Page 51 of Valley of the Kings

“No,” I answered honestly.

“Kasen-”

“Do you want to know what’s upsetting me?” I asked,interrupting whatever bullshit he’d been about to say in an attempt to placate me.

“What?”

“I’m upset that Iwasn’tsurprised by what you did,” I told him, and his back immediately straightened. “I had expected it, and that’s what’s bothering me.”

“I’mnot following.”

“Choices, Nero,” I said. “It’s all about choices. It’s always been about choices.” I sighed, the pain medication finally doing its thing. “There are very few real victims in this world, and most of them are children. The rest of us have choices, though not always easy ones. I chose to marry you. Even when Papa had been willing to suffer the consequences of Fia’s betrayal, I’d still chosen to marry you.” I looked back out at the stunning landscape. “In doing that, I had also chosen to take responsibility for marrying you, and when Franz aimed that gun at me, do you want to know what he asked me?”

“What?”

I looked back over at my husband. “He asked me if I was willing to die for you.”

“Il mio cuore-”

“Don’t call me that,” I said, my voice sounding as serious as it’d ever been. “Don’t ever call me that again.” His entire face hardened with that order. “You have no right to call me that. You never did.”

“Kasen-”

“He asked me if I was willing to die foryou,” I repeated, not wanting to get into a discussion about Nero’s feelings about me or mine about him. I was already in over my head, letting the incredible sex blur my vision, making me see things that hadn’t really been there; making me feel things that I shouldn’t have felt. “He had asked me if I was willing to die for you, and I’d said yes.” His russet gaze looked rueful, but I didn’t care. “After Franz shot me, he asked me again, adding if I was sure now that I had a bullet in my arm.” I could feel my chest tightened with emotions that were coming out of nowhere. I was never supposed to have fallen in love with my husband, especially after only two weeks. “I said yes again.”

“That’s enough, Kasen-”

“The fuck it is,” I hissed as I sat up straighter. “You don’t get to shut me up, Nero. You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore. At least, not tonight. Tonight, Iearnedthe right to tell you what I think and feel.”

“Of course,” he replied softly, catching himself.

“By taking that bullet, by not begging for mercy, by not turning on you, I honored our agreement, my father, your family, and you. I did what I was supposed to do. I was willing to die for you; Ichoseto die for you and everything that I’d been raised to believe that we stood for.” I could feel my eyes begin to sting, but I’d pluck my own eyes out before I cried in front of this man. “Only to find out that you weren’t willing to do the same.”

“If I had shown up, they would have killed us both,” he replied, and I hated how calm and reasonable he sounded. “You have to know that,il mio cuore.”

“I told you not to call me that!” Iscreamed, standing up, feeling like everything was finally crashing down on my head.

Nero stood up, his hands up in mock surrender. “Baby, calm down,” heordered evenly, his words deliberate. “You need to rest and-”

“I don’t need to rest,” I argued, thoughI did stop yelling. “Not until I tell you how things are going to be from now on.”

Nero’s jaw ticked in anger, and as he slid his hands in his pockets, I noticed that he did that whenever we were fighting. I wondered briefly ifthat was his way of making sure that he didn’t strangle me in the heat of the moment.

“And how do you believethings will be from now on?” he asked coolly.

“I have no plans on leaving you-”

“Good, because that’s something that I willneverfucking allow,” he bit out.

I took in a deep breath, the fatigue coming back now that I was no longer screaming like a shrew. “I still plan on being the wife that my father promised you in the betrothal contracts between you and Fia. I will still do my part to help your empire succeed. I will still do my part not to bring shame to the Sartori name. I will still let you use me as you see fit. I will also still give you legitimate children when you decide you’re ready.”

“In exchange for what?” he asked, his voice hard.

“In exchange for nothing,” I answered honestly.

“Then what’s the catch?”

“You will get everything that you were promised,” I repeated. “Everything, except for the one thing that you weren’t, and that’s my love.” His entire body froze. “That’s the one thing that I still have control over, and if I’m ever lucky enough to find a man that deserves it, hopefully it’s after I’ve fulfilled all my obligations to you and your family.”

---