Page 47 of Sour Lollipops and Sweet Nightmares
There were certain bloodlines more prized than others. Abernathy, Copperfield, and Ayer were the most sought-after and rarest. No one had found an Ayer girl in almost a century.
“She has no ties to Salem.”
“What?” What did he mean she had no ties to Salem? “Why is she a bride?”
That was a requirement for all the brides.
My father tipped his head and explained, “Her bloodline has other ties.”
That told me nothing. “What kind of ties?”
“You’ll know when you need to.”
Uh-huh. “I bet Ravi knows, though, doesn’t he?”
The look I got in response was all the answer I needed. My father was doing a good job of stacking the deck against me. I’d give him that.
“Now,” my father rolled his shoulders back and straightened up. “Not only will you abstain from other women, you will also abstain from masturbation.”
He was fucking kidding, right? “I can’t jerk off?”
What kind of asinine rule was that?
“I know you, son. You’ll spend the next six months jerking off and avoiding her out of pure spite. Therefore, if anyone touches your dick other than her, you will deal with severe consequences.”
Son of a…
“Anything else?” I hissed.
“Yes, Ravi will be moving in with you.”
“I don’t need a fucking roommate.” Been there, done that.
“I didn’t ask what you needed.”
So, not only could I not fuck anyone else, but I couldn’t even fuck myself. I bet Ravi didn’t have the same added stipulation, and I had to room with the asshole. These stipulations were bullshit. I’d like nothing more than to punch my father in the face, but I bit my tongue. No one denied Andrew Kratz, including his son.
“Don’t worry, Issac,” Ravi piped up. “I’ll make sure it happens quickly.”
He could try. “I fucking hate you right now.”
“Oh,” a smirk spread across his face. “You haven’t even begun to hate me.”
Motherfucker was going to make this shit hurt. I knew that look in his eye all too well. Usually, I was helping him do whatever sadistic shit he had planned. Now, I was the target. If he wanted to play this game with me, fine. I didn’t break. Ever.
“Ninety days, Issac,” my father reminded me.
“Why do you want this done so fast?”
Don’t get me wrong, there were always limitations to the claiming, but as long as things were progressing, it didn’t matter how long it took. Levi’s dad took a year and a half to claim his bride.
“Because I do.”
That was my father’s typical ‘Do what I say’ response. I may not be close with my remaining parent, but I did know one thing about him. He never did anything without a reason.
I sat back and eyed him. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll drag this shit out.”
My father’s jaw ticked while Ravi snickered. “You can try.”
