Page 41 of Poisoned Vows

“We have proof that her father wasn’t lying, at least.” He gestures towards the sheet. “You don’t need to keep her. There are ways to—”

“I’m pleased with my bride,” I tell him, a hint of force in my tone. “In fact, I’m going to be taking her away for a few days. Up to the hunting cabin. I think the two of us could use some time alone together. To get accustomed to each other.”

My father turns, and I see a small smirk at the corners of his mouth, a knowing expression. “Well. If she happens to meet with an accident, I’m sure we’ll all be devastated. I know I would, to lose my new daughter-in-law so soon.”

He says it with a hint of concern, as if he means it, but I know him too well not to know what underlies those words. I can feel my shoulders stiffen.

“I’m sure Lilliana will be very careful. And she’ll have me there to watch over her, after all.”

The last isn’t a threat, not exactly. I don’t think my father would go over me to harm my new wife. But he is the leader of our family. His authority supersedes me. He can do as he likes. And I know he isn’t pleased with the choice I made.

“You have your proof that her father didn’t lie.” I gesture at the sheet, which somehow looks even more lewd, displayed here in my father’s elegant study. “I’d prefer if you dispose of it, now that you’ve seen it.”

“Of course.” He glances at it, and his face is as impassive as ever. There’s no way to know if he regrets giving me Lilliana, if there’s jealousy there, if there’s a thought that he could have been the one to enjoy her. But it’s enough to make me uneasy, all the same. “Her father has what he wanted. A place in our inner circle, just under one of our brigadiers. We will see if he lives up to the challenge.”

I nod. “And if he doesn’t?”

My father shrugs. “We’ll dispose of him.”

I don’t ask what that means for Lilliana. As my wife, she should have complete protection. I shouldn’t have to worry about her.

But my father is not a man to turn your back on, and trust that he won’t find a way to still stab you in the heart.

Lilliana

As much as I don’t want to give Nikolai the satisfaction of doing anything he says, I do take a nap while he’s gone. I’m too exhausted to do anything else. I fall into the huge king bed, trying not to think about whether or not he’s ever brought any other women here, and I’m asleep almost the moment my head hits the pillow.

I’m woken up by the sound of the door opening. I peer through cracked eyelids, and see him walking in, an almost irritated expression on his face.

“Wake up,” he says, walking to the closet and opening it. “We’re leaving in an hour. You need to pack.”

“Pack what?” I ask groggily, pushing myself up on my elbow. “None of my things are here.”

Nikolai gestures impatiently to the closet, and I push my hair out of my face. I have that feeling that comes with a particularly deep sleep, where everything feels foggy and slow at first. It takes me a minute to see what he’s talking about.

Hanging in the closet is a row of feminine clothes, and I see more folded on the shelf above it. There are shoes in a rack below, and I realize that someone shopped for and put these things away. I don’t have the slightest doubt in my mind that it wasn’t Nikolai—probably a personal assistant—but it startles me nonetheless.

“What is all this?” I sit up, blinking. “I don’t understand.”

“I had someone pick out things for you.” He says it casually, as if there’s no reason why I might dislike that he assigned someone to buy things for his new wife. “Anything else you might need is here as well. There are toiletries in the bathroom, an assortment of them. Whatever else you might desire can be acquired, if you want. But if you need anything, let me know before we leave. We won’t be close to civilization for a few days.”

I feel a knot in my stomach at that.Is he taking me somewhere remote to get rid of me?The possibility that he might want to dispose of me hadn’t crossed my mind. I’d feared it from his father, but why go to all the trouble of marrying me just to kill me?

Truthfully, I don’t understand why he went to the trouble of marrying me at all.

“Did luggage come with it?” I ask, and Nikolai raises an eyebrow.

“Still that sharp tongue.” His voice is casual, offhand, as if he doesn’t really care. “I’m looking forward to softening it up a little.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” I feel a little more awake now, and my irritation with him is creeping back in.

“There’s a suitcase in the closet. And lingerie in the top drawer, some of it even chosen by me.” His gaze darkens, that stormy look in his eyes again. “Feel free to bring some of it along, or don’t. I like you naked just as well.”

I think it’s meant to be a compliment. And maybe another woman would be pleased to hear him say that. But I’m not another woman. I’m the woman he chose to marry, and I have a feeling he’s going to regret that choice before too much longer.

I get out of bed, ignoring my rumpled clothes and tangled hair.I shouldn’t care what he thinks of what I look like,I remind myself as I walk to the closet, peering at what’s inside as he goes to the dresser to pack some of his own things. It feels uncomfortably intimate, being in the room together, packing. Like we’re a married couple—which we are…but I have no desire to actually feel that way.

Whoever did the shopping did an excellent job. The clothes are all beautiful, in my size, and it makes me wonder if Marika had a hand in it at all. Nikolai spared no expense in spoiling me; that much is clear. There’s everything I could possibly need and more, and it confuses me all over again.

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