Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 39687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
“What the fuck, man? Everyone knows you hate her,” Ryan said, getting to his feet, blood pouring from his nose.
Marcus got into his face, grabbing his arm. “Exactly. She’s mine to hate.” With a flick of his wrist, he snapped Ryan’s throwing arm, and the entire corridor froze. This was the first real act of violence, and now, anyone who touched her would have to face him.
****
The following morning, Laura felt sick to her stomach. The women were giving her a wide berth, which she knew wasn’t normal. After a wedding ceremony and the bloody sheets, the women tended to offer their love and support. This was just another stark reminder of how she wasn’t one of them, and would never be.
She played with her food, not really hungry, wanting to leave. Her parents had hugged her but disappeared.
When she couldn’t take the rejection anymore, she got to her feet and left the dining room. The men were in their office, enjoying the show. Marcus wouldn’t allow her to wash or change them. He’d made her sit as their combined releases mingled on the sheets with the evidence of her virgin blood.
She’d been so humiliated as he’d watched the lies she’d told spread on the crisp white sheet beneath her.
She hated him so much.
Moving past the kitchen, she ignored the staff who told her she couldn’t go outside.
Walking out the door, she spotted the guard who was already talking into his radio, and she turned, heading toward the dog pens.
Antonio Giovanni kept a lot of dogs, but he mostly trained them to hunt and kill. He always had a selection of puppies, and well, she missed Lucas, and wanted to be around the dogs, not people.
Some of the dogs were snarling as she approached, and she spotted some food. She had been told off many times for feeding the dogs when he was training them, but as his daughter-in-law now, she couldn’t give a fuck.
Putting some food into the bowls, she made sure there was plenty for each dog as she passed.
At the last pen, she saw the puppies with the mommy. She stood at the cage, and slid it open, walking in. The mother started to growl, and finding a clean spot, Laura sat down, letting the mother know she had no intention of taking or harming any of her babies.
It didn’t take long for the puppies to want attention, and she smiled as they snuggled in close. She paid each one attention, falling in love instantly with all of them. The mother also sniffed her out, wanting some attention as well.
“You’re a good girl. You had quite the litter, didn’t you, sweetheart?”
“You shouldn’t be feeding the dogs,” Marcus said.
She closed her eyes but didn’t turn to look at him. She knew he’d be right outside the cage, watching her.
“I want to go home.”
“We’ll be heading home soon,” he said.
She looked at him. “You had your fun enjoying the show of our sheets?”
“It’s tradition.”
“It’s barbaric and humiliating.”
“What do you want me to do, Laura?” he asked.
“It doesn’t matter what I want because I wanted nothing to do with you, and yet, I’m still having to live with you, and deal with you all the freaking time now, don’t I?” She shook her head. “I don’t … those sheets should have been private. No one should have known.”
“Why did you lie to me?”
“Oh, come on, you and I both know you saw through the lie.”
“Doesn’t matter though, does it? You still lied.”
“And you still got me no matter what. Can I keep Lucas with me?” she asked.
“You’re asking me.”
She didn’t want to ask him for anything, but starting an argument right now wasn’t going to win her anything. It would only cause more difficulty, and regardless what people thought, she had no desire to cause trouble.
Being Marcus’s wife had already caused her enough problems.
Any life she wanted away from them all was now gone. There was no way he’d ever let her go.
She didn’t fit in with anyone. Not her family, not his, she was better off alone.
You’re not going to be alone.
“Why not? I want my dog, and you’ve already made your intentions clear of hurting him if I step out of line. I want to make sure he’s near me in case you fall back on your word.”
Marcus laughed. “I don’t go back on my word.”
She glared at him. “Why did you stop him hurting me?”
Marcus frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Back in school. You hated me. The jock. The dude with the throwing arm. Ryan something. You stopped him when no one else would. Why?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Get out of the pen. It’s time for us to go.” He stepped back, refusing to answer her question, not that she should be surprised. No one got him to do anything he didn’t want to do. He was always in control, and she hated it.