Page 2 of The Marriage Demand
Four years ago, Elias knewif he had killed her, his life would have been so much easier. He wouldn’t havemarried her, nor would he have to deal with thinking about her.
Women had come and gone throughouthis life. All the women he fucked knew the score. He was not the kind of man tostick around. The only reason he was there, was to have fun. Women were therefor a purpose—to please him, then fuck off. It had worked for a long time.
Until he met an eighteen-year-oldin one of the most fucked-up situations that had even surprised him. He had setcameras up in his warehouse because he had known some punk-ass kids had beeninvading his space, and he wanted to get shit moved along. What he had seen hadsickened him.
Winnie had been theintended victim. He sat and listened for thirty minutes before she arrived, towhat the guys wanted to do to her. They were sick fucks, and it angered him. Heput a stop to it.
Yes, he knew that shitexisted. He also knew there were people that did far worse. Anyone whoattempted to approach him with that kind of shit ended up dead. He didn’t dealin rape, human trafficking, or the perversion of children. He didn’t agree withit, and made sure it didn’t happen in his city.
It was why some of thelocal cops didn’t have a problem with him. For the most part, he ran a tightship, and nothing affected civilians. There were times shit got out of hand,but he dealt with it swiftly. No one messed with Elias Moore.
He looked at Winnie thatnight, her nose dripping blood from where she had been punched. One of her eyeswas already swollen shut, her clothes torn and disarrayed. She had asked if hewas going to kill her. The answer should have been yes. Instead, he gave her anultimatum. She could live, but she was going to have to marry him.
He expected her to refuse.Winnie had looked at him, and then said yes. She agreed to marry him. Her lifehad been fucked up, and in an odd way, he’d been her savior. Now, he gave hereverything.
Four years had passed, andshe was the perfect wife. She never questioned him. Never complained. She askedfor things, but they were never outlandish. He treated her like the princessshe was.
Elias made up for Winnie’syears of being tossed aside, treated like trash, and forgotten within thesystem. Now, as he looked at her, she had blossomed into a beautiful woman hecouldn’t stop thinking about.
Her brown hair, short whenhe met her, was now long, thick, and curly. He made sure she had regularappointments at the salon. He had many beauty rooms built for her, and shespent hours learning how to apply makeup.
He also watched thisprocess. He watched her hesitate. For many weeks after they were married,Winnie struggled to be free. She kept expecting someone to come in and take itall away from her. This is what he witnessed and he hated it.
It was hard to stand backand wait for her to flourish, but eventually she did. She shone brighter thanhe ever anticipated.
However, he was startingto get the sense she wasn’t happy. She didn’t talk to him about it, but he knewsomething was starting to bother her, and he didn’t quite know what to do.
They arrived at theirapartment, and he stepped out, waiting for his wife to take his hand. His menknew not to interfere. Winnie was to be taken care of, but if he caught anyonelooking at her with a lingering eye, there would be hell to pay.
Walking into the building,he placed a hand at her back, and then proceeded to climb onto the elevator. Inthe reflection of the elevator doors, he saw her staring off into the corner.
She was the only woman heknew that never gave him a fucking clue as to what she was thinking. It drovehim crazy.
“You look beautifultonight,” he said.
This caught her attention.She glanced over at him and then looked down at herself, before looking at himagain. She wore a dress that curved around her breasts and flared out, but ithinted at the shape beneath. He noticed she rarely wore clothes that emphasizedher hips, and she had more than a generous handful.
“Thank you.”
“I have a few days, whatwould you like to do?” he asked.
“What?”
“I’m not needed for thenext couple of days, so if there is anything you would like to do, let meknow.”
The elevator doors openedup.
“You’re … staying home?”
“Yes,” Elias said.
“And you want to dosomething together?”
“Yes, so if you haveanything in mind, let me know.”
It was the first time hehad given her any kind of opening. Usually, he was the person to make plans,not her.
“What would you like todo?” he asked.
