Truths and Lies Duet

It’s not real.

I ignore the words inside my head. Maybe Talia and I are forced into this arranged marriage because her father is a stupid, spineless bitch, but there’s no reason I can’t make this work in my favor. Talia is a fucking knockout. Exactly my type with her curvaceous body, plump dick sucking lips, and tight ass. Her mouth that she tries desperately to keep in check is more than attractive. It gets my cock achingly hard.

“Ahh,” Aris chirps from the doorway. “Up bright and early this morning, dear brother.”

Leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest, I watch my brother with disinterest. With one look, I convey to him that I’m more superior than he will ever be. Father chooses me as his second-in-command. I’m the one who deals with the dark, nefarious deeds that cloud around the Demetriou name. It’s me who takes a wife for a business debt, because soft men like Aris would cave at a few tears.

Aris is too soft, too sweet, too passive.

But he looks at my fiancée like he might try to assert a little power over me.

Over my fucking dead body.

“Get to the point,” I bite out, darting my eyes to the clock. “I need to ravish my bride-to-be before our mother whisks her away to do wedding things.”

His jaw clenches and his eyes flare with anger.

One point for me, little brother.

“I didn’t know rape was in your repertoire of evil deeds,” he hisses, losing some of his good boy cool.

I laugh, but it’s cold and heartless. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“You’re a cruel motherfucker.” He drops into the seat across from me. “But she’ll be your wife. You sure you want to start out a marriage with hate?”

“She didn’t hate me last night when she was snuggled up against me,” I taunt, loving the way his eyes flicker with rage. That’s right, asshole, she’s mine. Little baby brothers don’t get gifts from Daddy.

His nostrils flare, and he casts his gaze out the window. Finally, he takes a calming breath, huffing out his words. “Cy and Bakken Galani’s family are retaliating.”

I lift a brow. “The Galanis are roaches, brother. Plentiful and difficult to kill with usual methods. That is why we drive them out of their hiding place and stomp on them.”

“Your arrogance is a weakness,” Aris sneers. “It’ll get you killed by our enemies one day. Who knows, maybe it’ll be one of the Nikolaides. Phoenix seems like he’d be quite a match for you.”

“Phoenix is on his daddy’s leash. And Niles is on ours,” I remind him. “As long as Talia warms my bed, those rats won’t try a goddamn thing.”

“Perhaps not the Nikolaides,” Aris concedes. “But the Galanis are fired up. My contacts state that their other brother Estevan is pissed. He’s the reckless one. I wouldn’t put it past that fucker to blow up the damn hotel.”

“I’ll send out some men to hunt him down. Get me names of anyone in Estevan’s circle. We’ll drive them out and stomp on them. Surely this we can agree on, brother.”

Aris grimaces. “Surely.”

“Now,” I state as I rise, “you’ll have to excuse me. I need to wake my future wife up.”

His eyes narrow on me. “That ring wiped out your account.”

“So move money from my offshores. By the end of third quarter, I’ll have made it back. Taxes are due soon.” I raise my eyebrows to dare him to challenge me more.

“Whatever, man. Just don’t be a total dick to her. She’s been through enough.”

“But being a dick is so entertaining,” I say with a smirk.

Once I’m out of my office, I stride out of the hotel to my villa. I slip in quietly and find Talia sitting at the bar eating a bowl of cereal. Her blond hair is messy and dark circles ring her eyes from stress or lack of sleep. She picks up the bowl and gulps down the milk. It’s cute and shows her age. As soon as she realizes I’m looking at her, she stiffens, shooting me a hateful glare.

“My mother will be here within the hour.”

She pushes away the bowl, a feral gleam in her blue eyes. “I’m not going.”

“Excuse me?”

The brave woman slides off the barstool and shrugs. “I can’t pretend, Kostas. I can’t and I won’t. You want to treat me as your prisoner, then do it. I can’t go on acting like this is something I want.”

“Don’t be dramatic, moró mou. You’ll shower and dress. Quickly now.” I stalk past her and into my bedroom. Once in the bathroom, I turn on the shower before walking back into the living room.

She crosses her arms over her chest in defiance.

“Go,” I bark out.

Her head shakes stubbornly. “No.”

Now she’s really starting to piss me off.

“Do I need to remind you who I am?” I rumble, locking eyes with her.