Page 21 of Pretty Poison

I can see it. Once he gets what he wants from me—a child and his money back from my father—he will ship me back home. I’ll have to re-enter another uncomfortable situation where I have to make amends with the man who put me in the firing line in the first place.

I’d rather stay here and be the black sheep than face him any time soon. The hurt and the ache that courses through me when I’m reminded of my father is something I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. He was supposed to love and care for me, not because his fatherly duties required it, but because he took it upon himself to protect the child he helped bring into this world. Up until now, I thought he was doing one hell of a job, but looking back on my childhood, everything that I thought was an act of good on his part, wasn’t. It was his way of preparing me for the life of being Dario Vitale’s wife; whether he knew it back then or not.

Ten

DARIO

I can’t sleep. The expression on Liana’s face when I told her she didn’t belong plays on repeat like a horror show I can’t escape. It haunts my mind. I caused the pain in her pretty brown eyes and I’m a dick because of it.

Voicing your feelings and emotions is an impossible thing, because if the wrong person overhears you, they can twist your words into a weapon of their own design. It also gives your enemies the knowledge of your weaknesses, encouraging them to destroy everything—your empire, lifestyle and family—you’ve built, just so you can have them back in one piece. And the truth is, you don’t always get that decency.

In my line of work, nobody is a stranger to burning down the establishments you’ve spent your whole life building and destroying the mentality and physical condition of those you love; you’re more likely to get your loved ones back as a completely different version, never to be the same again. You can only do so much to help restore them, but they’ll never be the same. No matter if your downfall is a person or thing, it always ends the same; either death or the inability to change the outcome that awaits. It’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone except my worst enemies.

Besides, how could I ever voice my feelings to someone who despises me more than I do them?

Swinging my legs over the side of my bed, I push my palms deep into the mattress to lift myself and watch as a shadow passes by my door.

I dart upright and slip my hand under the pillow to retract my gun, tucking it in the front of my waistband before heading out of my room and turning left. It’s a little ritual I do. I never leave my room without it. It follows me everywhere.

I tiptoe to the end of the hallway and down the staircase, searching my surroundings as I go. Whoever this is could be a friendly. However, with my entire family living under my roof and in surrounding houses throughout the estate, I can’t take the risk. If somehow someone found their way into my compound with the intention of hurting us, I’ll get the first crack before unleashing Silas to finish the job.

Inching closer to the kitchen door, I push it open a crack for me to see through, while my other hand finds its way to my gun, only then do I watch as a petite shadow wanders around the kitchen.

Releasing my weapon, I drag the door stop from beside the door and slide it beneath it, exhaling as I retreat backwards and my back becomes flush against the wall behind me. It feels cold against my skin, but soon the warmth of my body transfers to it, making it a bearable temperature.

I feel like a creep watching as she opens the kitchen cabinets. In the few days that she’s been here, she’s become accustomed to the way things work—if you want to be alone, it’s easier at night. It’s almost like during the day, everyone’s running off the energy of the sun and they become the most annoying they’ll ever be,but in the quiet of the evening, they’re all worn out and ready to be alone.

I continue to admire her small frame as she stands on her tiptoes trying to reach a mug. The motion raises her nightgown slightly, showing the edge of her underwear and she huffs exasperatedly as she gives up before climbing onto the counter. She pushes her hair behind her ears as she reaches up again and retracts a mug. She then places the glass beside her and pushes herself down, her nightgown getting caught beneath her, giving me a clear view of her ass.

She walks over to the refrigerator and pours herself a mug of milk before turning to the microwave. After thirty seconds, she stirs the liquid with a spoon and takes a sip. With a smile on her face, she rinses the spoon and places it on the draining board before she walks towards the door. Attempting to stay out of sight of her swift movements, I lean back into the darkness to blend into the shadows; she’s so oblivious to my presence that it’s concerning. As my wife, she should have eyes in the back of her head. No one should be able to get the upper hand on her from the shadows.

I listen to her bare feet pat against the floor as she ascends the stairs and close my eyes as if that will help me hear her bedroom door close. Once I’m certain she’s locked away again, I stealthily make my way back to my room.

It’s weird knowing that we’ll both share this room soon. If she’s anything like me, she’ll want her own space and I won’t deprive her of that, but creating life while sleeping in separate rooms presents a new challenge. I also don’t want to pressure her into having sex when she doesn’t want to, but for her to fulfil her end of the deal and provide me with an heir, it is required. None of this makes me out to be a good guy.

Sitting at the edge of my bed, I lay back, the cold chill of my bed bringing me comfort and clarity. I need to set things straight and fast. She’s not as spoiled or as bratty as I pictured her to be. She may be a businessman’s daughter, but she’s also astrugglingbusinessman’s daughter.

Picking myself up again, I tread my way through the hall, stopping outside of her bedroom door. I didnotthink this through clearly. What the hell am I going to say to her?“Hey Liana, just so you know, personal space is the best. We can have sex in my room and then you can go back to yours.”That sounds like I’m calling her cheap, like a hooker or something. God, I’m royally fucked here.

Without warning, her door swings open and my eyes dart down as I watch hers slide up to meet mine. “Uhm, hello?” she says, confusion lacing her words. I cough, knowing I’ve been caught in the act. “Are-are you okay? Did you need something?”

“I’m sorry, I-I didn’t think this through,” I admit.

“Come sit,” she says, surprising me. She steps aside, granting me entry. “I don’t bite, Dario.”

“I beg to differ,”I respond mentally.

I hesitate, but walk in as she retreats back to her bed, propping herself up at the headboard and grabbing a pillow, hugging it to herself.

“You can close the door. I don’t mind.” Her words surprise me and her attitude is much different than usual. It’s unnerving, to say the least.

I half-shut the door and walk towards her, stopping at the foot of her bed. “I-I wanted to apologise, you know, for all this,” I say, swaying my hand out to signify our situation. “If I had any say at all, you wouldn’t be here and this wouldn’t be happening.”

“Sit,” she says, her voice calm, displaying a hand out at the end of the bed. “I think we both have things to say to each other and you standing makes me a bit uncomfortable. So, please,” she continues, her hand still mid-air.

I nod once, perching myself on the very edge of her mattress, my ass barely touching it. “Did you want to start? I haven’t quite figured out what I came here to say,” I admit, staring at a specific spot on her wall illuminated by the moonlight shining in from a gap in the curtains.

“Sure, I can start,” she says, wriggling herself into an even more upright position. “I want to apologise for my forwardness before—”

---