What I don’t understand is why Franco had to do what he did? I hardly knew him, and I never felt any feelings toward anyone but Domani.
I gasp. “Domani broke his arm.” All those years ago, it was Domani who taught him a lesson. One he refused to learn. But why was Domani the one to do that?
Rushing out of the library, needing answers, I nearly collide with my father. “Sweetheart, is something wrong?”
“Yes. Why did Domani break Franco’s arm in the first place?”
“Because he tried to kiss you.”
“No. I mean why would Domani be involved in that incident when we were only promised to each other less than a month ago? And don’t lie to me.”
“He wanted you protected from the day he requested to marry you.”
“Day he requested…that was weeks ago.” Even as I say it, I know it’s not the case. My father can’t hide the truth in his eyes. “He’s the reason I never got to enjoy hanging out with friends and why I had to be homeschooled. He wanted me isolated.”
Angry, I try to storm away, but my dad grabs my arm, stopping me. “Wait. We need to talk, Aria.”
“Two years too late. Excuse me.” He lets go of my arm, and I head in to find my husband. My blood boils with every step closer. I point to my guard and snarl, “Don’t follow me.” She backs up and stays put.
Chapter Eight
Domani
It’s been a week since we married, and I can’t express how happy this woman has made me. I’d planned a honeymoon for us, but with the deaths of my men, Aria demanded we cancel it. She has been a pillar of strength when it comes to handling the arrangements, making sure our men get their proper burials and their families are well taken care of.
I knew she had it in her to be amazing. Everything about Aria makes me fucking happy, and the sex has been incredible and often to the point that I’m sure her pussy has to be sore from how often I’m balls deep in her. What I wouldn’t give to get away just the two of us somewhere secluded where I can spend days worshipping her and spoiling her with no eyes lurking around.
Her parents are supposed to be leaving soon to go back to their home, but the rebuild will take another week. It’s hard to feel guilty when we come out of a room looking thoroughly fucked and her parents are around. If they don’t like it, they need to book a hotel somewhere because I can’t get enough of my bride.
Just sitting here thinking about her makes my balls feel heavy again, like I need to drain them in my queen, but we just went at it for hours early this morning. It’s insane how insatiable we are. I adjust my cock because it’s hard to sit like this, but I have to get my ass together. Not everything is about needing Aria naked.
A knock at my office door takes me by surprise because Aria’s with her mother as they sort through Aria’s things that have been brought from her parents’ estate. “Enter.”
“Domani. I need to speak with you.” That isn’t the tone I like to hear from her. It’s cold, almost indifferent. Nothing like the woman I was just daydreaming about.
“Yes, wife, but you know you never have to knock in this home. It’s yours,” I remind her.
A big mistake. Her eyes flare at me with an untold anger that concerns me, and then she lets me have it. “Don’t tell me what to do, damn it.” She shakes her head, chest heaving as she returns her glare straight at me. “I’ve just learned that you’re the reason that I’ve been locked away for two years. I can’t believe you did that. What—were you afraid I’d find someone else before I reached eighteen? That I’d be spoiled?”
In a flash, I step around the desk to try to calm her down. Just as I close the distance, her hand comes swiftly across my face. I grip it, absorbing the sting for the cheap shot that it was. “Wife. I will never lay a hand on you, but you will treat me with the same decency,” I grit out, pinning her ass to the edge of my desk with my body pressed firmly against hers.
“I don’t owe you any decency. I can’t believe you.” She yanks her hand from my grip, and I let it go because I don’t want her to hurt herself. When she heads for the door, I cuff her waist and lift her off her feet. “Put me down, you monster. I hate you.” I hear the tears in her voice, and I do feel like a fucking monster.
Setting her back on her feet, I hold her and lean in. “I didn’t lock you up. The day I made you mine, you became my weak spot.”
“Let me go. You disgust me.” She tosses her head back, nearly full-on headbutting me, but hits just my cheek. I let her go because for a moment I’m too damn heated to speak rationally to her. She darts out from the room like she’s afraid I’m going to give chase. Right now, I want as much distance as possible between us, and yet no distance at the same time.
I'm not going to chase after her because I don't know how to fix this. She can't leave the house anyway, so I have some time to figure out how to make it right. I slam my office door closed to avoid anyone coming to see what’s wrong. I walk over to my cabinet and pour myself a tumbler full of bourbon and drink the entire thing. I take a look in the mirror, and it looks like my little spitfire of a wife left a nice fucking bruise on my cheek. I sit down on my leather sofa off to the side with a fresh glass of bourbon and close my eyes.
There’s a knock at my door. “Go away.”
"Domani, can I speak to you for a moment?" my father-in-law asks through the door.
"I'm not in the mood to talk, so go away,” I snarl.
“This is about Aria,” he pleads.
I want to bite his head off right fucking now, but I relent. “Come in.”
"I came in to apologize. It's my fault. She learned that all the other families were supposed to stay away from her. I didn't tell her about the abduction attempt."
"What? I don't know how to fix this. She hates me."
"No, she doesn't. She's upset, but she loves you." I doubt it, shaking my head. We’ve only been together a short time, but she made it clear that I haven’t gotten any closer to winning her heart; in fact, I think I’ve done the opposite. Orgasms aren’t the only thing I want from her, and she proved that she doesn’t want anything from me. "She's young, Domani. Hot-headed and hurt. She’s pissed at me as well, but I’m sure she’ll understand when you finally get her to sit down and listen. Aria’s always been the bullheaded one. It’s one of the reasons I made the deal with you and agreed to keep it a secret. If she knew then, she might have done something stupid to get out of it and likely put herself in danger."
I could see that happening only in his head because I’d never have let her sneak away. My men were doing their job incredibly well by averting several attempts on her, and she didn’t even know it. I had my eyes on her nearly all hours of the day, either in person or via surveillance systems. My obsession with Aria was sick and twisted to the point that I learned everything I could about her. "I need to find her and fix this. Even if I have to tie her down to get her to listen.”
“Ties work well, and they’re less likely to leave any markings,” he says. He turns back and adds, “She’s gone into your mother’s garden.” He leaves the door open after he walks out, tempting me to go after my wife.