The Marriage Debt (Underworld Kings)

“I can, and I will.”

When she attempts to block my entry, I grab her wrist and drag her close. “You will never stop tormenting me, will you?”

“Me? Torment you?” She snorts. “Good one.”

“You haven’t stopped being snippy since we got here,” I say.

“And you haven’t stopped being a dick to me since we got married, but here we are.”

I lean in to look into her scared little eyes. She can pretend she’s big and bad all she wants, but when it comes to it, she still cowers in front of me like a little bunny in front of a wolf.

“Have you ever stopped to wonder why?”

Her eyes search mine, but when her lips part, nothing but a mere whimper leaves her mouth.

So I say, “Thought so.” And I push open the door behind her and pull her inside. “We’re done talking. We have a dinner to attend, and I can’t fucking wait to show you off to your own goddamn family.” When we’re inside, I swiftly spin her on her heels and corner her against a wall, just out of sight of her family. “You’ll behave like a fucking good girl.” I point a finger at her. “Or I will punish you after. Understand?”

Her lip curls up in defiance. “Woof.”

I tilt my head and smirk as I grab her chin and make her look at me. “Bunnies don’t bark, Jill.”

“Fine,” she spits. “But don’t expect me to pretend to be happy.”

I bite my lip. “I don’t need you to pretend. I’ve got that covered. Don’t worry.”

When I turn around, she asks, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

A devilish smirk spreads on my lips as I look at the table where my guests are already eagerly awaiting our arrival. “You’ll see.”

Chapter 17

Jill

* * *

I’m suddenly at a loss for words. My own damn family is sitting there at that giant table in the middle of the restaurant. And not only that, but Lex and Anne are there too. All generous smiles on their faces while they talk to each other like everything is all fine and dandy. Like they forgot they literally let me walk down the aisle to marry a monster to pay for a blood debt.

Fuck.

I’m frozen in place against this wall, wondering if I should attempt to run, but I know Luca brought his guards, and they must be right outside this front door.

I never thought I’d actually see my family again and definitely not at some frivolous dinner with the De Vos family. But I guess I can’t look a gift horse in the mouth. At least now I get to talk to Jasmine and see how she is.

So I take in a breath to gather my courage and make my way over there.

But the second I step beside Luca, holding my breath because I’m looking straight into my father’s eyes, Luca grabs my hand and pulls me in for a kiss.

Not a kiss on the cheeks or the forehead.

No … a full-on kiss on the lips.

And not just any kiss … a daring, coaxing, completely overwhelming and dominant kiss that says, “you belong to me and no one else.” It’s an all-consuming kiss so powerful that it makes my knees wobble and my heart rate shoot up as I struggle to stay put. The kiss makes it impossible for me to focus on anything other than his lips on mine, and everything else seems to disappear.

Until he takes his mouth off mine again, and all I’m left with is an insatiable hunger for more.

The moment seems to last an eternity as his dark, intense eyes gaze down at me while he holds me tight, the smile on his face only growing at the sight of my swollen, red lips, my blush giving away just how badly he’s got me under his spell.

Only when he releases me from his grip and greets my family and his do I realize this was our first real kiss since we got married.

And it was all to show me off to our families.

To tell them … she’s mine.

My hand instinctively reaches for my tingling lips.

Did it even mean anything?

Why do I even care?

When my father finally notices me, the conversations grow quiet, and all eyes are on me. My train of thought is interrupted by his booming voice.

“Jill. I’m surprised you actually came.”

“Of course she came,” Luca says as he pulls out a seat for me. “She’s my wife. She needs to learn the business.”

Lex snorts. “I thought you just wanted her as a toy.”

His toy.

Dangling from the ceiling.

Licking his barbell.

The mind-blowing kiss.

It all flashes right past my eyes, distracting me so much that I’ve stopped moving.

“Lex,” Anne hisses, poking him under the table.

My mother clears her throat. “Let’s not sour the mood.” The smile on her face reminds me of the Wicked Witch of the West. “Jill. Just sit. It’s fine.”