Page 17 of Covenant

“I’ll know,” he says simply. “This marriage is to appear real, in almost every sense. You don’t want to have sex with me—fine. But you’ll sleep in my bed, Wyatt. That’s non-negotiable.”

An image flashes through my mind. Calligraphy on white cardstock.

Negotiation is not an option.

“Fine,” I grind out. I can sleep in a bed with the fucker. I’ll make him regret it though. I’m going to be the worst bed partner possible.

He won’t last a week.

He just sits there and watches me. He’s always fucking watching. He’s always been like this, even as a kid. It didn’t creep me out then, but now I wish he’d stop. It crawls under my skin and makes me itch.

I want him to turn his eyes away from me and never look at me again.

My throat clicks as I look away first. “When do I have to move in?”

“After the wedding—which will be happening tomorrow. Jackson will be checked into rehab after the ceremony. I assume you don’t want him to attend?”

I shake my head. No. I don’t want him to attend. I also don’t want to know how much money Matthias is throwing at this to bring it together so quickly.

“Fine,” he says. “I’ll arrange for movers to take your stuff and place it at mine.”

I rub at my chest, feeling another missing button on my shirt. Shit. I’m falling apart, piece by piece? What’s next? My hair? My teeth?

My sanity.

That is entirely likely. Matthias has always had a way of making me feel like I’m losing my mind. Back when we were kids, I didn’t mind it. I could trust him to put me back together again.

I don’t trust him now.

“I’ll arrange it all. You don’t need to do a thing.”

I clench my jaw and my hands fist on my thighs. “Is this how it’s going to be? Are you going to control everything about my life?”

His lips twitch and he cocks his head slightly. “If I think you need it, then yes.”

“I don’t need anyone to control me.”

Matthias’s eyes sweep over me pointedly. I force myself not to cringe as he takes in my disheveled hair and my shirt with missing buttons. “We’ll have to agree to disagree on that.”

Fuck him.Fuck him.How fucking dare he sit there and judge me? He knows nothing about my life. Nothing about what I’ve been through.

“Any other questions?”

I can’t speak. The rage is choking me. I have to clench my hands into fists to stop myself from grabbing him by his tie.

Something tells me The Firm won’t see me throttling Matthias as fulfilling his request.

I don’t even answer, I just stand up and stalk toward the door leading out into the hallway. He follows but I don’t say anything, just continue to move forward. That’s all I can do. It’s all I’m capable of at the moment.

This is it. This is the price I’ve got to pay.

My fate may be sealed but I don’t have to fucking like it.

It could be worse. It’s not murder. Or drug smuggling.

No. It’s giving up my freedom for an entire year. Living with a fucking asshole who I detest. Being at his beck and call, whenever he demands it.

I’ve sold my soul to the devil. I shouldn’t be surprised that the devil has taken the form of Matthias Buckingham.

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