Ruthless Monarch

Regardless of what he does for a living, I trust him with my life.

Born and raised in New York, his family is from Greece, but a family connection he wouldn’t speak of has him directly connected to the Columbian cartel.

Because of that connection, he is my primary source of drugs.

I never asked questions, which is probably why he likes me so much, and since he has always honored the same code, I like him too.

Me: I’m at the restaurant.

It’s coded obviously.

I’m here, meaning the drugs are here.

Tobias: Good. Enjoy it.

I place my phone back in my pocket and look out the window.

Guess I won’t be sleeping anytime soon. Lucky for me, I don’t require a lot. Tonight, I will decide what to do with my wife.

Something away from the house . . .

Or maybe something on the property.

I’m not sure if she will be comfortable going somewhere with me yet.

The weather is starting to get cold.

Although snow hasn’t fallen yet, it’s just a matter of time.

The trees are barren, so there isn’t much to see on the property.

Instead of a walk, I decide I’ll take her into the city tomorrow.

We can go shopping.

I can tell by the way she talked about getting a job, she’s anxious to get out of the house, so that is what I’ll do.

We will spend the day together.

12

Viviana

* * *

A week has passed. The days have blended together in this house. The highlight being dinner with Matteo every night, as strange as that sounds.

It’s surreal.

Even now as the early morning sunshine streams in from the tall windows it feels like I’m lost in a dream.

My eyes blink open, and for a moment, I almost forget where I am.

Almost.

But when the room comes into focus, beautifully ornate and the opposite of my apartment, I remember everything, and reality crashes down on me.

This isn’t a dream.

I’m still here, in this strange sense of purgatory.

No idea what my future will bring, and completely afraid of what my past will.

There is nothing I can do now. I’m at the start of a roller coaster, about to begin moving, with no clue what’s in store.

I’ll need to suck it up and just go with the flow because I’ll have no say in the matter, anyway.

I let out a large yawn.

Now that I’m resigned to my fate in this house, I think about my father.

Even though it has been a week since I spoke to him, I still feel unnerved by the whole encounter.

His words still filter in my mind. I can still see the tightness of his jaw and the way his hand was fisted. The anger was palpable in the room. I am lucky I got out of there unscathed. However, even now, it lingers on my skin. The fear and uncertainty of what the future will bring.

I don’t have many choices.

My father left me none.

Matteo is my best option.

Although I don’t know if I can trust him with my secrets. If I could, it would change everything. Yesterday he showed me a different side of him, a side that made me think maybe I could. But I’m taking it one day at a time and trying to see what today brings.

For all I know, he’ll be a raging asshole yet again.

Even though it’s a good possibility, I really hope it’s not the case.

Love is not something I expect, but an alliance of sorts could make my life a whole lot easier.

Because the other option is to fall in line with my father.

There is also the choice that I can make to escape both of them. But it is more than just me that I need to consider in this equation. Too many people rely on me, and that’s the reason I can’t be selfish. I need to really consider my options.

Too much is at stake not to.

So instead of worrying and dwelling, I need to get out of bed. I need to shower. I need to put makeup on, and I need to smile. I need to convince Matteo I’m not the enemy, and that I can be trusted.

As if summoned by my thoughts, there is a knock on my door.

“Viviana.” I hear his voice. It’s husky and deep, like always.

I imagine there is a scowl on his face. Although he’s handsome with a scowl, it’s when he smiles and laughs that he’s truly devastating.

That side of him is scary. Because that side is the part that makes me humanize him.

Not a good thing right now.

“Hold on a second,” I shout back. He can’t come in. I’m barely dressed.

I jump out of bed, my feet hit the cold floor as I run to the closet to throw on clothes, but first I have to pee and brush my teeth. When I look in the mirror, my mouth drops open. I look ridiculous.