Page 12 of Blood & Lace
He grabbed my heeled feet as I tried to kick him. "This is why I have to tie you down. I don't want you to get hurt. You could have died earlier."
"I wish I had," I groaned.
"Don't say that!" Lucero snapped. Suddenly, his face had turned dark. I instinctively tried to move away but he yanked me back toward him by my ankle. "Don't ever say that again."
I licked my lips. Right, I was in the presence of crazy. I needed to tap into my other side, the one that was demure, sweet, and seductive. Finally, I mustered up a little smile, but it felt weak on my lips.
"Sorry. This is a stressful day. You understand that, right?"
Lucero's face turned right back into sunshine and rainbows. "Weddings are hard. I’ve heard that." He rubbed at one of the many bruises I'd given him. "But we'll get some rest. I found the perfect place for us."
My stomach rolled. The perfect place? I wanted to ask just where the hell that was, but I was truly terrified to ask. Wherever he took me, it probably wouldn't be somewhere in the public eye. And while I didn't think Lucero cared if people saw me like this, or even thought about it, I was pretty sure those men from earlier had helped him in some way or form.
"Are you sure about this?" The one with the gun came to the car, a frown on his face.
"Damian, it's fine," Lucero said. "It's already too late anyway. We're married. Divorce is a sin, you know?"
That's the only part of this he finds to be a sin??
Damien sighed. "All right. Clearly, I can't talk you out of this, but I don't want it interfering in your work. Figure your shit out."
"I will."
Damian looked at me, shook his head, and walked back to the rest of his family. I was left to lie there, looking insane in a wedding dress, duct taped, and quite frankly? Exhausted.
As Lucero climbed into the car, it dipped beneath his weight. I stared at the back of his head as he drove, imagining all the ways I would make his brain escape his empty head. His eyes went to the rearview mirror at the same time mine did, and he smiled.
"You're thinking about how much you want to kill me, aren't you?"
I stiffened. "No."
He chuckled. "Yeah, you are. I can see it in your eyes." I licked my lips. "How would you do it? What were you planning to do? Quick and easy? Or slow and painful?"
"Tu es vraiment un monstre," I muttered.
Lucero didn't understand, I could tell. Well, if that's what it took for him to be quiet, I'd speak in French until his head exploded. I turned away from him. He didn't deserve to look at me. Besides, I needed to concentrate.
Lucero Marino would die, and I would be the one that took his life. After that church stunt, I was even more determined to take him out.
4
LUCERO
The thick bandaround my left ring finger continued to pull my attention. I still couldn't believe I'd married Onyx. Planning wasn't my thing. Most times I messed up my brother's plans, but this time, everything had gone off without a hitch. I was starting to think my high school teachers were wrong about me. I might be a genius of some sort.
"Dumbass!"
Ah, he's calling for me.
My chest filled with warmth as I turned the eye down on the stove to leave the goulash to simmer. I stripped out of the apron and made my way to our honeymoon suite. We were upstate at a cabin my family owned. It had been my brothers’ and my escape whenever things hadn't gone well for us. We didn't get much time to come out and be a part of the wilderness as of late. Not with us carving our way into a stronger foothold in New York. Luckily, none of my siblings needed the cabin, and I got to have it all to myself with Onyx.
We were in the three-bedroom cabin we owned. The furniture was older and worn but well taken care of. I hadn't had the time or money to splurge on refurbishing everything.The only thing I'd made sure to replace was the bed and sheets I knew Onyx would be sleeping on. I would have loved to get him the presidential suite at Amen New York, but I'd already spent what I had in savings for the wedding. I wasn't poor by any standards, but with our business on the come up, I wasn't flushed either. I knew my man liked the finer things in life which was why I was more than willing to take on any and all jobs that came my way.
In the pristine sheets lay the man of my dreams. His creamy white skin practically shimmered like diamonds as the silk powder blue pajamas I'd gotten him rested against his slender frame. If I didn't know what kind of man he was, I'd take his doll-like face and soft voice for weakness.
"Dio buono, you're beautiful."
The white sheets were a mess under him. His platinum hair sat wildly on top of his head, making it look like there was a glow that surrounded him. Onyx's face was flush as small beads of sweat slid over his flesh. There wasn't an inch of him I didn't like. My desire for him grew every second. I hung, suspended, waiting for the moment I could have more of him. I knew the moment Onyx gave in would be the day I'd see heaven. I'd make sure to take my time and memorize every inch of him by touch, taste, and sight. I'd dedicate every sense to learning more about my husband until I was the only person in this world that knew him.
