Page 40 of Tragic Empire
I haven’t forgotten that she asked for that in our contract. It stunned me when I saw it, but I could guess why she would request such a thing. Legitimacy is important to her. She understands how our world works, even if she wasn’t born into it like I was.
“Not tonight,” I answer quietly.
I don’t want to upset her, but I can’t comprehend why she would want to do such a thing right away. She’s hurting and certainly not in the headspace to properly consent. I’d die if I touched her and found regret in her eyes the next day.
“Oh,” she mutters, looking conflicted. “Um, you’ll stay, though?”
“Of course I will,” I vow unwaveringly.
She blinks and slowly nods. “Okay.”
“Here,” I prompt, stepping closer. “Let me get your buttons. You need to get into something for bed. You’ll feel a lot better once you get comfortable. You’re exhausted, Ana.”
She looks longingly at her blankets, like she wants to crawl beneath them and never come out.
“Okay,” she agrees. Gingerly, she sweeps her hair off of her back, letting it fall from one side of her neck to her chest.
I use caution when reaching for her top button, trying not to startle her. With already-existing fear, her lack of sleep only aids in making her quite jumpy, and I can’t blame her.
My fingers clasp around the first cotton stud and gently tug, pulling the piece through its hole. Repeating the action at least ten more times, I feel her breath hitch as my finger traces her bare skin. Avoiding her spine while assisting her is impossible, but she doesn’t pull away or make another sound. I continue until most of her back is exposed. Most of hertattooedback.
I didn’t expect that.
Her dress isn’t open enough to examine the design, but thick strokes of black ink catch my eye, and I wonder when I’ll get to see the rest of it. It must be relatively new, because I’ve seen her back before, and it was completely bare.
Once my hands drop, I find myself wishing there were more buttons.
“Thank you,” Ana breathes before scurrying off to her closet and eventually into her bathroom.
Running a hand down my face, I sigh and pull out my phone to update my father. He’s not taking this well—not our marriage—but the reason that it needed to transpire.
What happened to Ana is a reminder that no matter how untouchable you may think you are, there’s always some crazy son of a bitch that could ruin your life. Somehow, someway, we’re all vulnerable. It’s a tough pill to swallow, and one that we’ll never fully accept.
Ana, for instance, will not have a single hair on her head harmed. Not now that she is my wife. I’ll make sure of it. Not a single person alive will come close enough to hurt her again.
The Kings were powerful—arepowerful—but the Morettis are a whole other beast. Aside from the tragic death of my Uncle Cesar, this sort of thing doesn’t happen to us.
The woman responsible for killing him got lucky. She planned and plotted enough with her useless boyfriend to break into our property—which should have been impossible. Instead, she used a weakness within our security in her assault. A weakness that can never be exploited again.
I still don’t know every detail of how that night went so horribly wrong, but I know Apollo and my father have handled it. I also know that four guards were executed by them within that very same week, and I can do the math. Traitors are inevitable, after all.
People see power with their own eyes and become hungry for it. They chase greener pastures. But greed is a death sentence when you can’t defend what you’ve stolen.
Stupidity can be forgiven. Betrayal never can—especially when it cost Dante Moretti his brother—and nearly cost me my life.
I grimace, shaking off the dark thought.
Thinking about it only makes me murderous, and now isn’t the time for killing. It’s the time for recovery. When I agreed to marry Ana, I didn’t just agree to help keep Killian’s people in line, I agreed to be her husband. I’m here forherasmuch as I’m here for The Kings.
I’ll get her through her grief, and then I’ll help her execute her revenge. We may not be in love, but we’re bound by vows, and I take every vow I’ve ever promised seriously.
Cassio
Arrived safely, apartment is swept. Getting Ana into bed now.
I grimace, looking at the text, immediately typing another to clarify.
Cassio
