Page 121 of The Loathing

I scoff a laugh.

“I mean, fathers are a pain in the ass,” I nudge into him, playfulness masking my sadness.

“But we mean well…” and that’s when I feel his fingers brush against mine, my heart stuttering in my chest as my eyes flutter shut and I make sure I savour this moment because I don’t know if I will ever get to feel the rush that is currently coursing through my veins, my blood thumping in my ears and my heart singing a song that only I can hear again.

“Some do,” I finally give in, turning my face up to look at him and his eyes volley back and forth between mine.

“Your father cares for you Amora, so much,” his voice breaks and I snatch my hand away, my brows furrowing in confusion.

“Since when did you and him become best friends?” I snap, crossing my arms across my chest.

“Amora.”

I step back and away from him.

“We’re not best friends, far from it… we both just have the same goal. To keep you safe.”

“My father is not keeping me safe, how is sending me away to marry some fucked up psycho keeping me safe? For all I know, Wolfe could put a bullet through my head. Xavier doesn’t know this person; he has done it to get the target off his back.”

“Amora…” Titus tries to reel me back.

“My father is dead to me. Plan or not. You don’t do that to someone you love. Break them in a way you never thought was possible,” and now I don’t know if I am talking about Titus or my father. “He vowed to never put any of us through what my grandfather did to my mother, but here we are. It’s like déjà vu and I’m reliving this constant nightmare. This is my life. A prisoner here, married to someone from the crime world and I’m expected to sit like the good little wife, it won’t be long before he wants more than a wife, he will want a mother for his children and who will I be if I refuse him? I’ll be dead.

“I have no choice in this, my freedom was gone the moment he dropped me off and sped off into the darkness. I will be a Knight soon. Archibald will be stripped of me, and my father will have to live the rest of his lousy life knowing that he was my downfall. He will have this tied to him. A son-in-law he accepted all to save his life? Grandchildren from the man whose father he wrongly killed. How is this fair? How is this an acceptable thing to do? But what does it matter, because no doubt you have your payment, and as soon as I am legally bound to the devil inside that fortress you’re out of here. That will lay on your conscious.”

I see Titus’ shoulders sag, his brows slowly digging into his skin.

“You let them win. You let my father influence you in doing this. You could have run with me; you didn’t have to stop. Yet you did,” tears are rolling down my cheeks, “it was me and you against the world… you gave up.” My voice gives out, and I choke.

Turning, I keep on walking knowing that he is of course, just five steps behind.

* * *

Brushing through my hair, I look back at my reflection. My eyes are puffy, my cheeks are reddened, and my heart is broken.

The door handle twists, and I hold my breath, praying it’s Titus but it’s not.

It’s my asshole husband to be.

“Amora,” my name rolls off his tongue and the way it sounds makes my skin crawl.

“Wolfe,” I challenge as I stare at him through the mirror.

“I have some business to attend to tomorrow in London, I’ll get Siobhan, the housekeeper, to pack you a bag. You can come with me, then maybe we can go shopping? I’m sure you would like to pick some clothes that are more your taste.”

I swallow.

“Thank you, but I’ll stay here.” I give him a fake smile and go back to brushing my hair.

“It wasn’t a choice.”

“Sorry?” I turn round so I am facing him. His dark eyes sweep over my body, and he drags his bottom lip between his teeth. I’m wearing a silk, thigh length nightie and a matching silk dressing gown. “Please don’t look at me like that… it’s gross.”

He sniggers, looking over to the wall before his eyes are back on me, his head tilted to the right.

“I wasn’t asking if you wanted to come, I was telling you. You’re coming to London with me. I would like to introduce you to the circle, you will be a big part of this life, so my people need to know who the wife of Wolfe King is. What’s a mafia king without his queen?”

“A tosser?” I shrug my shoulders up, then twist back round about to place my brush down when Wolfe is behind me, his fingers wrapping round my throat, his lips by my ear but he keeps his eyes pinned on me using the mirror.

---