Page 42 of His to Own

“How is that fun?” I finally ask, gripping my fork tightly in my hand.

He pauses, his steak halfway to his mouth. “What?”

“How is making someone’s life hell fun?”

“Oh. Because it just is. Those people always put themselves in bad situations. It’s their own fault. I just like to deliver on the punishments coming their way.”

“That seems… cruel.”

He shrugs and finally eats his bite of steak. “That’s the life of the mafia. It’s a cruel place. You learn where to have fun otherwise it would break a person down.”

“Have you ever been broken down by anything?”

“You’re finally speaking to me after silence all day. Why?”

I grip my fork tighter. “I asked you a question first.”

“No,” he says in a clipped tone. “I have never been broken down by anything. When you live life as carefree as I do, things tend to not bother you.”

“So why would it bother you who I spend time with?”

“Ah.” His eyes light up. I’m giving him what he wants: attention. “You’re upset about something. I can tell. Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you.”

“Shouldn’t you already know?” I stare down at him, forcing myself to be brave. He stares back, challenging me. I have to fight for what I want and right now, I need answers. “Alexei.”

“Oh, Alexei. I should have figured.”

“He has a bruise on his face. You gave that to him.”

“I did.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t like him snooping around you.”

“But why? We’ve been friends for a year and he’s never tried anything with me. He’s a good guy.”

He points his fork at me. “That right there. You like him, don’t you?”

“As a friend.”

“Sure. As a friend.” He sounds like he doesn’t believe me.

“Am I not allowed to have friends?”

“You are. Just not him.” He aggressively cuts into his steak and takes a large bite.

My hand tightens even more around my fork until my knuckles turn white. “But why?”

“Because he’s putting his nose where it doesn’t belong. You are my wife now, Elena. Not his.”

“But you were seeing other women until the day we married. Why is it a problem that I have a male friend? I wasn’t sleeping with him.”

“As you said, you haven’t slept with anybody.”

I flush and stare down at the table, losing the battle. “My father never let me date. Alexei was not a problem.”

“I thought he was a problem so I handled it.”