by C. Hallman
With every step I take, I feel more and more like I’m being led to slaughter. Alaric leads me to the dining room, where the table is already filled with a buffet of food that looks like it can feed an army.
Alessandro pulls out a chair for me, pretending to be a gentleman of sorts, and I have to hold back a snort at his gesture. I force a smile and take the seat. Alaric sits down on my right side, and unfortunately, Alessandro takes the one on my left and the head of the table. Savio sits across from me, and the other two men sit next to him. I don’t know either one of their names, but I recognize one of them from the other night. He was holding a camera up, videotaping me. A shudder runs down my spine at the memory I rather want to forget.
Even with Alaric acting as he has been, I want to scoot closer to him, nestle into his side, and bury my face into his chest. No matter the way he treats me, he is still my only protector here, the only one who has shown me kindness.
“I don’t know if your new husband has told you, but you look delightful today,” Alessandro compliments. “Your tits look great in the dress.”
“Thank you,” I murmur as he loads my plate with an array of food.
“You better eat up. You’ll need your strength for your wedding night.” He snickers. “Knowing Alaric, I’m sure he has plenty planned for tonight. I know I do.”
Bile rises in my throat at his comment. Does Alaric plan on staying here? Oh my god, he is going to share me with them tonight. The savory smell of the food in front of me turns rotten, and I have to turn my head and concentrate on not throwing up.
“Eat,” Alaric adds, making me even more uncomfortable.
With trembling fingers, I grab the fork and start eating tiny bites of the food on my plate. I force myself to eat as much as I can, chewing every morsel thoroughly and taking small sips of water between.
By the time everyone else is done, my plate is still half full, but thankfully, no one says anything, and one of the maids takes my plate away.
“Time for your wedding gift,” Alessandro announces after the table is cleared. A moment later, one of the guards sets a neatly wrapped package on the table in front of me.
It looks normal, with white wrapping paper and a silver bow on top, but knowing who bought it makes me wonder if the inside will be as normal. Hesitantly, I unwrap the gift and take the lid off as if I’m expecting a bomb inside.
What I find instead is a silver collar. For a split second, I think he is getting us a dog, and this is merely a clue, but then I remember who he is. The collar is for me.
“That is so you know who owns you. The gift on the bottom is for when you misbehave,” he explains. “Go on, look at the bottom of the box.”
Grinding my teeth, I take out the collar and the cushion it sits on. Below it, I find something else silver, a butt plug, and it’s not small either. It’s huge.
“Both come with a remote,” Alessandro explains excitedly, “With one push of a button, it sends an electric shock to either her neck or her ass. Trust me, she’ll do whatever you want after you do this a few times.” He laughs, and the rest of the men at the table join in… including Alaric.
My blood runs cold, and for the first time today, I feel just as uncomfortable having Alaric by my side as Alessandro.
“Shall we try it out?” one of the men at the table suggests.
“She’s done well today. I’ll keep this one for when she actually misbehaves,” Alaric tells them as he picks up the collar to inspect it. “She won’t be able to break this?”
“No, once it’s on, you can only remove it with the code you set yourself. There is no way she’ll get it off.”
“Good to know. She hasn’t tried to run yet, but I’m sure she will eventually. This will come in handy.” Alaric sets the collar back in the box.
Cold sweat runs down my back as fear sets in, real bone-crushing fear. That terror only reaches a new height when Savio chimes into the conversation.
“Alaric, come have a cigar with me at the pool. I’m sure Alessandro will find a way to entertain your new bride.”
No, no, no. Instinctively, I grab Alaric’s forearm. Digging my nails into his suit-covered arm, I plead with him to stay without saying a word. That hope is crushed when he grabs my wrist and pulls my hand away.
“A cigar sounds great,” he says nonchalantly and gets up from his chair. He doesn’t even look at me. “Behave yourself, Monroe,” he warns before turning around and walking away, leaving me behind more scared and confused than ever.
