Page 150 of The Devil's Heir
Fuck…
I wipe my mouth after vomiting for the third time this morning. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me. I've been sick for weeks now. I'm starting to think I know what it's from, but I can't prove it. The problem is, doing anything about it will cause me to starve. I can't sneak into the kitchen for food when I'm locked away in a windowless room.
I'm no longer chained to the bed like I was in the beginning, but I do have a chain attached to my ankle that allows me to use the bathroom when needed. I've tried to break the cuff or the chain, but it's useless.
I had thought that after I married the bitch, I'd be free to come and go, but it's not like that at all. I'm Carmen's prisoner in every sense of the word. The only time I'm allowed out is when she needs to show me off or when I need to conduct business with the other families. Carmen wants to make it look real like I'm still in charge, but it's the exact opposite. I have no say in anything.
I genuinely believe the bitch is poisoning me slowly. Arsenic maybe? I know that it's been happening for far too long, and if I don't figure something out soon, Carmen will get her wish, and I will die.
I fall back onto the bed, sighing and closing my eyes. A vision of my dark-haired beauty appears before me. Liliana has her arms open wide as though she's waiting for me. Is this a sign that I should just give up? It's becoming harder to fight, and I want nothing more than to let myself go, but Carmen needs to be stopped.
To feel Lily in my arms again is a wish I know will never again come true. My girl is gone, and soon, I will be, too.
Banging on the door makes me jump just before it swings open, and Carmen walks in. She's wearing a tight black dress that hugs her curves and shows off the little flab she has on her stomach. She walks like she's someone important, making me want to laugh, but I just don't have the energy for it.
"Oh, you poor, dear boy. You don't look well at all." She smirks.
"What do you want, Carmen?"
"For one, you can talk to me more respectfully. I'm your wife, after all."
My smile is far from friendly.
"Like how you show your husband respect by chaining him up and poisoning him?"
"Please. Now you're just making shit up. If you want out of here, you know what you need to do," she states.
"I will never sleep with you, Carmen."
"Well, there you have it. But I didn't come to argue with you. You need to clean yourself up—we have company coming this evening, and they want to talk to you personally." Carmen looks a bit put off by this.
"Who is it?" I ask, curious.
"Marino and Ricci. They want to talk to me about a particular shipment, but they need your input about another one and want you to partner with them, so they will need your signature."
"What kind of partnership?"
Carmen smiles maniacally. "Inthetrade. What other kind of work brings in the best money can buy."
I glower at the bitch. "You know I don't partake in that—ever!"
"Well, now you do. You're my husband, and you will do as I say, or that old hag will meet her maker come morning."
She's talking about Fran, Lily's friend. Although Lily is gone, I cannot allow Carmen to hurt her friends, no matter what. It's the least I can do for the woman I have loved for years.
"You're a real bitch, you know that?" I continue glowering at her.
Carmen chuckles. "You're not telling me anything I didn't already know. Now, you will join me tonight, and you will sign whatever Marino and Ricci want you to sign. You will act happy and in love with me while they are here."
"Whatever…"
There's no use arguing with her. However, I will get word out to both visitors. Carmen has no idea how loyal those two families are to me, so as long as I can get a moment alone with either of them, I can make my move.
"That's my good boy," Carmen purrs, running her hand through my hair.
I could wring her neck if her watchdog wasn't watching my every move from the doorway. So, instead, I lie here and take her abuse. She runs her hands down my chest towards my crotch, and I shove it away.
"Don't fucking touch me!"
