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I stare out at the sprawling gardens, my mind racing. Love. It’s an emotion I can’t afford, even with all the money I’ve amassed. Yet Sage’s words linger, unsettling me in a way I hadn’t anticipated.
After a few moments, she speaks again, her voice hesitant. “Where are we going? To the casino?”
I turn back to face her, my eyes traveling over her perfect body. The dress I bought fits her perfectly, accentuating her beauty in a way that makes something move between my legs. She’s not just beautiful. She’s sexy.
“You’ll see,” I say, diverting my eyes before I’m tempted to sin. “Just trust me.”
She sighs. “I guess I don’t have a choice, just like before. Just like with everything.”
“You may wander the estate as much as you like, but if I catch you trying to escape, there will be consequences,” I say, trying to offer a healthy compromise.
“Thanks,” she mutters. “Is that why you locked me in the bedroom?”
I shrug. “I didn’t lock you in. I left the door unlocked, but my maid, Lidia, decided that you should be locked in because of how you behaved when she came to bring you the food and clothes.”
“I thought she might be able to help me, but apparently nobody wants to do that anymore. Even my own father betrayed me.”
“Life is tough,” I reply, feeling a slight annoyance that she thinks she has the bad end of this deal. If she understood what I’ve been through in life, maybe she wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the world I’ve brought her into. I could’ve just as easily killed her worthless father in front of her and claimed her in his office, but I spared her. That’s far better than what I witnessed the Bratva do to my family when I was a child.
But I don’t do sob stories. I’ve blocked out most of my past, refusing to acknowledge the weakness that comes from accepting trauma. I’m stronger than my experiences. I even think I might be a better man because of them, but most people would just consider me to be messed up beyond help.
Fair enough. I’m not going to argue with people who only have a fraction of my wealth and none of the power. They wouldn’t begin to understand me, even if they could see inside my head.
I expect the same from Sage, which is why I don’t try to convince her of anything. I just leave her in the room without locking the door, going downstairs to read in the lounge and smoke a cigar.
Sage doesn’t come down for several hours, but when she does, I can hear her creeping around the house, scoping the place out like a scared cat trying to understand her new surroundings.
It’s nice knowing she’s around without really having to interact. Just having another person in this giant house makes me feel better. Lidia isn’t here all that often, and she doesn’t stay long when she is.
Sage doesn’t have that choice. She can’t come and go freely, and as my new fiancé, the truth is that she never will. Her previous life is over. Marrying me has put her in danger for the rest of her life, but one day, she’ll get used to it. I know I did.
And plus, she’s young. Much younger than I am, which is why she’s the ideal candidate to carry my heir. She’ll be around much longer than I will, even when our child an adult and able to take over my role as leader.
My retirement is hinged in the fact that I reproduce. Without a child, I’ll be at this until my bones break and the skin on my hands peels off. Too many people are dependent on me to do anything but work myself to death if I don’t pass the role down to my future son.
Assuming that we have a son…
If not, I don’t mind putting as many babies in Sage as it takes. The idea of getting her pregnant over and over awakens something inside of me that’s impossible to tuck back into my gut. I can already imagine her belly swelling over time as she carries our baby, and it does something unexplainable to me.
I find myself staring at the pages of the book in my hand, unable to understand a single word while my eyes go over the same line multiple times. I’m only broken out of my daze when I hear Sage’s soft voice from the archway to the lounge.
“Um, do you have a second?” she asks.
I look up from my book, closing it suddenly with one hand. “I have all the time in the world for you, darling.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m just hungry. You don’t have to be so theatric.”
“Life wouldn’t be fun otherwise,” I reply as I rise from the sofa. “Since you’re already dressed so nicely, I think we should go out early. There’s a pair of heels that will match your dress. You will find them in the closet by the front door. Please put them on, and I will join you shortly.”
Her expression changes for a split second, a half-hearted look of reluctance, but her hunger overrides it. It’s much like the way that my hunger for her overrides her rebellious nature. I’m willing to put up with it if it means claiming her as my treasure.
I wash my face and change my tie before we leave to match her dress. She’s waiting by the front door, her arms nervously pinned to her sides.
The limo is already waiting, its engine purring softly as we step outside. I open the door for her, and she slides in, her movements graceful even though she’s still stiff from the nerves.
As the car pulls away, I lean back in my seat, studying her body. She looks out the window, her expression thoughtful and distant. I wonder what’s going through her mind, what she thinks of this twisted fairy tale she’s been thrust into.
The city lights blur past as we drive, and I reach over, taking her hand in mine. She tenses but doesn’t pull away. “Sage,” I say, my voice low. “This life is different than what you’re used to. Try to keep an open mind this afternoon and evening, even if you see a thing or two that you don’t quite like. If you’re a good girl, we’ll have fun.”