I watch Savio and Alaric disappear from the room and out to the terrace. The glass door closes behind them, and dread pools in my gut. They walk away until I can’t see either one of them anymore, and I feel like someone just died. I’m just not sure who? Did I lose Alaric, or did I lose myself?
All thoughts evade my mind when a hand wraps around the back of my neck. Alessandro’s fingers tighten as he forces me to turn back to face him.
“Oh sweet Monroe, we’re going to have so much fun together.”
My chest heaves, and I feel like I can't get enough air into my lungs. How could Alaric leave me with him? How can he break that fragile trust we had built? I feel utterly betrayed and abandoned. But above all, I’m scared of what’s to come.
22
Alaric
I can hear Monroe’s screams echo through the house and move faster. I’ve heard so many over the years, and not once did it affect me the way Monroe’s pained cry does. It feels like a dagger to my chest, cracking open the icy exterior of my frozen heart, creating a deep ache I’ve never felt before.
Before I met Monroe, I wondered if I had lost my soul altogether and, with it, my ability to feel compassion, to care about another person at all, let alone love someone. But at this very moment, I realize I do love her. I don’t even know when it happened; I just know that her pain is my pain. Her life is mine, and I will do anything to keep her safe, even if that means dying.
Without a doubt, I would die for her, which is exactly why I tighten the grip on my raised gun as I speed walk down the hallway. When I get back to the dining room door, I don’t pause. I don’t wait another minute. I kick her heavy door open and storm into the room like a one-man army.
The element of surprise is the most valuable asset I have, and I use it wisely. Before anyone in the room knows what’s happening, I fire the first shot, hitting Vinny right between the eyes. Before his body has time to slumps down to the ground, I’ve already fired another shot at Bruno. Unfortunately, the bastard twists around quickly, and I only hit his shoulder.
“What the fuck!” he roars while pulling his own gun. But this time, I’m faster. I fire my gun again, hitting him in the side of the head. His body goes slack, joining Vinny’s lifeless form on the ground.
“Traitor!” Alessandro spits, drawing my attention to him. He holds Monroe by the neck, a knife pressed against the skin right below her skin. Her face is red, and her eyes are puffy. Tears fall down her beautiful fear-struck face. The top of her wedding dress is ripped, the silky fabric hanging off her shoulder like an old rag.
Rage. All I can feel is unbridled rage flowing through my veins, taking over every fiber of my body. I move on instinct, stepping toward them, toward the woman I love, who needs me more than ever.
“Guards!” Alessandro yells, and I don’t miss the hint of fear in his tone.
“They’re not coming,” I say smoothly. “They are either dead or have turned against you. Not surprisingly, most of them simply hated you and were happy when I offered them an out.”
“Take another step closer, and she is dead, you bastard.” He digs the knife into her tender skin, drawing both blood and a whimper out of Monroe. I stop, my feet suddenly connected to the floor.
“Let her go, and I will make it quick,” I offer. “You might be a vile asshole, but you are not dumb. You know you’re not going to make it out alive.”
“You are in my house! I don’t need to make it out. My men are loyal!” he screams, making Mon
roe flinch.
“Then where are they now? If they are so loyal, where are they now? Do you think I killed them all in the five minutes I’ve been gone?”
His face turns red, the vein on his forehead building, ready to explode. He knows I’m right. There is no way I silently killed his twenty guards, plus the other staff around the house. Shots have been fired, and no one is coming for him. He never cared about a single person in his life, and in return, no one cares about him.
“If that’s so, I’m taking your fucking slut with me,” he sneers. His hand tightens around the knife, and my heart stops. The same heart that was frozen for so long begins and stops beating again, all in the same day.
The blade slices through her delicate skin, and blood runs down her slender throat. I aim my gun at Alessandro's head, but I don’t lift it fast enough…
A shot rings out, and I lunge forward at the same time. The knife slips out of Alessandro’s fingers and falls to the ground between us. Monroe’s fear-stricken face goes ghostly white, her hands clutching at her bleeding throat hysterically.
