“Perhaps we’ll try again later.” He held my gaze for a beat, then turned to Imogene.
“Do you want to see what Daddy brought you?”
“Yes!” She jumped up and down, fully aware her father never returned home empty-handed. He spoiled his little girl.
Dropping his hold on me, he went to his suitcase and rolled it into the living room. He crouched down, Imogene excitedly watching as he opened it and pulled out a square item wrapped in tissue.
“I found this in an antique store and knew you’d love it.”
Pulling the tissue away, he revealed a wooden box, a dove carved on the top. From the looks of it, it appeared to be homemade. Something a father would make for a daughter. Not something easily parted with.
Turning it over, he cranked the metal key on the bottom, then lifted the top. As he did, a wooden ballerina began to twirl to the tune of “Edelweiss”.
“Oh, Daddy. I love it! My very own music box. Thank you!” She flung her arms around his neck, and he squeezed her to him. When she pulled back, she took the music box and carried it over to the couch, putting some of her play beads inside it.
I took a moment to appreciate my husband’s appearance as he admired our little miracle baby, his gaze awash with pride and devotion. I’d never seen a father look at their daughter with so much love.
Then again, I didn’t have much to compare it to. I never knew my biological father. And my adoptive father left a lot to be desired. But my grandparents always showered me with more love than I thought I deserved. The expression on Nick’s face was similar to the way my gampy would look upon me. As if his heart were so full of love, it would burst at any moment.
“And how about my beautiful wife?” Nick turned to me, expression shifting.
Less loving. More…dangerous.
“Would you like to see what I brought back for you?” His lips curved up in the corner, eyes flaming with something sinister and dark. But it was gone in a heartbeat, making me question my sanity, as always seemed to be the case.
I nodded subtly.
He advanced toward me, gripping my hip in a possessive hold. I sucked in a shaky breath at the contact. He leaned closer.
“How do you ask?”
The hair on my nape stood on end. Most other couples would think this a fun game. A play on dominant versus submissive. But nothing about the way Nick held me felt playful. It felt…threatening.
“Please, Nick,” I said, partly begging for him to let me go. Partly begging for whatever it was he brought me, even though a voice in my head told me I shouldn’t want anything to do with it.
Pushing down the trepidation swimming in my stomach, I swallowed hard, brightening my expression as I forced out a charming smile.
“Can I please see what you’ve brought me? You always spoil us.”
He crushed his lips to mine. I moaned, playing the part of his affectionate, loving wife, even though everything about this felt…wrong.
But I had no proof. He’d never hit me. Never hurt me. In fact, he did everything to give me my dreams at the expense of his own.
“Because you’re my Hera,” he murmured against my lips. “My goddess. My queen. My eternal beloved.” He trailed kisses along my jawline before pressing his mouth back to mine.
When he finally pulled away, much to my relief, he kept his eyes trained on mine. Reaching into the inside pocket of his tweed jacket, he removed a long, gold chain, a tulip dangling from the end, the bulb a pear-shaped opal. The gold appeared tarnished and worn. This definitely wasn’t something he’d found at the corner jewelry store.
“When I saw this, I knew there was only one neck on this planet it would look good on.” He stepped behind me, brushing my long, blonde waves off my shoulders.
I remained frozen as he secured the piece. It was delicate, weighing mere ounces. But it felt so heavy around my neck, suffocating and cutting off my air.
I had no reason to believe this was anything but a generous gift from a doting husband.
But, somehow, I sensed there was more to it.
That he simply didn’t walk into an antique store and purchase this.
That there was something incredibly malevolent about how he came to be the owner of this necklace.
I wanted it off me. Wanted nothing to do with it.
But I didn’t have a choice.
With Nick, I never had a choice.