Page 47 of Merciful Lies

My beautiful wife looks down, and I have to relax my hand to allow the movement.

I do. And I wait.

Finally, she lifts her pretty face to mine, and her eyes are glittering with unshed tears.

“I don't need you to give me poetry, Nico. I just need you,” she says.

For the first time, my wife lifts her face to mine, her tiny hands around my tattooed neck, and she pulls me to her for a kiss.

And it’s everything.

I need Anna to want me like this.

To cling to me. To know she can come to me for anything.

For support.

For pleasure.

For protection.

I just want to keep her safe, to make her feel good. To keep her. Period.

“You ready for a shower now?” I ask, and she nods.

Hugging me to her one more time.

Fuck.

She feels so good. So soft and warm.

I hold her hand and help her out of the pool. I walk slowly, carefully so she doesn’t slip on the tiles.

“You have nice hands,” she murmurs, tracing the skull tattoo on my right one.

“You like my hands?” I ask as I hold her robe open for her.

She slides her arms into it and I wonder what she would say if I told her I murdered our security guard with those same hands just a little while ago.

Would she hate me?

Would she regret letting me touch her?

I really don’t know. But I can’t regret my actions.

Anna is mine, and an insult to her is one to me. I’ll let neither go unpunished. Everyone will get the message. They’ll all know.

My wife is not to be fucked with.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN-ANNA

Giselle

Anna. Talk to me. I said I’m sorry. Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaassssssssseeeeeee.

Istare at my phone and roll my eyes, placing it face down on the kitchen table. Nico made me hard boiled eggs and toast before he left to meet with his accountant, but he’s coming to pick me up for dinner later.

I need an outing. Seriously, I’m starting to grow roots.

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