, the low throbbing between my legs reminding me of the entire lifetime I lived last night with Cyrus.
As soon as the limo starts to move, Alex turns my way.
“I assume from that performance back there, your father has told you what this is all about? Why this is happening?”
I nod, surprised that he’s opening up this subject.
He huffs. “For what it’s worth, I’m am a bit sorry for what’s going to happen to you. This isn’t your fault, but your father has to suffer for what he did. I’m not going to lie to you, today is going to be the worst day of your life. First, you’ll marry me, then I’ll use you in ways that will make you wish you were dead. But you won’t die. You’ll survive, and then, I’ll do it again and again until you are a fragment of the daughter you once were.” He stops, breathing with his eyes closed for a moment, then finishes as frost forms around my heart. “You’ll go back to him and you’ll tell him how much you hate him for what he’s done to you. You’ll curse him and tell him the horror of your life. You’ll blame him for your pain. You’ll hurt him far worse than I ever could. Do you know what happens in prison, Anna?” He pauses, on a couch and a sniff. “Of course you don’t. But, you will after tonight. Your father will feel pain like I did only it’s worse because it’s happening to you. Every time you’ll come back to me with his blessing. Because if you don’t he knows what will happen.”
His words are so plain, so devoid of emotion but I’m not scared. What he does to me, I don’t care but I want to know more. I want to climb into this monster’s head and pull out anything that might help me later. “Why?” I ask, hoping the open-ended question will draw out something I can use.
“Because that’s how I felt, Anna. That’s why. Because every day in prison, I knew I was innocent, just like you. And every day, I suffered. I suffered in ways right now you can only imagine, but soon you’ll know them only too well. I came out of prison different. Harder. Without emotion but patient. I waited. Ten years I built up my empire. Grew my fortune. Waited for this moment. This marriage will end. Your sentence is the same length as mine. Five years. Unless, of course, after our time together, you want to stay…”
Quietly, I turn away, watching the trees and houses steak by and he doesn’t try to speak to me for the rest of the ride.
And I feel nothing. No fear. No sadness.
Because my body still bears the marks of the man I love. Cyrus was first, and he’ll always be first. Alex can do what he likes, whatever he thinks I have to take for my father’s sake, and I’ll endure it all knowing that he can’t ever take from me what I willingly already gave.