“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 still 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.”