I drop my gun and reach for her, pulling her into my body. I simply hold her to my chest as I sink to my knee. “Baby, look at me. Let me see,” I order, tugging her hand away just enough to see how bad it is.
Blood is trickling down her wound, but it’s not deep. He didn't hit an artery. I pull her body close, and she buries her face in my chest and starts sobbing. Her whole body trembles, but I sigh in relief. She is alive—shaken up, but alive.
I take in Alessandro’s lifeless body on the floor, a puddle of blood forming around his head. His eyes are open, but they are dull, the life in them already vanished. Savio is standing like a statue behind him with his gun still raised. He came in through the terrace door and shot him in the back of the head. It was his plan. He told me that it needed to be done because Alessandro had lost his way. But even so, Alessandro was still his brother. Evil or not, blood is blood, and Savio just killed his own.
“You did the right thing,” I try to assure him, but I don’t think he can hear me. His eyes are glued to the man he just murdered.
Another moment passes before the door opens and two guards walk in. They scan the room, quickly assessing the situation. “Boss?” One of them approaches Savio carefully.
“What?” He lifts his head, snapping out of whatever shock he was in.
“The compound is secure. The men who were loyal to your brother are all taken care of.”
“We can take care of this too.” The second guard motions to the three dead bodies on the floor.
Savio nods. “Yes, take care of this… What about the other staff?”
“The maids and the cook are in the basement like you’ve asked. None of them were harmed,” the guard assures.
“Good work,” Savio praises his men, something his brother never did. “You should take your new wife home, my friend.” He turns to me. “I’ll have one of my men drive you to your place.”
“Thank you. I won’t forget this, Savio.” I owe him more than my life now. I owe him everything. He simply nods and orders his guard to have the car ready for us.
Monroe is still huddled up against my chest, her hands clutching onto my button-up shirt like her life depends on it. I rub my palm against her back and speak softly into the shell of her ear. “It’s okay, sugar. You’re safe now. Let’s go home.”
Holding her shaking body tightly, I stand and walk out of the dining room. On my way to the front door, I pass a few more guards eyeing me curiously as I carry my bride outside, but none of them stops me or asks questions. Savio must have been planning this for a while even though he only told me about his plan today.
The car is already waiting for us when I walk through the main entrance. The driver opens the back door for us, and I sit down with Monroe on my lap. The driver closes the door behind us before quickly walking around the car to get back in.
“I thought you were going to leave me,” Monroe murmurs into my shirt low enough for only my ears. But not low enough for me to miss the despair in her voice.
“I know… and I’m sorry. It killed me to leave you there, knowing he was going to touch you, but it was the only way to catch him off guard.”
“Is he…?”
“Yes, he is dead. You don’t have to worry about him anymore. Savio is taking over the family, and he means you no harm.”
Monroe lifts her head slightly, her big blue eyes find mine. “He was there too… the other night. I saw him.”
The memory of fucking Monroe with an audience rushes back. Yes, Savio was there too, but he was forced into the situation like I was. Neither one of us could have stopped Alessandro that night, not without risking Monroe’s life.
“He made sure those videos got deleted, and no one will ever know about it. He gave me his word, and that means a lot in my world.”
She doesn't look convinced, but she must be satisfied enough with my answer because she buries her face back into my chest. I keep my arms around her like a secure blanket, sprawling my fingers out to cover half of her back. I can’t wait to get this dress off her, to inspect every inch of her body and make sure she isn’t hurt. I will tend to every tiny scratch, every bruise and blemish until she is healed and happy.
We spent the rest of the ride in silence, which I don’t particularly mind. It gives me time to think and reassess. Besides watching three men I’ve known for years die today, I discovered that against all odds, I’m still capable of loving a woman, and now I’m married to her. The threat against her life has been eliminated, but I still have to make her love me, to make her want to be married to me.
