Page 68 of His Bride

“I know. I have a lot of gifts,” I say, walking back to the table and sitting across from her. “Imaginative. Sexy, hot, manly. Brilliant in bed. A witty conversationalist. Plus, I can give you double and triple orgasms and have you begging for more.”

She continues with her steak dismemberment. When she finishes her mouthful, she washes it down with a little bourbon.

“I don’t know if it’s a gift, the orgasms, or if it’s just how things are,” she says, looking at me with poisoned sweetness. “Because you’re my one and only. Maybe it’s something all men can accomplish.”

“You’ll never know because your next husband won’t have a cock to fuck you with once I’m done with him. I’ll have a nice shafty trinket on my mantelpiece.” I shrug. “As a token of our everlasting, undying love.”

“There are other ways to satisfy a woman.”

“Perhaps. But it won’t blow your mind, and after being married to me, you’ll be used to getting your mind blown.”

“How modest of you.”

“It’s not about modesty. It’s about phenomenal sex. Poetry in physical form. We click, love. We’re the Fred and fucking Ginger of sex.”

Suddenly, she’s flustered. She’s got that healthy glow of desire on her cheeks, and as much as I’d like to help her get rid of it by relieving her body of those lusty knots, we’re driving off course again, and I’m thinking if there ever was a good time to act like an adult, all mature, it’s now because this is serious. She’s planning on making the worst mistake of her life, and I can’t just stand by and watch her do it. I won’t.

“Giana,” I say, leaning forward, “we can play this game all night. A battle of wills, it’s what we’re good at. But in all seriousness, we should be together. That man’s a fucking monster.”

“And you aren’t?”

“Not,” I say, “like him.”

She wants to hurt me. Fling those poisoned arrows straight at my forehead. And that’s okay. I can deal with being a monster.Hermonster.

But Aurelio? He’s the beast who wears bespoke suits over his slime and then beats his wife, rapes her, does whatever the hell he wants with her because he’ll hold her brother over her head. She’ll have no choice but to go on her knees for him because she’s the good sister, the good daughter, the one who makes all the sacrifices for those she loves.

Screw that.

“That man will rape you, Giana.” Just saying it out loud has my blood boiling. “He’ll beat you, loan you out for fucks and laughs. You’ll be used by hosts of men.”

“Then what do you propose I do, Caelian?” She stands, and I’m worried she might storm out this time, so I stand, too. “All night, I’ve listened to you go on and on about Aurelio, how cruel he is, and that I can’t trust him. But not once,not oncehave you given me a better option. A better idea to save my brother.”

“We stay married,” I say with determination. “We’ll come up with something and deal with it.”

She frowns. “You made it clear you won’t help. God, Caelian, you said it yourself. You don’t care what happens to my brother.”

“I was angry. Said things I shouldn’t have. The little shit can move into the estate, have twenty-four-seven Dark Sovereign protection.”

She shakes her head. “No.”I’m losing her.“The deal is made. If I go back on my word now, Aurelio will retaliate.”

“We can deal with the likes of him.”

“I won’t let anyone else get hurt because of me. If I had just married him in the first place, none of this would have happened. No one would have gotten hurt.”

“Aurelio won’t protect him.”

“What would you do if it were one of your own who needed help? Your brothers. Leandra, Mira. Would you not sacrifice your own happiness to save them?”

I don’t answer. It’s not that simple. We’re all lying right now to protect our family. Nicoli is impersonating Alexius to protect our family, and I want to say it’s not the same, but that tiny sliver of rational thinking is telling me it is. That she’s doing what she thinks is best to keep her brother safe. It’s a terrible plan. One that won’t work. The worst mistake she’ll ever make. But her intentions are good. Pure. Unselfish. And I can’tnotrespect that.

But it doesn’t mean I’ll accept it.

“Giana.” I reach for her, but she moves away, crossing her arms in front of her chest, shutting me out. “Don’t do this,” I say. “Don’t fucking do this.”

“I have to.”

“No, goddammit.” I rush forward, this time grabbing her before she can get away. A soft sob escapes her as I cup her cheeks,forcing her to look up at me. “I love you. And I’m sorry. I made the worst mistake of my life by letting you walk out. And by letting you go, I gave you no choice but to trust your father, to trust Aurelio. I see that now. And…fuck!”

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