Chapter 5
Julian
I can’t believe she scratched me. Like an angry little kitten, she showed me her claws. She is a fighter, and I like it. I like how she stands up to me even when she is scared shitless like I know she is right now. She might be frightened, but her instincts still tell her to fight, and that fight is exactly what I need.
Her slim body is shaking beneath me. Her chest rising and falling so rapidly, I think she might be hyperventilating. Leaning down, I let my face hover a few inches above hers. Close enough for me to feel her breath on my skin and for me to inhale her scent into my lungs. Coconut and something exotic, like a tropical island. It’s intoxicating.
Her emerald green eyes bleed into mine, an ocean of emotions reflecting back at me. She’s vulnerable, so delicate, but she didn’t act that way. Not until now. Her eyes fall shut in defeat, and she turns her head away from me. I lean down further and let my lips descend on her exposed neck. I can feel the blood rushing through her veins beneath her silky skin as I place a few open mouth kisses along her throat. I want to taste her, devour her, but I can’t, won’t. Not yet, at least.
Her body stiffens, and she makes small whimpering sounds, her eyes squeezing tight. I place one last kiss on her jawline before I shift off of her body. All the blood in my body has drained into my c*0*k, the rod so hard it hurts to even move. I want to fv*c*k her, si*nk de*e*p into her virgin, and send the bloody sheets to her father, and I will… but not tonight.
“Drink the water I brought you and then go to sleep.”
Her eyes fly open, and she turns her head to look at me. Her dark brows pull together in confusion. She thinks I’m lying. She probably thinks I’m going to hurt her, take from her, and even though I could, I won’t. Not like this anyway. I want her to want me, to need me, and depend on me. That won’t happen if I hurt her tonight.
“Drink.” I motion to the water bottle on the nightstand.
She scoots over and reaches for the bottle. Good girl. I watch her unscrew the cap and take a few large sips before setting the bottle back where it was before.
“Now lie down and go to sleep.”
She gives me a questioning look but does as she’s told. It isn’t out of trust but mere instruction because I haven’t harmed her, she’s decided not to put up any more of a fight.
Resting her head on the pillow, I grab the blanket and pull it up and over us as I settle down next to her. I leave a few inches between our bodies on purpose, allowing her a tiny bit of space. That’s all the space she is going to get though. She will sleep in my bed every night, even if I’ll make sure of it.
Watching her out of the corner of my eye, I can tell she is trying to keep her eyes open, but they keep fluttering closed. Her strength is refreshing, but even as she struggles, exhaustion soon gets the better of her.
Of course, the sleeping meds I put in her water might have helped as well. I grabbed the water and pills as a precaution because I wasn’t sure if she would be asleep when I got into the room. I want to be able to inspect her from head to toe, and tent to any wounds without her fighting me.
Staring at her, I watch as her breaths even out, and the worry eases from her features.
A few minutes later, she is completely out. Reaching across the space, I touch her face, tracing my fingers along her high cheekbones and my thumb over her plump lips.
Yeah, she won’t wake up until tomorrow.
Pushing the blanket off, I get up and go back into the bathroom to get the first aid kit. When I get back, I push the blanket all the way off her body so I can take a good look at her knees. She has some good-sized gashes, some of which still have gravel stuck to them.
I take my time cleaning her wounds, then put ointment on both sides before I inspect the rest of her body. She’s wearing one of my plain white shirts, which has a smile tugging at my lips for some reason. I like the way she looks in my clothes and surrounded by my things.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
I do my best not to think back on my little obsession with her. I’ve kept an eye on her since the funeral, which was not easy since her father kept her locked away.
Lucky for me, her dear old dad has a gambling problem, which only escalated after his wife’s death. He thought as the head of his family, he couldn’t run out of cash, he was wrong. The more money her father took from me, the deeper his debt became, and the closer she got to being mine.
Looking down at my prize, I take her in and smile. She must not have seen the women’s clothes I bought for her on the other side of the closet. I highly doubt she would have chosen my shirt on purpose if she knew there were others available.
Pushing up the sleeve on the shirt, I look over her slender arm, and find some bruises forming on her upper arms from Roger grabbing her so harshly. Gritting my teeth, I feel the need to kill him all over again. No one touches what’s mine, and no one bruises her flesh. Killing Roger was a warning to my men tonight.
Touch or hurt her in any way, and your life is over.
Pulling the blanket back up, I cover her body once more and put the first aid kit back in the bathroom. Standing at the edge of the bed, I stare down at her.
Romero thought he could kill my mother and that I wouldn’t seek revenge. He probably didn’t see me as a threat then as I was not interested in taking over the family business at the time. I was young and foolish, letting my uncle run the family after my father died of a heart attack. Romero was a foolish man to underestimate me, and tonight he learned a valuable lesson. He watched me take the one thing that matters to him. His only child. His incredibly naive and sheltered daughter.
I know he’s expecting the worst, everyone knows what kind of man I’ve become since taking over the Moretti family. People know I have no mercy. If you disobey me, if you betray the family, then you’re as good as dead. My uncle learned that the hard way. When I killed him.
Just like Elena does, Romero thinks I’m going to hurt her, which was always part of my plan. I’m going to drag out the pain, drive the knife deep, and then twist it. I’ve had forever to think of this plan, to ensure it goes off without a hitch.
Smiling, I think of what I will do first. Let him wallow in his misery, thinking that I’m doing all kinds of things to his daughter, unimaginable things while he is sitting at home unable to rescue her.
After a few weeks, I will show her off and show him how much control I have over her. I’ll marry her and put my baby inside of her. But the icing on the cake will be when I have her wanting me. When she willingly chooses me over him. That will be the final blow, the nail in his coffin. The mere thought of exacting revenge gets my adrenaline pumping.
Romero should be thankful I haven’t killed him. Yet. I didn’t want the bastard to die before he could see what I have in store for his daughter. As if my sweet dark-haired Elena can hear my thoughts, she murmurs something in her sleep, the low sound drawing me out of my thoughts. Tonight has been a very tiring night for my soon to be bride, but tomorrow, I will let her in on my plan.
No matter what, she will become my bride. She’ll give me an heir, and she will bend to my will and my rules, or she’ll face the consequences.
Crawling back into the bed and under the sheets, I shut the light off and tug her to my chest. As if she subconsciously knows that she needs me, that I’m her only chance of survival, she burrows into my side. Cuddling into me like I’m her salvation.
The warmth of her body washes against mine, slamming into me, blanketing me. Holding women isn’t my thing, cuddling or being close. It’s personal, too much, but I need Elena to get used to me, and truthfully, I need to get used to it as well.
For a long time, I lie there wide awake. Turning my head, I bury my face in her thick hair. For years, I envisioned doing just this. Inhaling her scent deep into my lungs, sleep finds me, Elena’s beautiful face flickering through my mind as I close my eyes.
I’ve got my bride, and it doesn’t matter how much she fights it.
She’ll help me get my revenge without even knowing it.