The Marriage Debt (Underworld Kings)

His eyes are almost ablaze, and it makes me feel so victorious that I could scream.

He grunts with disdain and turns, marching to the door again. But then he spins on his heels, pointing at me with rage in his eyes. “I will keep you locked up in here forever if I have to.”

The smile vanishes from my face. “You wouldn’t.”

Pride settles on his face. “That’s the price you pay.”

“For not loving you?” Tears well up in my eyes.

“For killing my brother.”

I swallow the tears away. Of course he’d say that. “That’s low, even for you.”

“Fucking try me,” he growls. “You’re messing with the wrong brother, Jill.”

He attempts to leave, but I can’t let him do this to me. I can’t stay here.

“Please!” I grab his arm and make him stop as he opens the door. “Don’t lock me up. Please. Just let me out.”

He pulls away and turns to face me right as he’s about to exit, staring me down without saying a word.

“Please … don’t do this to me,” I add. “If you once felt anything for me, please.”

I don’t know what else to say. I know I deserve his anger, but I don’t deserve to spend the rest of my life in this golden cage. “I can’t spend another minute locked up in this room.”

He still looks at me with those dark eyes until even I feel the weight of his power and lower my eyes in defeat. “I’ll do anything.”

“Anything?”

When I nod, he tips up my chin to make me look at him. “You will do whatever I tell you to do.”

I have to force my inner voice to shut up and not take control, but when I look at him, it’s hard because all I want to do is defy him. Push him. Make him regret he ever wanted me.

Instead, I nod.

“Good.” The smile that appears on his face looks exactly like the one he gave me years ago, back when he knew he’d stolen my first orgasm. My first kiss. My first everything. He’ll never settle for anything less.

“We’re going out Saturday.”

Out? As in, outside the penthouse, together?

My heart starts to palpitate.

Out together in public … with him.

Luca De Vos.

My husband.

The one guy who wants nothing more than for the world to know I belong to him.

Oh, God.

His fingers clench around my chin, and he pulls me in to plant a kiss on my cheek, his lips slowly sliding sideways as he turns my head to whisper, “And if you behave … I might give you what you want.”

“Freedom?” I mutter.

“A chance to see Jasmine.”

My eyes widen as my heart almost comes to a stop.

Then he pulls away and winks. “I’ll have Lita bring you what you need to prepare.”

What I need to prepare?

Before I can ask what he means, he walks out and closes the door behind him, locking it away just like I’ve done to my heart. But I’ll stay low, keep my head down, make him think I’ve become easy just for the sake of more freedom.

And then … when he least expects it, I’ll run.

Chapter 16

Luca

* * *

Friday

* * *

“I didn’t know exactly what kind of fabrics you meant, sir, but I tried my best and bought what they had available at the market,” Lita says. She puts down a bunch of bags on the table and shows them to me. “You said not to spare.”

“Thank you, Lita,” I reply, inspecting the fabrics.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t have just bought a few dresses instead?”

I throw her a stern look.

“Sorry, sir. I don’t mean to question you,” she adds.

“Jill will be happy with this,” I say. “Bring it to her.”

Lita nods and takes the bags off the table while I sit back and watch the door Jill is trapped behind with a smile on my face.

I need to make her happy? Fine, I’ll make her fucking happy.

Jill

* * *

When there’s a knock on my door, my eyes light up. “Come in.” I don’t even wait to say it. That’s how starved I am of connection.

But when I see Lita’s face, my smile dissipates.

“Sorry to sour your mood,” she says, laughing.

“No, no, you’re amazing. I’m glad you’re here,” I say, getting off the bed. “I was just expecting—”

“Someone else,” she fills in for me with a wink. “I get it.”

A blush creeps onto my face. “No, no, not like that.”

“Of course, honey,” she muses. “I don’t judge.”

Oh, God. Why does that make me blush even more?

Stop it, just stop, Jill.

Lita puts some bags on the table in the room.

“What is it?” I ask, curiously stepping closer.

“Go ahead. Take a look,” she says, proudly standing to the side with her hands against her side.

When I open the bags, my jaw drops and my heart skips a beat. The most beautiful fabrics are inside, and I can’t stop myself from taking them out and touching them. “Oh my God, these are beautiful! Where did you get these?”