Page 14 of Cage the Storm
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
NICOLAI
It’s been an exceedinglylong eighteen hours, and every fiber of my being wants to throttle her for disobeying me, as I should, until I notice the twinkle in her eye to see her assistant again. It’s only been days, but I’m sure it feels like a lifetime to Luna. My presence is soon forgotten after Sophie greets me, and they both walk past me as if I no longer exist. I’m exhausted and would like them to be reacquainted, but the other part of me refuses to back down. It’s not in my nature to be lenient.
“Sophie, you can clean off the table while I set everything up. When you leave, you can also take the cart. We’ll worry about the dishes later since I’d like to be alone with my wife.”
“Of course, sir. I’m happy to.” The only thing of value on the table is an antique vase with fresh flowers. So, she should be gone shortly.
After I remove everything from the cart, I push it toward the door. Sophie looks disappointed, but she hugs Luna and grabs the cart as I open the door.
“Goodnight, Mr. and Mrs. Caputo, and if you need anything, just ring me.” And with that, I close the door behind her.
“You son of a…”
“Do not finish that sentence, or you’ll regret it. You’re testing my patience, and I will not tolerate your disobedience. Your mouth gets you into trouble, and it’s one of the reasons I will not allow you to roam free. Knowing you’d run your mouth while visiting with the other wives or going into town. Although you could learn a thing or two from them on how to act.”
My damn headache has returned with a vengeance, so I pull out her chair, needing to eat and get some rest. “Why don’t we discuss when the two of you can get together?” That gets her attention, so she sits down.
We silently fill our plates and begin eating, but Luna has other ideas.
“Sophie and I could spend time together while you’re working. That way, I’d be free to do whatever I want. I think that’s reasonable, don’t you?” She’s been planning this long before we got married. I’m sure of it.
“That sounds fair enough, but I don’t want it to consume your day. A few hours is a good balance, so you can continue walking, reading, and doing your laps in the pool. I also want you to be more involved in running the household and working with the chef. Everything that a mafia boss’s wife is expected to do.”
“Thank you. Sophie is like a big sister to me, and we can talk about books and everything you’re not interested in. I’m sure you’ll find that if you work with me, I’ll work with you.” I take her in as she sips her wine, and I can’t help wondering. How would she know what I like and don’t like? She doesn’t know me. Not really.
“Make no mistake. This isn’t about working with you and you working with me. I’m your husband, and this is my house. You follow my rules and not the other way around. You can’t manipulate me to do anything at your whim. And I only agreed to this arrangement because Sophie was your assistant while youwere married to my brother. I won’t hesitate to fire her if you cross me. Do you understand?”
I know she wants to be insolent when she straightens her spine, but it would cost her, so she chooses her words carefully. “Understood. Your house, your rules. But don’t you mistake my compliance for passivity. I don’t plan on crossing any lines since I find it counterproductive. After all, we are husband and wife.”
“Husband and wife.” I lean forward, a chilling smile curling my lips. “Don’t romanticize this arrangement, Luna. We both know it’s an arranged marriage. It exists on paper, nothing more. We haven’t even fucked yet, so stick to the script, and we’ll get along just fine.”
“Of course,” she says. “Let’s just hope, for both our sakes, that the lines don’t blur.”
“Good. Now that we have an understanding, we shouldn’t have any issues. And Luna—don’t make me regret this arrangement.” I throw my napkin on the plate to let her know that’s the end of the discussion. Standing, I walk in the opposite direction and head towards the bedroom. Leaving her alone with her thoughts.
I’m way past the point of exhaustion, and the strain from our earlier exchange is still heavy on my mind. And I don’t know how long she’s been lying next to me, but she must sense that I’m still awake, because she decides to start a conversation.
“You’re right, Nicolai. This is just an arrangement. But remember, arrangements can be renegotiated.” I roll to the side, facing her, contemplating what to say. Reluctant that my lack of sleep will negatively affect my decision-making.
“Renegotiated?” My voice is barely above a whisper. “You forget one thing, Luna. I decide the terms, and I never lose.”
“I’m not here to fight,” she says, her voice as weary as mine. “I know you’re tired, and I am too. But this doesn’t have to be constant friction. We could make this arrangement work—not just for appearances, but for peace. Isn’t that what we both want?” Peace is such a simple word with so many connotations, but it’s seldom thought of in my line of work, so I respond with the only answer I have to give her.
“We’ll talk more in the morning when we’re clear-headed. Let’s get some sleep. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Nicolai. Sleep well.” She takes me by surprise when she leans in and tenderly kisses my cheek.
This woman will be the death of me yet.
Closing my eyes, I drift off until the events from the last twenty-four hours come back to haunt me. How can one live a lifetime without witnessing the debauchery surrounding this family? Or did I know what was happening deep down inside but chose to look the other way, letting my brother carry the burden of those sins?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
LUNA
Sittingon the edge of the bed, I take a minute to watch Nicolai sleep. He’s usually up before me, so this is rare. He looks so peaceful, which is in contrast to our exchange from last night. The tension rolled off of him in waves, and that kiss I left on his cheek was a calculated move.
