“And you just expect me to be okay with this?”
“Yes.” He pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the couch.
Normally, the sight of his perfectly chiseled physique would send me to my knees, but my rage made me immune. “Well, I’m not okay with it. If you expect me to be your willing prisoner so you can play these games—”
“They aren’t games. This is war.”
“Whatever. I’m not going to—”
“You will do exactly as you’re told.” He didn’t raise his voice, but when he flexed all of his muscles and commanded all the power in the room, he suddenly seemed bigger, louder, and bolder. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a kind man. I’m heartless. I’m cruel.” He slowly stepped toward me, his blue eyes dark with hostility. “I own this city—and I own you. Fight me all you want. I get off on that sort of thing. But you’ll just make it harder on yourself.”
Sleeping with him must have clouded my perception. I was too busy coming around his dick to truly understand the kind of man I was dealing with. At the opera house, he’d killed two armed men with his bare hands and practically made Lucian shit his pants. Obviously, he was dangerous. He’d earned his reputation for a reason. I was stupid to think he would be any different with me. “I’m a fighter. Always have been. Always will be.” I placed my hands on my hips as I stared him down, refusing to show fear even if it was the smart thing to do.
A soft smile emerged on his lips, but his eyes were still lethal. “That works for me.”
He had extra bedrooms, so I picked one that had a private bathroom and called it home. It had a large TV and a nice view of the city landscape. There were empty dressers and a closet filled with nothing but hangers.
I didn’t have any clothes.
All I had was this backless dress and the black thong underneath.
But it seemed like Balto only wanted me naked, so it didn’t matter.
I sat on the bed and thought about my situation. I woke up that morning as Lucian’s wife, a miserable prisoner. My life had no meaning because I was nothing but a puppet. I obeyed because my honor bound me to do so. But now that I was Balto’s prisoner, I felt no such obligation. I didn’t owe him anything, so I had no interest in being cooperative.
I didn’t know what I should tell my brothers. They would probably be pissed, but they might also be relieved. They hated Lucian so much that they might prefer Balto. But then again, Balto was a criminal of the underworld, so maybe I was in a worse situation.
I waited for Balto to come to my bedroom and demand sex from me, but he never did.
I wondered if there was a chance I could escape. If I ran away from Balto and succeeded, I wouldn’t be breaking any promises. I could actually be free. I had no idea where I would run, but Case and Dirk would be able to help me.
Maybe Balto kidnapping me was the best thing that had ever happened.
I fell asleep waiting for him and woke up the next morning with my hair a mess and my makeup smeared across the pillow. Instead of looking like a prostitute who woke up with a hangover, I chose to wash my face and go with a natural look.
I heard the TV in the other room, so I left the bedroom and found Balto sitting at the dining table. A mug of coffee was in front of him as he watched the news on the TV. He must have heard my approach, but he didn’t bother looking at me.
I eyed his breakfast—egg whites and tomatoes.
“I need something to wear.”
He brought the mug to his lips and took a drink. “You are wearing something.”
“I can’t wear this forever. And I need new underwear.”
“I bet.” He set the mug back down. “Your panties are usually soaked.”
I narrowed my eyes at the comment.
He finally looked at me, the smile in his eyes. “You know it’s true.”
“Trust me, they are dry right now.”
“Take them off and prove it to me.” He sat in the hardwood chair shirtless, his thick arms on display with muscularity. The veins ran all the way down his forearms to the tops of his hands. For a man who broke the law for a living, he didn’t bear any scars. He was flawless everywhere.
“I’d rather not. Can I borrow your truck to do some shopping?”
“And some money?”
“No. I have money.” My bank account had been piling up with cash over the last few years. My stake in the pasta company gave me profits I didn’t deserve. I’d tried to convince Case and Dirk to drop me since I didn’t contribute to the business at all, but they’d refused.