Page 46 of The Holy Ghost
I yanked myarm from his grasp, and I knew I was successful because heallowedme to disengage from his person. “Iam not some mindless, simpering female who is going to let youdictate her life!” I yelled, wondering what the hell I’ve gottenmyself into. This man yelling at me wasn’t the Phoenix I grew upwith. This man was clearly The Ghost.
“I’m nottrying to dictateyour life,Frankie,” he argued. “I’m trying to keep you alive. And for that tohappen, you have to take this shit seriously. You are in dangerevery minute of the fucking day. And just as Luca, Ciro, and I haveto, you have to constantly be on guard. You have to besmart, Francesca.”
“Whatif I decide this is too hard and Idon’t want this life?”
Phoenixadvanced on me until my back hit the wall. His hazel eyes wereflames of lethal rage as he growled, “You think I was talking withmy dick the first nightIfucked you?” My body started shaking because I knew where he wasgoing with this, and a small part of me believed him. “While I’dadmit, it’s hard to think straight when your pussy is strangling mycock, I meant what I said, Francesca.” He leaned in closer and Icould feel the rage coming off him in waves. “I will fucking seeyou dead before I ever let you leave me again. It doesn’t matter ifCiro and Luca come after me either because my life wouldn’t beworth living without you, anyway.”
“Phoen-”
He slapped hispalms on the wood behind me,one hand on either side of my head, causing me to jump. “I give youmyword, if you ever thinkof divorcing me or leaving me again, it’ll be overbothour dead bodies,” he threatened.
I knew hemeant every wordhe said, andmaybe it made me stupid that I wasn’t repulsed by his offensivethreats, because any normal woman would be. These were not sweetwords of love and devotion. They were serious death threats shouldI ever try to leave Phoenix.
I looked himin the eye despite the shiversthat ran down my spine. “I will not cower, Phoenix,” I told him.“I’m not going to be some scared, sniveling shadow of a woman whohas to live by a barrage of rules that you set forth forme.”
He shook hishead. “You still don’tget it,Frankie,” he bit out. “I don’t want you to be some weak, simperingfemale. That’s not what or who you are. What I want is for you toown your role. Be the woman strong enough to be in this life. Youneed to become one of us.”
I raised abrow. “Really?” I drawled.“Because if one of you got a message like the one Robbie sent me,you would have done exactly what I did. You would have takencontrol of the situation.”
Phoenixstraightened to his full height. “That’s where you’re wrong,” hereplied. “None of us wouldhave taken off into a situation like that without letting the othertwo know what was going on. And you didn’t take control of thesituation, did you? You became the situation, Francesca. Asituationwehad to come in andhandle.” He grabbed my chin and held it between his fingers,careful not to pull at the skin that was stitched up. “We areafamily, Frankie. Thereare no lone wolfs here. The sooner you understand that, thebetter.”
He was right,and I knew he was. Deep down, I had known I was being careless, butno one ever thinks they’regoing to get kidnapped for fucking ransom. That shit only happenedin the movies. Besides, I’d only been back home for not even aweek. And it’s not like Phoenix and I had taken out an ad in thepaper announcing our wedding. How the hell was I supposed tosuspect I was up for kidnapping so soon?
Ignoring hislecture, and refusing to give him credit for the points made, Iasked, “What about Robbie?”
He crossed his armsover his chest. “What about her?”
“She’s myfriend, Phoenix,” I stated.“Ican’t have you hating her.”
“Frank-”
“No, Phoenix,”I snapped. “I never told her not to say anything. I never told hershe couldn’t talk about it or not to say anything to her boyfriend.” He didn’t look moved.“She was shocked when I told her who Luca was. Then she was doublyshocked when I told her who I was. Who Ireallywas. It’s not…a crime or even unexpected that she would sharethe news with her boyfriend. Especially since I knew him too, andyou know this.”
His arms flewout to the side. “Frankie,youwere beaten and almost sexually assaulted. Possibly killed,” hereiterated. “And you want me to just forgive her lack ofjudgement?”
“I was beatenbecause I taunted them, Phoenix,” I clarified. “Had I kept my mouthshut and kept my ass planted in thatchair, nothing would have happened to me. I’m the onewho dared them. I’m the one who called out their manhood. I’m theone who perpetuated it.”
“Frankie,I-”
“Robbie wasbeaten because she caught him texting me, Phoenix,” I continued,refusing to let himdismisswhat Robbie meant to me. “She caught him and tried to protect me.You saw her. She looked like that because she tried to protect me.And what did you guys do? You treated her no better thanRandy!”
“Oh, make nomistake, Francesca,” he sneered. “She got way better than what’s coming toRandy.”
He wasn’tgoing to budge. I couldseeit. Maybe later, but not now.
I was talking to TheGhost, not Phoenix.
Suddenly, I wasexhausted. I was starving, in pain, and just plain fuckingexhausted.
I lifted mychin and tightened my robeagain. “Will that be all, Ghost?”
Phoenix’s fistwas tangled in my hair beforeI knew what hit me. His face was a beautiful mix of fury and loveif you could believe that. “Don’t youevercall me by that name ever again, Francesca.”
“Whynot?” I whispered, so shaken, Iwasn’t sure if I wanted to run from him or let my robe fall on thefloor. “Isn’t that what everyone calls you?”
“Yes,” hereplied, his voice low. “But you’re not everyone. You’re my wife.Start behaving like it.” With that, he let go of my hair and stormed out of the study,slamming the door behind him.
Chapter 23
