Page 45 of Bartered Innocence

“That was a good try,” he says after she leaves us in the kitchen.

Rolling my eyes because I know I butchered it, I take a bite and study him with curious eyes. He raises an eyebrow, watching me back.

I point my fork at him. “I can’t tell if you’re my bodyguard or you simply don’t leave the house.”

His lips quirk. “A little of both.”

“And you don’t think that’s a little sad? Left to guard the boss’s wife?”

Any humor leaves his face, and a small flicker of shame burns in my stomach at the disdain bleeding in his eyes. “No, I don’t. I’m honored he chose me to protect the most important people to him.”

I drop my gaze to the plate in front of me, frowning slightly. “I’m just a pawn in his game. I’m not important to him.”

“Pawns are important to chess. Where and how you use them are fundamental to winning or losing.”

I give him an incredulous look. “Pawns are sacrificed to protect the king.”

I hate that he confirmed exactly what this is to Rian. I shouldn’t care, it would make it easier to move on and do what I want if Rian discards me once he’s gotten what he wants.

Aodhan sighs and rests his face on his chin in his palm. “It was a joke, Isabelle. He could have chosen any woman in that book Luca brought, but he sought you out when he was offered captain’s daughters. Obviously you mean more than a body to fulfill the arrangement.”

I swallow my bite and sip at the orange juice Deirdre handed over before leaving us alone in the kitchen. “Do you know he blackmailed me into this marriage?”

His eyebrows raise. “Did he? Or did he provide you with a choice?”

“A choice? Are you joking? He threatened my family if I didn’t agree to marry him!”

“He said he’ll tell Luca the truth and asked you what you thought the consequences would be. It takes two to do the horizontal tango, darlin'. You willingly went to his bed.”

“Ugh, I can’t believe you’re defending him. My parents didn’t deserve to have their whole life’s work destroyed because of one night of stupidity. Now if you’ll excuse me, arrogant men who explain away disgusting behavior make me lose my appetite.”

Aodhan laughs as I stand but he catches my elbow. I startle, unaware he had permission to touch me. His eyes narrow at my face and he slowly lets go of me. “I’d never harm you, Isabelle. You are Rian’s wife and I’d protect you with my life. But I should warn you about your tongue. While anyone in the brotherhood would probably find it amusing, it undermines Rian’s authority in front of the others. He’ll be responsible for reprimanding you if they question him because of you.”

“He swore he would never raise his hand to me.”

The coldness that bleeds into his eyes scares me a bit, and I take a step back as he speaks, “Punishments come in different forms, and are not always pointed at you directly.”

I nod, heeding his warning and storming off upstairs after ensuring he’s not following me. In my hurry to escape, I turn left instead of right and straight into the wing Rian told me to ignore. The spiteful part of me demands I explore in retaliation to Aodhan’s unnecessary scolding. I’m not an untrained child who doesn’t know how to speak in public, but I deserve the right to speak my mind in my own house.

Checking over my shoulder at the empty hallway, I open the first door and slip inside. The dark bedroom has my eyebrows creasing in confusion. I don’t understand why Rian would keep me away from here.

“Jessie?” a frail voice calls, surprising me even with the soft tone.

I walk farther into the room, realizing who occupies the bed. Shame clutches at my heart for coming in, pride fueling my pettiness and overriding any logic. When Rian warned me off, I thought he had been hiding something, not someone. And Aodhan saying he’s protectingpeople, not a person, should have clued me in that his father is here too.

“Sorry, I got—uhh, lost,” I say.

A thin hand lifts, waving me forward, and I round the mattress to face Rian’s father. His wise eyes study me for a beat before he smiles. “Sit. I’d like to spend time with my new daughter.”

I glance at the chair behind me. “Are you sure? I don’t want to disturb your rest.”

“I’m sure. I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” He laughs but starts coughing, cutting the sound short.

Dragging the chair over, I move to sit closer to his side of the bed so it will take less effort for him to face me. He can just lie on his mountain of pillows and turn his face to the right.

“Sorry I missed your wedding. I planned to come, but my body wasn’t up to it that day,” he says with a crooked smile.

My heart leaps in my throat, and I swallow it back down. “I’m sure Rian would prefer you didn’t injure yourself for that, anyway. It wasn’t anything special.”

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