Page 35 of Debt to the Mafia King
“Of course, there is, if she leaves me, she gets nothing.” Apart from the money I was paying her, I added silently, and only after the year was up. But he didn’t need to know that.
“But she won’t leave me.”
“You sound sure of yourself. Women are snakes. Just look at your mother.”
I fought the urge to clench my fists. I didn’t want to show how much his words got to me. My mother had always been my weakness, and he knew it. He hated her. I had idolized her, and my entire life, he had talked badly about her to try to change my mind. It used to get to me, but that was before I had learned to hide my emotions.
And before I had started hating her a little as well. Forcing myself to relax, I threw back my head and laughed. “Maybe it is just the women you chose father.”
He fell silent, and I did too.
“Well,” he said finally. Plastering his face with a smile that was more predatory than anything else I had seen since I had arrived. “I look forward to meeting my new daughter-in-law, in time, of course, when our business here is concluded. Isn’t that why you are here, Viktor, to take my empire from me?”
Something was going on. He was up to something. I kept my face neutral. “I’m already running it,” I shrugged. “I might as well wear the crown.”
“Maybe, but there’s lots to discuss before that can happen. Open the door, the others will be waiting.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Others?”
His lips twitched like he was trying not to laugh. “Did you think I was just going to hand the empire over to you withoutadvice, Viktor? Open the door, and let’s discuss what is going to happen next.”
I bit back a retort. Of course, he wanted to discuss things. When it came to him, it was always something, but this time, I wasn’t leaving without the power I wanted.
Standing, I threw open the door and came face to face with his cronies, old men, powerful men.
“Come on in, gentlemen,” I said smoothly and clenched my jaw. “It’s time we discussed a command change, don’t you think?”
Chapter Twelve
Leah
Never in a million years did I think I would spend my wedding day completely alone, and yet, that’s exactly how I had spent it. Alone and in my room. And other than a tray of food and another bottle of champagne left on the table, no one had even come to help me out of my dress.
With each breath I took, the bodice seemed to constrict around me, making it harder and harder to breathe freely. The only place I was half comfortable was reclining on the bed, so that’s where I had spent most of the day, lounging on the mountain of pillows and drinking straight from the bottle.
I was a married woman, and today should have been the happiest day of my life, but I had never felt so lonely in my life. I missed my sparse apartment, my dead-end job, and my friends. Friends I didn’t even know if I would see again. Viktor said this was only for a year, and the moment I had signed the contract and said my vows, I had agreed.
Regret came in waves, and each time it did, I took a swig from the bottle and forced it back down. I had agreed to a year, and when that was over, I would have enough money to start over.
If I survived the year, loneliness was a killer, and I was beginning to think being poor would be better than this. In the darkness, I closed my eyes and let the alcohol take hold. I knew a proper sleep would be impossible, but maybe a little nap would make this whole situation better.
I’d just started to drift off into that floating content feeling right before sleep took you when the click of the door brought me back to reality. My eyes flew open. The room was all in shadows, but I could see someone move into the room, a deeper, darker shadow in the darkness.
“Hello?” My voice tinged with sleep, I reached for the lamp on the bedside, and another hand got to the light first.
Warm orange light flooded the room, chasing back the shadows, but not banishing them completely.
“Oh,” I let out a shaky breath as my eyes locked with his. “Viktor, it’s you.”
A line appeared between his eyebrows as he frowned down at me. “Were you expecting someone else, wife?”
“What? No, of course not. It’s just—” the breath left my lungs as his hand closed around my wrist.
“Why are you still dressed like that?” Viktor’s voice shook with anger that I knew wasn’t directed at me, but still kind of scared me all the same. He gave a small tug and pulled me upward onto my feet. “Were you waiting for me?” His hand slid up my arm, and he moved his fingers over my bare shoulder, kneading hard before he dropped it down the tiny buttons that traced my spine.
“I couldn’t get it off without help.” I fought back the urge to shiver.
He chuckled, a low, dangerous sound, and moved to step around me, his fingers tracing his way. “Then let’s remedy that.” Standing at my back, he dropped his lips to my shoulder and kissed. “Let’s get this off of you.”
