Page 51 of Sweet Rule
She doesn’t argue. She just turns back to the damn door and opens it with a yank. Of course, it's Connie. She’s standing there with an amused look on her face.
“Lover’s quarrel?” she asks with atsk. “And so soon? I thought the honeymoon phase would have lasted a little longer with the two of you.”
“Fuck off, Connie,” I growl and stalk towards the door with Honey’s shit over my arm. “Take us to Zeus so we can go the fuck home.” Honey makes a sound like she’s choking when she hears me say ‘we’ and ‘home’ in the same sentence. I clench my jaw in irritation. She better get used to calling it our home because once we leave here, she isn’t sleeping anywhere else.
Connie crosses her arms and tilts her to the side. “You know, I’m on your side in all of this, Law.”
“You’re loyal to Zeus. That means you’re his man, and after what we just had to do out there,” I jerk my chin in the direction of the hallway. I can see the telltale scrap of white fabric on the floor. Honey’s panties. It's proof of what we did, so I let them stay where they are. I don’t like it, though. I don’t like sharing any part of me having Honey with this place, even if it’s where I was able to finally have her the way I needed her. Funny how the world works.
It always does have a way of giving me exactly what I want in the most fucked up of ways.
I narrow my eyes at Connie when she glances over her shoulder at Honey’s ripped panties. “Looks like you two made up, so all's well that ends well, hmm? Regardless ofwhoseman I am.”
“I don’t exactly see it that way.”
She rolls her eyes at me and then looks at Honey. “That’s all you're taking with you?” she asks with a pointed little flick of her nails at me.
“Yeah, I don’t need a lot.” Honey shuffles to the side, her hands clasped in front of her and she looks unsure. She is trying to make herself look small. I hate it when she does that.
“If you’re not going to take them, can I have the shoes he got you today?” Connie looks past Honey hopefully.
“Sure, take them, but…”
“But what?” Connie asks. She has just stepped back from the door. Hopefully to take us out of this fucking place, but she stops, her attention right back on Honey in a way that can’t be a lie. She is fond of Honey, even if she answers to Zeus. Some of the tension seeps out of me seeing it. I knew Connie was loyal. I knew she had some pull to tell me the truth, but I didn’t think it went that far when it came to going against Zeus.
Maybe for Honey? Who knows. Connie has her own way of doing things. I wouldn’t be surprised to see that Honey is the one that gets her to go against the old man when it comes down to it.
“You don’t think he’s going to get pissed about it?” Honey’s voice is just above a whisper. She glances behind her at me and it isn’t just because I’d made her wipe her makeup off that she looks younger. She is nervous. Fearful. It is there in her eyes. She is worried Zeus might make her pay for giving the shoes away.
Connie opens her mouth to answer but I beat her to it.
“He can go through me if he’s mad about some fucking shoes.”
Honey’s head snaps up and she looks at me. Connie doesn’t have shit to say about it other than “well then.”
“I-I-” Honey is stammering. My gut turns sour at her stumbling over her words. I want her to know she’s safe. That so long as she’s mine no one can touch her.
“If Zeus takes issue with you giving away shoes he’s poorer than I thought.”
A tense silence fills the room and Connie’s face tightens. She’s pissed. Good. If anyone should be fucking pissed it’s goddamn me. I was forced to marry the woman that I love.
Forced.
How fucked is that?
The moment that should have been precious, the most guarded and protected experience in my life where I’ve had to fight for every last second, was perverted. Turned upside down and twisted by Zeus.
I cross the room and come to stand behind Honey. “Take us to that fucker. We’re going home.”
Connie raises a hand and gestures for us to follow her. “All right, but try not to kill him before you leave. You did get what you wanted after all, Law.”
I don’t answer her as we follow her down the hall. Honey wraps her arms around herself and I wish I’d made her put on my jacket. I know it’s most likely nerves and not the cold, but I don’t care. I want to take care of her. Protect her from the world like I promised her. I swore she was safe with me. That I would keep her safe, but I failed her and now she’s convinced herself she hates me. When Honey shivers again, I shift her bags to my left arm and take her hand with my right.
“I’m fine,” she barks at me and jerks her hand, but I don’t let her go. She struggles another minute or so but by the time we hit the Great Room she stops. Honey grips my hand and leans into me the second the lights of the Great Room wash over us. The dim lighting is gone. The lights are bright, washing everything in a dose of reality. The makeshift aisle she walked down is still mostly there. And standing in the middle of all of it, is Zeus.
He’s watching us, arms crossed over his chest like we’ve kept him waiting. Like we weren’t trying to pull ourselves back together after playing his little game. Honey’s fingers tighten and she grips my hand tighter.
“Ah, the happy couple.”
