Page 16 of Monster Bully

Pressing her fingers to her forehead, she tried to control the headache she knew was coming. This man was insufferable. “You’re not going to divorce me and even though we’re dealing with this, I don’t really want a divorce, so for the time being, we’re stuck with each other.”

“Is that the way you see it, Eve, you’restuckwith me?”

“You’re not helping. Can’t you see I am trying to make this work!” She stamped her foot. “So, rather than try to argue about mundane words, why don’t you actually talk to me?” She wanted to scream and yell at him. “I’m here, aren’t I? I’m here and waiting. Just tell me the truth.”

Grim stared at her and she didn’t look away. Clenching her hands into fists, she stood and waited. She did love this man. That love hadn’t died, even though she had thought it would.

Grim popped the cap off his beer and for several seconds, he didn’t speak.

Eve waited.

“I’m not a good man. I have never been a good man and even when we first met, I didn’t claim to be a good man. I’m a bad one, I know that. I’ve never done anything good in my life, apart from meeting you. I wasn’t looking for you. I got a flat tire and I had every intention of changing it myself, but you got there first.” He stopped to take a long sip of his beer. “I deal in a lot of bad shit. I’ve got drugs, guns, and I have casinos, I handle money. I even deal in women, but I don’t sell them.” He ran a hand down his face. “I’m willing to do everything but two things—force women, or deal in kids. I know there are people out there that will think this makes me look weak, but I don’t give a fuck. There are limits.”

“So, you don’t kidnap women but you deal with women?”

“I have whores,” Grim said. “Women who want to make money the good old-fashioned way. They make a lot more money than if they were to get a nine-to-five job, and I offer them a safe facility with added security, while taking a percentage. A small one.” He shrugged. “That’s it. I’m not going to tell you the intricacies of my businesses, because you don’t need to know.”

“What you do is dangerous,” she said. It was strange, but she couldn’t hate him.

“Yes, and I deal with bad fucking men as well. The man I killed, the one that made you aware of who I really am, was there to take you from me.” Grim walked around the counter and Eve stayed perfectly still and looked at him. He reached out and touched her cheek.

She didn’t flinch. Grim didn’t scare her, had never scared her.

“I promise you, Eve, no one is ever going to harm you. They’re not going to mess with you, and if they even try, that’s a guaranteed death sentence. I will kill anyone that tries to take you away, and I’m not joking about that shit. You are mine.”

And with that, he pressed a kiss to her lips and then pulled away, stepping out of the room, leaving her a little confused with her lips tingling from his kiss. She had no idea what to think or feel in that moment.

Touching her fingers to her lips, she couldn’t help but miss the feel of his body all around her.

Chapter Six

Much to Grim’s surprise, Eve was not awake the following morning. He was used to her being an early bird when it came to rising. She loved to wake early, even though she went to bed quite late. He always knew she was awake because a coffeepot was already made, whereas this morning there wasn’t one.

When they were first married, he still had a chef, but he now only employed him for special occasions, as Eve told him she preferred to cook and take care of him. Grim wasn’t going to complain as he’d not experienced a woman wanting to take care of him, ever, and he was going to take everything he could get.

This morning, though, rather than wait for Eve, he decided to go ahead and make her breakfast. Her favorite breakfast was always waffles, and again, she always did a bulk batch and froze them. Rummaging through the freezer, he found several wrapped waffles. There were even instructions on how to heat.

“Why are you doing that?” he asked.

“In case I’m ever sick and I need you to take care of me. I think of all the options.”

Grim pulled out of his memory with fondness. Eve always thought of everything. He loved that woman more than anything.

Following the instructions, he prepared the waffles, fried up bacon and scrambled eggs, and then heated some maple syrup. When he first saw Eve make this for herself, he was convinced she was pregnant. No, she just had weird taste buds—her words, not his.

He hadn’t been able to get Eve pregnant in the past six months, even though she wasn’t on the pill, nor did he wear any condoms. Grim didn’t know if there would be a time when Eve would allow him back into bed with her.

Annoyance filled him, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. He couldn’t blame Eve for what happened. He had plenty of opportunity to explain who he was, but he had preferred to wait, bide his time, and even hope she’d be pregnant with a couple of their children before she ever found out.

With the breakfast prepared, he put the two plates onto a tray, and then carried them up to the spare bedroom she was using.

Grim only had so much patience. He wasn’t going to hold anything back. If Eve wanted to know the truth, he was going to give it to her, no questions asked.

Entering the bedroom, he saw Eve coming out of the en suite bathroom. She wore a pair of silk pajamas and she looked so sexy. She had clearly just run a brush through her hair and splashed some water on her face.

“Grim,” she said.

“Eve, I made you breakfast.”

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