Page 67 of Midnight Wedding

“Only if you want the whole staff to hear about it.” I raise my eyebrows and the old woman just shrugs. “I’m a terrible blabbermouth.”

“I guess it’s not really a secret.” I lean back and stretch my neck with a sigh. “I like having him around.”

“He’s your husband. That’s not exactly a bad thing.”

“I know, it’s just, I didn’t expect it.”

Maud frowns at me for a moment before tapping a finger on the table. “Arsen’s a good man. If you fall for a good man, then so what?”

“He’s a criminal. He kills people.”

She waves that off. “He’s direct. You know what you’re going to get with him. Better than marrying some banker.”

“What’s wrong with a banker?”

“They kill people too, just not with their own hands.”

“I didn’t know you were a revolutionary.”

“Pragmatist, my dear, just a pragmatist.”

Maud pats my cheek lovingly and wanders off. I smile to myself and sink deeper into the chair. Fact is, when I first came to this house, everything felt strange and terrifying. The ancient hallways and creaking floorboards scared the shit out of me as much as they drove my curiosity insane.

But now I’m comfortable here. I like Maud and most of the other staff. Arsen’s guards are standoffish, but generally kind and respectful. I even like my husband, God help me.

What I don’t like is knowing he’s out there in danger. This war with his family is going to break him. Maybe it won’t kill him, but he’ll have to do something he doesn’t want to do, and I’m afraid of the scars it’ll leave. Invisible scars, the sort that run deeper than skin.

I want to protect him from that if I can. But I know it’s not possible.

When Maud comes to check on me a little later, I ask her to do me a favor. “Can you make an appointment with a tattoo studio or a body piercing place near here?”

“Can’t say I’m familiar with anyone like that.”

“I’m sure you can figure it out. Find someone that does house calls since I doubt Arsen will let me go anywhere.”

“Getting some ink done?”

“My eyebrow pierced, actually. I owe him.”

She laughs but says she’ll see what she can do. I figure if anyone can find a good body piercing artist, it’ll be ultra-competent Maud, even if she doesn’t know much about the industry.

I wander the house after that thinking about all the trouble Arsen might be getting into. It bothers me more than I like to admit, and I find myself craving a distraction. There are only so many times I can sit in the sauna and touch myself though, and eventually I end up standing in front of the locked door.

My curiosity is going to kill me one of these days.

He specifically said not to go in there. I step forward, staring at it. The floorboards flex, and I swear something thumps in the wall. I hear breathing, but I’m all alone. I reach out for the knob, hand shaking. Something shuffles nearby, and when I whirl around, I’m all alone. Nobody’s watching. My lockpick skills are good enough that I could get in there easily if I wanted.

It’s so tempting it hurts. It’s almost cruel, this stupid locked door.

But I remember what he said the last time.

I don’twantto open it.

Whatever’s on the other side, Arsen thinks I’m better off not knowing.

This is a man that happily told me about all the terrible ways he was abused when he was younger.

What’s so bad he can’t let me find it?

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