by R. J. Lewis
I boldly pointed at Reaper, uncaring. “He knows English, Shane.”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“Why wouldn’t…” My voice trailed away as I looked between him and Shane, perfectly aware now that this asshole had just played me.
Reaper was hearing all of this. He confirmed it by smirking darkly at me. I scowled at him once. This fucker. This lunatic. This fucking fucker! I took a deep breath. Returning my attention to Shane, I took him by the arm and steered him to the other side of the room. Leaning into his side, I whispered, “Get me out of here, Shane.”
He glanced at Reaper again. “Liv, do I look like I’m capable of that?”
“Yes.”
He gave me a blank stare. “I’m an old man, and I follow orders. And my orders aren’t to bust you out of here.”
It was expected, but still, my chest felt like it was caving in. “What are you doing here then?”
“Your father sent me.” He took me by the hand, casting me a sympathetic look that made my stomach turn with anxiety. I knew what was coming. I should have foreseen this. This was my father, after all. “He wants you to marry this man. You’ve delayed this long enough.”
I ground my teeth. “So, it was true then. All of it. My kidnapping was a charade.”
“It had to be done. You have to do this.”
“And he sent you here to deliver the news.”
“He sent me here to accelerate this. He knew you’d fight it.”
“And I’ll keep fighting it.”
“You need to stop.”
I ripped my hand out of his grip, flashing the big guy another look. He was staring out the window, this time eating the ribbon of skin like it was a fucking Fruit by the Foot candy. Fuck, he could even make that look good. This cocky asshole, playing rings around me, getting me hot beneath him. Last night was a mistake, and yet all I thought about in that moment was him over me, warming me, kissing me while his ridiculously impressive erection – not that I had anything to compare it to, except the occasional porn – pressed against my leg.
Jesus Christ. I was losing it.
This fucking fucker!
“I’m not marrying him!” I growled at Shane, looking him dead in the eye. “He is insane.”
“Believe me, Tony was sick.”
“Tony was child’s play compared to this guy.”
“Do I have to remind you of his fetishes?”
“I’d rather the fetishes than the psychological torment by this guy.”
He sighed. “I don’t think you understand what’s at stake here –”
“Dad ends up losing a powerful ally? He’s still the head of the fucking table, Shane.”
This time Shane grabbed me by the arm tightly and shook me. “You have no idea what is happening over there right now! We are under attack on all sides. The fall of the Espositos has caused a backlash –”
“Then he should have stuck to the agreement,” I interjected, heatedly. “That’s what you do in business. You stick to your word!”
Shane went red, shaking me harder as he retorted, “The man behind us has the power to squash every single faction in Winthrop. He came to us, Liv. Not the other way around. He left us with no choice. He has a goddamn army, and that’s not including the bikers that have frankly been giving us a pounding these last few years taking over the weapons market of all fucking things! I mean, who the fuck dominates the drug market and the weapons market?” Shane’s face grew redder with incredulity. “Things are changing now, and we must adapt to these changes or we become maggot food. There will be no table by the end of this. Are you listening to me right now?”
I was, and I was shaking like a leaf.
“He showed your father mercy for reasons I’m not even privy to,” Shane continued, this time softer. “By the end, the city will be run by him regardless. His strategies are unprecedented. I’ve personally never seen a man who risks it all like him, like he has nothing to lose, like he’s…”
“Soulless,” I whispered.
Shane exhaled long and slow, as if he was resigning himself to the truth for the first time. “We join him and you’re safe, and the family line continues.”
I looked over at Reaper. He was staring back at me now, that grave expression a little lighter than before. Looking cocky. I figured he was understanding the gist of the conversation taking place. You didn’t have to hear us to understand I was pissed at the situation and losing.
His lips lifted as we looked at each other. Another cold smirk spread, and it sent red hot anger down my spine. Shaking, I spoke to Shane but kept my eyes directed at this deceptively good-looking monster. “I’m going to kill him.”
