Page 44 of Fractured Vows (Fraser Crime Syndicate 1)

I go to him and slip onto the stool next to him. His hand slides over my back, a possessive move that makes my stomach flip. He always wants to be touching me. I like that.

“What do you want to eat?”

“What are the choices?”

He reels off a list of things that sound delicious, and I realise I haven’t eaten since the day before the wedding. I felt too sick to eat on the day itself, and Luke and I spent most of the night in bed together. Food was the last thing on my mind. Now that he’s brought up eating, I’m suddenly ravenous.

“Eggs and toast sounds great,” I say. I don’t know why, but I feel a little shy around him. This is a man who has seen me naked, has touched my most intimate parts, and yet being fully clothed standing in his kitchen feels strange. He doesn’t let on that he feels the same. He pushes up off the stool and goes to the fridge. I watch the muscles ripple beneath his tee, my mouth suddenly dry. “If you married me for my culinary skills, you’re going to be very disappointed,” I joke. “We had people who did that for us.”

He doesn’t laugh, but his lips quirk at the corners. “I don’t expect you to be at home all day like some beacon of domesticity. I want you to find your own path, Sariah. Indulge in things that you enjoy and that keep you happy. I meant what I said. I’m not your keeper, and your life is yours to live as you see fit. As long as you don’t take risks with your safety, and of course you have to have security wherever you go, but other than that, you are free.”

His words make a lump settle in my throat, one that feels like it’s choking me, cutting my air supply off. I’ve never had a moment of freedom since I was born. My life has always been what other people dictated.

I go to the coffee machine, giving him my back as my eyes fill with tears. I never expected to have freedom in my marriage. I know for a fact Jeremiah would have controlled me as much as my father did, maybe even more. The fact that Luke wants to give me autonomy over my own self makes the depth of feeling I have for him intensify.

“Do you want a top up?” I ask, swallowing down my emotions. I don’t look at him. I can’t. If I do I’ll cry, and I don’t want to be weak in front of him.

I hear him move behind me and feel his presence at my back as his hands go to my shoulders. He moulds his body against my spine, lifting my hair off my neck so he can kiss the dip between my shoulders. It feels amazing. And I wish we could get lost like this and not have to face reality.

But sooner or later, our lives are going to come knocking.

My father and Jeremiah are going to want to make the Frasers suffer for the humiliation they have caused. I push that out of my head as my breath starts to quicken. I swear Luke has a direct line to my pussy. Every touch leaves me panting. I grip the edge of the counter in front of me as his hand slips around my front under my T-shirt and cups my breast. I dip my head as I make a garbled sound that doesn’t sound human.

He kisses down my neck before he releases me and moves back to the stove. It seems as if he doesn’t want to let me go, and that makes happiness swell in my chest. I manage to grab my coffee mug and I top his cup up, even though he never said what he wanted. I don’t know how to be a wife, but I want to learn. I want to do things that please Luke and make our marriage happy.

I turn back to him, leaning my hip against the counter as I cradle my mug between my hands. The coffee smells divine and expensive. It infuses my nose.

“You’re going to need a whole new wardrobe. I’ll have someone fetch whatever you want. Just make a list of what you need.”

“Okay.”

“When the doc comes to talk to you about birth control, I’ll have her take a look at your injuries.”

I stiffen at his words. I don’t want anyone to see my shame. I don’t want to feel the humiliation of other people knowing what I’ve suffered. It’s bad enough Luke has seen it. “I’m fine. The bruises are mostly healed, and I’m not in pain.”

He twists to look at me. “Your body is covered in marks. I could tell there was a couple of times you were uncomfortable last night. If nothing else, the doctor will be able to give you painkillers.”

The fact that he cares melts my insides. “Honestly, Luke, I’m okay. I don’t need to see anyone. The injuries are over a week old.”

He doesn’t look assured. “I wasn’t asking, little dove.”

I puff out a breath at his bossiness. “Okay. Fine. If it puts your mind at ease.”

He breaks an egg into the pan, which sizzles, then he finishes making breakfast and carries both our plates to the breakfast bar. I slide onto the stool and start tucking into my meal, my stomach growling. I’ve barely taken four mouthfuls when Luke’s phone starts to ring.

He mutters a curse under his breath before he answers the call. I continue to eat while I half listen to the one-sided conversation. I only tune in when I hear my father’s name. “It was Declan?”

I place my fork on the edge of my plate, my stomach suddenly twisting, and I give Luke my full attention as he continues to talk. “I did try to warn Charlotte this would happen. She wouldn’t fucking listen.” There’s a pause as he listens to the voice on the other end of the line. “My only concern is keeping everyone safe. Do you want to bring Aurelia here? She and Sariah will be safe at the penthouse.”

A pang of jealousy hits me in the gut, completely unfounded and out of the blue. Who’s Aurelia?

“I need to wait with Sariah until the doctor comes and then I’m all yours.” Guilt washes over me as I realise I’m holding him back from doing what he needs to do with his family. “She’s fine. It’s just routine.” I wait until he gets off the phone, and as soon as he hangs up, he spits out a “Fuck!”

“If you need to leave, you should go.”

“Not going anywhere yet, but my family does need me.”

“My father knows it was your family who took me.” It’s not a question because I already know the answer. My stomach feels like it’s filling with ice, and the same cold feeling spreads through my veins.

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