Page 16 of Bones

He clears his throat as I finish my last bite of breakfast, and takes my plate and cleans it off before putting it in the dishwasher.

“Butterfly, please don’t fight me. I don’t want to hurt you. Not today.”

I laugh bitterly at him for acting like this day means anything to him.

“If you haven’t changed your mind, I’ll be your wife later today. Bones, this isn’t how you start married life. If you do this, I’ll never forgive you.”

He smirks at me like my misery entertains him greatly. “I know you won’t. I don’t need your forgiveness, Butterfly. That’s what my priest is for. Let’s go.”

I rise from my seat and follow him back to hell. My heart pounds furiously as we walk down the gray stairs, and I spot the cage.

“Bones, please. Can’t you just lock me in the basement and not put me in there? I’m begging you. I’ll do anything.”

Tears spring to my eyes as he turns to me. “Fuck, you really are beautiful. I could do exactly that, Butterfly, but this will help teach you to obey. This is part of breaking you.”

I drop to my knees, unsure of what else to do. “Bones, I swear, I’ll be obedient.”

He chuckles as he reaches down and strokes my hair. “I’m not sure you know the meaning of the word. Get in the cage, Athena. I won’t tell you again.”

Bones walks over and opens the cage door, and of course, there’s nothing I can do, so I crawl inside. He locks the cage and watches me, the way you would any trapped animal.

“This will be your only warning. My mother will be at our wedding later today. If you do anything to upset her, I promise you, you’ll live in this cage for the rest of your days. She believes this is consensual, that we’re in love, and she’s going to keep believing that. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” I whimper as the sobs come unwillingly.

“Don’t cry too much. It’ll make your eyes puffy, creating more work for the poor lady doing your makeup.”

I hope I get the opportunity to stab this asshole that is clearly more concerned over a woman’s workload than his future wife’s wellbeing. I didn’t even blame him when he put me in a cage after finding me trying to get onto his property, but now; planning to marry me and still doing it tells me the horrible man he is. Men don’t do this to their wives. Or future wives. I have no doubt, he’ll be as terrible to me as Manny was, or worse.

BONES

I could’ve stood staring at her all fucking day. She looked like the definition of destruction, but no less beautiful. Maybe more than she had been last night. I don’t have any intention of keeping her in the cage once it’s unnecessary. She doesn’t know that, and right now she doesn’t need to. Honestly, I didn’t want to leave her at all, but I have businesses to pop into. It’s important they see the boss, as a reminder of who they will deal with if they fuck around or fuck up.

I’m standing in my underground casino beside Domenic De Luca while he plays a hand of poker, as I watch her on my phone every few minutes. He laughs after I tell him I’m getting married.

“Bones the Unmarriable?”

I arch a brow at him. “My father insists I take a wife, so here I am.”

“Arranged then?”

Shaking my head, I admit, “No. He hasn’t met her yet.”

He chuckles lightly as he stares at his poker hand. “Does she want this?”

“Not exactly. Right now she’s in a cage.”

Domenic smirks at me before saying, “Does she own you yet?”

I flash him an ‘are you fucking crazy’ look, and he chuckles loudly. “Just wait, Bones. Your life is about to be bulldozed in the best fucking way.”

I don’t bother telling him how wrong he is, because I spot something on my phone I’ve seen before. Something I don’t like. Athena backs up in the cage, sobbing and yelling. I turn on my earpiece so I can listen privately. “Please, daddy, don’t. It hurts.”

Instantly, I see fucking red, and know I have to get her out. I nod to Domenic. “I have to go. Try not to win too much of my money.”

I nearly run out of the casino, which is really a mansion, and go to the valet and demand my car immediately. Luckily for Ryan, our newest valet, he’s quick with it, and I climb in and speed off to get to Athena.

The entire drive home, I hear her crying in my mind. And why the hell it bothers me like it does, I don’t fucking understand. She was huddled in the corner and fear isn’t new to me, but this was different. It was pure terror.

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