Page 55 of Past Due

“It’s different here.”

“Oh, please.” She shoved off his lap. “I’m not interested in hearing whatever excuse you’re about to serve up.”

“I don’t care if you’re interested or not. It’s the reality.”

“It’s your reality maybe. It’s not hers.” Marley snatched her purse off the bed where it had been left by the staff. She rifled through it and grabbed her sunglasses. “I understand and accept that traditions and customs are important, but those traditions don’t take priority over the happiness of a young woman like Rina. If you can’t see that, we’re going to have problems.”

“Where are you going?” he demanded, louder and more roughly than he intended.

“For a walk,” she said waspishly. “If that’s okay with you, warden.”

He ignored the barb. “Stay close to the house.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, wrenching the door open. “I know how short my leash is.”

He expected the door to slam, but she shut it carefully, as if wanting to keep their disagreement private. He started to chase after her, to make her come back and talk, but he decided it was better to let her walk off her anger. It was time for her to learn that some things were beyond her control and that life wasn’t fair.

Irritated, he stood and finished putting away his clothing. He started to unzip her suitcase and arrange her things, but decided against it. As pissed off as she was, she would probably get mad at him for invading her privacy.

He wandered to the private balcony attached to their room and scanned the property for her. He finally spotted Marley walking along the flower beds near the back fence. She had her phone in hand but kept scowling at it. He figured she couldn’t get a signal.

And then he saw her reach up and wipe at her face. Not once but three times. A painful vise gripped his heart. She was crying.

Because of me.

Unable to leave her out there alone and crying, he left the guest room and made his way outside. By the time he found her, she had wandered even farther from the house, all the way to a stone bench shaded by nearby olive trees. She glanced up as he approached and hastily wiped her cheeks with her fingers. The vise around his heart tightened even more.

Without a word, he sat down next to her. She pressed her hands together between her knees, making it clear she didn’t want him to touch her. That hurt more than seeing her cry.

Hating that he had upset her like this, he sighed heavily. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you?”

“Yes. I never want to upset you like this.”

“So, why did you?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose. I was trying to make you understand.”

“I do understand, Besian. I understand the way you see things perfectly.”

“I don’t think you do. And,” he added, “if you did, why do you insist on trying to change the way I feel?”

She shifted on the bench and whipped off her sunglasses. Glaring at him, she asked, “Why do you insist on changing the way I feel?”

Realizing she had him there, he growled with frustration. “I can’t help the way I am, Marley.”

“And I can’t help the way I am.”

They sat in tense silence for a few moments, the sounds of birds and the wind filling the air. Eventually, Marley said, “I love you, and I love some of the very traditional parts of you. I like that you want to be a protector and a provider. My whole life, I’ve just wanted to feel safe and stable. I know that’s what you want to give me. I know that’s the life you want to build with me.”

She paused and exhaled roughly. “But I don’t like that you have different sets of rules for some women. You created a business empire that encourages women to take agency over their bodies, their sexuality, so they can make really good money. You encourage those women to enjoy their freedom, and you give them a platform for doing it.”

He couldn’t argue with that.

“But you don’t extend that same courtesy to me or Rina. Think about the way you acted yesterday when you found out I had been hiking alone, stayed at a farm, got drunk with Andres. Think about the way you’re ready to deny Rina the chance to pursue her full potential because Luka wants to control her.” She held up her hand. “I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to say it’s because you want to protect us. Well, you know what, Besian? If you really wanted to protect us, you would get out of the family business. You would leave the mafia shit behind and go fully legit.”

His stomach dropped. “Is that what you want?”

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