Shane exhaled again, but this time in defeat. “You’re impossible, Liv. You really are. There could be a gun to your goddamn head, and you’d still resist, wouldn’t you?”
I watched the asshole bring his blade to his lips, eating the apple slice on it as his eyes bore into mine. “If he’s so strong, he doesn’t need us.”
What was his real game? Something else was happening under the surface. I could feel it.
Shane looked like he wanted to strangle me. He shook his head, infuriated at my stubbornness. Problem was, he didn’t have to be. In the end, this asshole was going to win.
“How about you thank your lucky stars we aren’t dead instead? Because he will kill us if we don’t agree to these terms.” I didn’t doubt that. “Your father loves you,” Shane had the audacity to add. “He wants you to be protected –”
“He’s looking after himself,” I cut in, angrily. “Don’t you ever use that father card bullshit on me again, Shane.”
“Then think about yourself!” he hissed. “Goddamn it, Liv, you had a shitty start at life. Let’s not have a shitty end either. You know the streets better than most. You’ve seen horrors and you’re still in one piece. You’re a survivor. Now, goddammit, survive.”
I shut my eyes. He’s right. He was right, and this whole thing was a merry-go-round that kept ending right where it began. The only problem was me. I was delaying the inevitable. To be frank, it was exhausting. This man had effortlessly worked me like he knew me so well. He had placed me in isolation, perfectly aware that it wouldn’t take long before the cracks started to form. How did he know that? The bricks were coming down now. The wall had to be destroyed whether I liked it or not. I just couldn’t believe how weak I was. It was hard to face that, to know I had barely lasted a decent while before this man got his way. Maybe I’d pretended for so long to be so tough, I had started to believe it myself. My frailty was a tough pill to swallow.
“Fine,” I finally said, unable to look at either of them.
“Fine?” Shane repeated incredulously.
“Yes, fine.”
“Just like that?”
I swallowed my anger deep, deep, deep down as I stiffened a nod. “Yes, just like that.”
The defeat was mortifying. It made every inch of me want to fight back, but how much more could be done? I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want my father to die, either. Whether I liked to acknowledge it or not, he saved me once. Now I had to return the favour.
“Good,” Shane murmured, looking relieved. “You’ll be looked after. There will be an even greater stream of money flooding in. He’ll find you better men than me.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m getting old now, Liv. I can’t look after you like I did back in the day.”
I felt a wave of panic. “I’ll only marry him if you’re going to be there, Shane. That’s my condition.”
Shane smiled sadly at me. “It won’t be up to me to make that decision. At the end of the day, darling, this was never a choice for you, was it? But you put up a good fight, and I may be pissed off at your stubbornness, but I’m proud of it too. You’re a nightmare and a sweetheart all at once. How do you manage that?”
Without waiting for a response, he turned his back to me and walked to Reaper. I watched the interaction unfold w
ith strange feelings coursing through me. Shane looked so small in front of Reaper. He had always been such a huge man to me growing up. He had the biggest, widest frame. I remembered how intimidated everyone was when I went anywhere with him. Funny how, in the course of so little time, all of that changed. Compared to Reaper, Shane looked like a solid, older man, but that was it. I felt like I lost something big right then and there. A piece of security, maybe. Or the stark realization I’d never truly had that security in the first place. Not when dark things like Reaper existed.
“She acquiesces,” he declared to Reaper. “Now when can she be out of here? It’s oppressive, don’t you think? These conditions, I mean. She shouldn’t be living like this a moment longer.”
Reaper leaned back against the wall, looking casually over at me as he replied, “I couldn’t give a fuck about her comfort. We get married tomorrow morning, and then I’ll decide what I want to do with her.”
It felt so strange to hear him speak, but his words made my face flush red-hot with anger. He was so callous. I loathed him so much in that moment. I preferred him mute. Preferred the silence. Preferred the unreadable looks.
“And where will the ceremony take place?” Shane enquired.
