Page 82 of Monster's Edge

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Idon’t know anythingabout Ian Salucci.

Each time I think I’ve got him all figured out, he proves me wrong. He says something that catches me off guard, he treats me in ways I don’t expect, and apparently, he kills people.

Most mafia guys do. It’s kind of the job, isn’t it? You steal, you fuck, and you kill. You do what you please and people bend to your will. They do anything you ask because they must, and Ian Salucci is no exception.

He’s killed someone tonight, but I don’t know who. I have some ideas. I have a very good idea, actually. Tomorrow is our wedding day. Ian and I are going to promise to stay together for the rest of our lives. I’m certain our vows won’t contain anything about love or honor – he’ll never love me and I’ll never honor him – but there will be a promise of cooperation.

So, who has he killed?

I think it’s my father.

There is no one else who would need to die before our marriage begins. No one. Nobody else needs to be six feet under before our wedding day. Not that my dad needs to be dead in order for us to get married. Ian and I are both adults. I can sign whatever papers he puts in front of me without the assistance of my dad.

Still, I know Ian did something terrible tonight, but he’s not going to fucking tell me.

It should bother me a lot, and there’s a part of me that is bothered, but there’s another part of me that is okay with this situation. Maybe it’s because of how I was raised. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that my dad isn’t really a good person, so if he’s dead, I don’t really care.

Either way, if Ian needs to keep this a secret, then I do understand.

Mostly.

The two of us are standing in the shower. I’m basically holding him. Neither one of us knows why. Neither one of us thinks this is a good or healthy idea. In fact, I’m pretty sure that Ian thinks I’m a complete freak at this point. Still, he’s planning to marry me in a couple of hours because he wants to.

I’m going along with it because I don’t really have any other option.

The water is running cold, and Ian finally reaches over and turns the knob to stop it from falling over us. I shiver just a little as we step out of the shower and into the bathroom. This place has all of the best luxuries. In addition to the walk-in shower, huge jacuzzi tub, triple sinks, and of course, the toilet room, it’s also got heated floors. It feels strange that my feet are the warmest part of my body.

I reach for a towel and hold it out to Ian. He raises an eyebrow and I quickly move to wrap it around him. If he’s going to make me serve him tonight, then that’s fine. I’ll do whatever the fuck he wants and so much more. I might not plan on honoring him, but I’ll sure as hell obey him, especially when I know what the rewards are for obedience.

My addiction to Ian is becoming quite a problem for me, but I also don’t know how to stop.

That’s the problem with villains...you can never give them up.

Ian is the kind of person who can crush my soul if he wants to. He can stomp on my heart and fuckingbreakme. It’s wrong and bad that this is something I’m not even the least bit scared of. He can steal my soul if it means he’ll be pleased with me.

Once he’s wrapped in a towel, I grab one for myself. These are bath sheets, not regular towels, so they easily wrap all the way around our bodies. The two of us go into the bedroom. Ian flips on the lights, casting a soft glow on everything in the room. Then he saunters over to the closet and vanishes inside. I move to the center of the room and stand there for a long minute, waiting.

My hair is still wet, so I pull off my towel, dry it a bit, and then wrap the towel back around myself. I’m still not warm, but I’m less cold than I was a minute ago. Ian comes back a moment later wearing a pair of silk pajama pants that hang low over his hips.

I lick my lips.

He notices and raises an eyebrow. He always seems to notice the little things that I like. He also always seems to want to tease me about them.

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