The Marriage Debt (Underworld Kings)

There’s disdain in her eyes, the kind that fills me with seething hatred. Not for her but for myself. Because a part of me, a long time ago, wanted so desperately for her to desire me.

But I no longer need that anymore. “Submit to me, and maybe I won’t destroy you.”

She looks up at me from underneath her lashes. “I will never bow down to you.”

A vicious smile spreads on my face. “You seem to be under the impression you have a choice.” I plant another hand against the wall behind her. “My ring is on your finger. You are my wife, Jill, from now until the day we die. And do you know what comes with that?” I push her chin up again to meet my gaze. “Marital duties.”

Her eyes widen.

The doors open.

And in a split second, she decides to make a run for it.

I don’t know where she got the idea she could escape.

But if she wants a chase so badly … she can have one.

Chapter 5

Jill

* * *

I run as fast as I can through the corridors of this massive building, but there’s not an emergency exit in sight. All the doors I try to open are locked. I bang on one, but it doesn’t open.

Does no one live here?

Panic floods my veins as I run as fast as I can, but this stupid mermaid dress is holding me back, and I can’t take it off. Because when I glance over my shoulder, Luca is right there, following my every footstep with a wicked smile on his face. His stride is casual like he isn’t afraid I’ll ever outrun him, and that brings a chill to my bones.

How can a guy as fucked up as him be so aloof and arrogant at the same time?

Every step he takes is faster than the one before, and his smile only grows deeper, like he’s enjoying the chase, and it makes me want to scream.

But would anyone care to open their door and take me in?

“Help!” I yell in the hopes that someone, anyone, would hear.

Luca laughs. “Yell as loud as you like, bunny.”

Bunny.

I still hate the name as much as I hate him.

The way his eyes glint makes goose bumps scatter across my skin, and I kick off my shoes and run harder. But my long, bejeweled dress makes me stumble and fall to the floor.

Before I can get up, he’s pounced on me.

“No, get off me!” I roll to my back, but he pins me down by my wrists and sits on top of me.

“No, I don’t think I will,” he muses, smiling like the asshole he’s always been. “You shouldn’t have run from me, Jill.”

Anger gets the best of me, and I spit in his face again.

His lip twitches, rage spilling from his eyes when he looks at me, but he doesn’t even wipe it off his cheek.

Instead, he leans in so close I can feel his breath on my skin as his dick pokes me in the belly. “Next time, I will make you lick that off.”

“You’re a monster,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Monster … or husband you don’t know how to handle?” he retorts, winking.

Fuck, if I didn’t know just how bad he can get, I’d almost say it was hot.

“Fuck you,” I hiss. “I’ll just keep on running and alerting the neighbors until someone takes me in and calls the police.”

He grins and shakes his head. “Oh, Jill, you really think lowly of me.” He smiles wickedly at my confusion. He lowers himself so we’re eye to eye, his veiny hands still pressed firmly on my wrists so I can’t try anything. “I don’t just own the penthouse. I own the entire. Fucking. Building.”

Jesus. The entire building? How rich is this fucker?

“Yeah, right,” I scoff. “Your daddy bought it for you.”

His dark hair swipes across my forehead like a curtain. “My father bought a lot for his family, but this building isn’t one of them.”

He gets up, and I finally feel like I can breathe again. But the feeling doesn’t last long as he grabs my wrist and drags me through the corridor.

“In case you haven’t noticed, my father has no control over what I do.”

He shoves me toward the only door in the back. With walls all around, I have nowhere else to go. And I’m trapped between a closed door and him as he stalks toward me.

“Or over what I crave …” Luca adds, every one of his steps making me much more aware of just how little power I have left and how much of it is in his hands.

“Don’t hurt me,” I say, shaking my head.

A lopsided grin forms on his face. “You think I want to hurt you?” His tongue darts out to wet his top lip. “No, Jill, I want to devour you.”