Reaper looked over at Shane, and then his gaze travelled very coolly, very slowly, to the floor. That was his answer.
Shane looked to the floor, and then around the room, his eyes wild. “Will this room be cleaned beforehand? Will she be given a dress? What about food? There is a lot here I have to ask. Her father is trying to make sure she will be given the best treatment possible.”
“Who says this isn’t the best?” replied Remy. “She’s clothed, fed –”
“Fed unless I’m punished,” I retorted, unable to stop myself. “I haven’t eaten anything except your goddamn apple in over 24 hours.”
Reaper looked at me, his brows coming together only minimally. Shane’s face fell, and he let out a heavy breath. “You promised Milo she wouldn’t starve. She is not to be starved. She’s…It’s a trigger, Reaper, for her. Goddammit. That was a condition he was adamant must be satisfied.”
That surprised me. I didn’t think my father knew much about me. For so long, I’d put a stone wall between him and I, not wanting to let him in because I didn’t think he cared, and because I didn’t need any more disappointment in my life. He seemed to be fine about that, too. I always knew he harboured his own problems close to his chest, and he was wary of letting anyone in. At least, we were on the same page over the years.
Reaper’s body language shifted. He pushed off from the wall, his face turning cold as he strode past Shane and exited the room, slamming the door shut so hard the room shook. I jumped, the tension building in my bones as I heard Reaper yell. I’d never heard him raise his voice until now, and it reminded me of thunder, sudden and frightening.
“What’s he doing?” I asked Shane. He moved to the window to look out, and I didn’t have the courage to do the same.
“He seems to be looking for someone,” Shane replied. “Listen here, Liv, we don’t know much about this man. We didn’t have adequate time to analyse him, so you must always be cautious. He hides himself very well, and that worries me.”
It worried me too. Feeling weak, I sat down on the bed, unsure of what was happening out there. Reaper had stopped yelling, but it was like I could still feel his rage pulsating around us. There was nothing but silence outside, everyone had gone quiet, and I couldn’t tell if that was worse.
“Has he touched you, Liv?”
Shane’s sudden question had my head snapping up in surprise. He was staring at me, a look of grave worry on his face. I hesitated before responding. I could tell him how he grabbed me by the neck the first night, but only to rest it there in warning. I could tell him that he forced me down on my stomach to remove my dress, but that I appreciated it when it was off. I could tell him about last night, but that I had equally found myself entangled in lust before my senses got the better of me. I could tell him…
“No,” I replied, quietly. I didn’t want to tell Shane any of those things, not ready to face them myself. “He hasn’t.”
“I don’t understand why he’s taken so long. The ceremony should have already happened.”
“He wanted my permission.”
Shane looked confused. “I still don’t understand.”
I let out a wry laugh. “Join the club, Shane.”
“He’s approaching, and he’s got someone with him.”
“Who?”
The door flew open before Shane could answer. The first to come in was Reaper. He moved back to his spot on the wall, his face clear once more of all emotion. Christy followed next, slower and more cautious. I was confused to see her, to know he had went on a rampage minutes prior, all in search of her.
When her eyes met mine, I saw anger in their depths. She clenched her jaw for a moment and then spoke. “I was responsible for the food yesterday, and I forgot to give you your plate.”
She was a terrible liar. I could see her at war with herself, like she’d been coerced to say those things, like it pained her. I let her words sink in for a few moments, bewildered. Anyone could have come up with a better excuse than that. I felt almost insulted.
“You forgot to feed the abducted fiancé of your boss?” I asked, my voice monotone. “The one you’ve been translating to for days now?”
“Yes,” she answered simply, and she couldn’t even make that one single word sound believable.
“Expand,” Reaper ordered, his voice low and menacing.
“I had an entire group of men to feed, and they’d worked all day long. They were my priority. I didn’t stop to think about the…others.” Her icy words didn’t escape me, even though they were delivered without another glance in my direction.