She clings to me at the moment, but most of that could be conditioning. I’ve protected her from monsters even crueler than me, but I also kidnapped her. Not to mention that I’ve used her to play out my sick fantasies. Worst of all, I don’t think I can stop.
So the question is, will I ever be able to make her want to stay because she wants to, or will she be my prisoner for the rest of her life? Either way, I’m never letting her go.
By the time the car pulls into my driveway, I’m sure Monroe has fallen asleep, but as the driver parks, Monroe perks up. “I can walk now,” she announces.
“All right,” I agree. I don’t particularly want her to, but at this moment, I think it’s more important to let her have a little bit of control for once.
The driver opens the door for us, and Monroe shimmies out of my lap, her plump ass rubbing over my dick in the process. Even with all the shit that’s happened today, my cock roars to life, making me groan.
I get out of the car, staying close behind Monroe just in case she has the dumb idea to make a run for it. I unlock the door, and she scurries inside the house, heading straight to the bedroom. Locking the door behind us, I wonder why she’s in such a hurry.
As I enter the bedroom, I find her wedding dress in a heap on the floor, and the sound of the shower running meets my ears. I follow her into the bathroom, surprised when I find her already in the shower, her lacy underwear still clinging to her body.
“I feel dirty. I want to wash his touch away,” she explains while peeling off her lingerie. I start undressing as I watch Monroe scrub her body with soap.
“He’ll never touch you again.” It’s the only solace I can offer her right now. The only peace both of us get is knowing he will rot in hell for the rest of eternity. “Do you want me to join you in the shower?” I asked when I’m completely naked.
“Since when do you ask permission?”
“Since today. I know a lot has happened today, so you might have forgotten the tidbit about being married now. Marriage in my eyes means we’re equals, partners in every way.”
“Are you telling me you’re going to change who you are, your entire personality in a matter of hours?” She laughs while rinsing the soap off her slick body. My cock is already painfully hard, throbbing with the need to be inside her.
“I never said that. And before you ask, I’m s
till planning on fucking you however I want to.” Maybe not tonight, but soon, I will have her again the way I want to. Tonight, however, I only have one need.
“I think your vision of being equals is skewed.”
“You can fuck me however you want in return.” I shrug.
“What if I don’t want to fuck you at all?” she quips, turning off the shower.
I grab a fluffy white towel from the linen closet. “Then you would be lying, and we don’t lie to each other.”
She doesn't have an answer to that because we both know I’m right. Monroe steps out of the shower and into the waiting towel. I dry her off, rubbing her whole body gently until every inch of her is dry. Surprisingly, she lets me without a fight, even lifting up her arms and spreading her legs to give me better access. Maybe winning her over is going to be easier than I thought.
“Let’s go to bed,” I coo, taking her hand and leading her back into the bedroom. We climb into my king-sized bed together, and Monroe reaches for the blanket to cover up, but I stop her.
“Please, Alaric…not tonight. I can’t do this tonight.”
Ignoring her plea, I move on top of her, blanketing my naked body with hers. “This is for you, not for me. All I want to do is make you feel better. I want you to tell me where he touched you, so I can touch you there. I want to replace every memory with a better one.”
Scrunching her nose, she’s not convinced. “Tell me where he touched you.” It takes her another moment, but then she slowly lifts her hand and points at her upper arm.
I lean down, keeping my weight on my elbows, and pepper soft kisses over the spot. When I’m satisfied with that area, I glance back up at her face. She lifts her hand again, pointing at her chest this time.
Shifting my weight, I cradle one of her breasts like it is the most precious thing in the world. I bring my mouth to the nipple and close my lips around the taut peak. A shudder runs through her body, and I run my tongue over her areola. I give the other side equal attention before I lift my gaze to meet Monroe’s.