My jaw hurts from grinding my teeth, and my muscles ache from exercising restraint when I give him a slight nod. He grins, and I have to look down at my plate before the last shred of my control is gone. Motherfucker. He’ll pay for this. He. Will. Pay.
I take a deep breath and look up at Dove. I expect her to be terrified, maybe cry. Instead, she surprises the hell out of me by swallowing her emotions and putting her game face on instead.
“Maybe we got off on the wrong foot,” she announces. “Like you said, I’m not used to all of this, and it will take me a while to adjust to the idea of me having a family. I’ve been on my own for most of my life, and Zane has been in my life the longest. If you want me to marry him and have children, then so be it.”
“Oh, child.” Matteo chuckles deeply. “You won’t marry him, of course. You have to marry one of my men. Someone I trust.”
I’m going to kill him. I don’t know when and where, but he just signed his death certificate. He’ll die by my hands, and it will be a painful death.
I look at Dove across the table and see the flicker of fear in her eyes. It kills me, rips a hole in my chest. I want to kill Matteo now, jam the knife next to my plate in his throat and watch him bleed out on the white tablecloth.
But I know his men would kill me after. I’d never get Dove out of here alive, and that thought is the only thing stopping me from acting on instinct.
Surprising me, yet again, Dove remains calm. “I love Zane. I don’t think I can marry someone else. There must be another way.”
“Love will get you killed in this business, child. I need you to marry someone that can be head of the family business, someone strong, a leader, not a hitman from one of my rivals. That’s never going to happen.” He pauses, and for a moment, it is painfully silent in the room, then Matteo continues, “Look, the best I can do for you is let Zane keep working for me. He can even be your guard. Which will work out great, since I know he would die to protect you. Hell, I don’t even care if you two keep fucking as long as you play the dutiful wife for everyone else to see.”
I open my mouth, about to say something when I see Dove shake her head across the table. Forcing the words back down, I sit silently instead.
“Can you just give me some time? I don’t know anything about this family yet. I don’t even know you. Can we take this slow?”
“Of course. It’s not like I’m planning on dying any time soon.”
You should be, old man. Because I’m planning your death right now.
10
After breakfast, we retreat to our bedroom. Zane is quiet the entire walk back upstairs, and I feel myself imploding from the inside out. So many things just happened.
My father… if I can even call him that, told me that he wants me to marry and have children with a man of his choosing. He’s made it incredibly clear that if things don’t go the way he wants, if Zane tries to interfere, he’ll retaliate. My mind is spinning.
He thinks he can control me, make choices for me, but he doesn’t even know who I am. I’m going to have to play by his rules until I come up with a plan, but the second I figure something out, I’m gone.
When we reach the bedroom and walk inside, Zane closes the bedroom door behind us, flicking the lock into place. A gasp escapes my lips when I’m pinned to the nearest wall. Lifting my head, my gaze collides with his. Fiery rage flickers deep in those depths. I can see his pain, feel his rage as he lifts his hand, and gently strokes my cheek.
“All I could think about while we were down there was how he planned to marry you off to another man, and how I will do everything in my power to stop him from doing so.” His teeth are clenched so tightly the words come out clipped. “I can’t let him take you from me. I didn’t do everything I’ve done, fight tooth and nail, barter, and beg to get you back, only to have you given to another man.”
The pain and anguish in his voice feel like a dull butter knife cutting through my flesh. Placing my hands against his chest, I fist the fabric and tug him closer. “I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not marrying anyone. All he’s trying to do is get you to react. You should know, I won’t just do what I’m told.”