Shane took a step toward her, towering over her small frame, growling, “Well, it won’t happen again, or I’ll make sure you regret it.”
I couldn’t hide my smile. This was the Shane I knew, the man who went out of his way to intimidate anyone who so much as looked at me in a way he didn’t like. Christy’s eyes widened in response. She looked at Reaper as though she were waiting for him to defend her, but he looked straight through her. He was letting her get scolded, and despite all his fucked-upness, it felt nice to know he hadn’t punished me into starvation yesterday after all. Finally, she looked at me, and maybe it was because my back was straighter, or my face was harder, I could tell she saw that pride in me by the way she frowned.
“Christy,” Reaper said, and she looked at him faithfully. “Leave.” Her face fell. She didn’t expect that, but she also didn’t waste time. She looked like she’d been stabbed in the heart as she exited the room.
“Don’t doubt my word again,” Reaper told Shane, his expression hardening. “I stuck to every one of Dillinger’s demands, and goddamn that fucker if he has a problem with it after the mercy I extended him.”
Shane nodded. “I understand, it’s just…”
“What?”
Shane looked about the room. “This is not a room suitable for marriage, Reaper. You don’t have to honour Milo with this request, but at least honour her.” Shane pointed to me, and Reaper’s gaze followed. I looked away when his eyes landed on me, the heat of his stare too much for me to bear. In my peripheral, Reaper shifted and let out a long sigh. I glanced quickly, and he wasn’t looking at me anymore. He stared out the window with his profile to me now, his lips pursed in thought.
“I’m taking care of business here,” he said.
Shane pleaded for me regardless. “Yes, you are, but surely you can afford one day away. She was going to get married in a chapel. She had bridesmaids and flowers –”
“Jesus fuck,” Reaper cut in, his temper returning. “Does it look there’s a fucking chapel around here? Or flowers? Or a group of fake bitches to play pretend bridesmaids?”
“But –”
“Enough, Shane,” I interrupted him, wearily. “I don’t care
where I am when this happens. I just want to get it done with. So, if it ends up in a hole of a room, that’ll be fine by me.”
“And what of the consummation? Where will that happen? In this godforsaken room too?”
Oh, God. I dropped my head. My entire body went rigid. Why, Shane? I couldn’t look at them now. The heat in my body rose, especially when the silence stretched after that for an entire minute. Legit, a whole, painful minute. Sixty seconds of awkwardness. I wanted to crawl in a hole and hide.
I couldn’t look at Reaper. I couldn’t bear to see his eyes on me after that. The reality of what was happening was a constant pressure that was slowly crushing my insides flat, and now they had to talk about where he was going to fuck me? Jesus.
“You have strong emotions for this girl, but you speak too freely, old man,” Reaper suddenly said, his voice grave. “Be careful where that lands you.”
With that, Reaper walked out, ending the tension. Thank God, he was gone. It took a few minutes for my muscles to finally relax, for his presence to fade from the room he’d dominated by merely standing in it! Shane was still in the same spot, looking around with disgust. But I was infuriated.
“Of all the things to fight for,” I let out in disbelief, “you pick the wedding and the consummation?”
“Of course,” he told me, determinedly. “I’m not going to let this sit. I will not have you married like this, Liv, much less touched in it. I forbid it.”
I shuddered internally. If only he knew how touched I had been in this very rotten room. “Why does it matter?”
“It matters to me that you get the best he can afford.”
“What if he’s right? We’re in the middle of nowhere. What if this is it?”
His face twisted. “What, this? This room is filthy, Olivia. Hell, there’s this yellow fucking thing crawling up that wall, do you see it? I don’t even know what that is. Sweet mercy, what is it? You want to say your vows in front of it?”
“I’m pretty acquainted with the yellow thing, Shane.”
“It’s insulting. All of this is insulting. From the moment we were told you were going away, I just knew it was going to be a goddamn nightmare. The man is out of his mind if he thinks I’m not going to ask for higher standards.”