Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Roberto looked toward his wife, and the guards had hands on their guns. I would gladly kill them all in a heartbeat.
“Of course, of course. We will allow you and Alba to talk,” Alice said, urging everyone out of the room.
I had no doubt this room was not private, and they were all probably listening from somewhere else in the house.
Alba still held her book. She hadn’t moved from her spot, and she kept lifting her gaze to meet mine, then dropping it back down. She didn’t move but stood perfectly still. The forgotten daughter. The disdain this woman received was not justified. Others considered her ugly, I did not. She might be a little plain, but her eyes held a wealth of warmth. Her body was made for a man to fuck and love. There was a kindness to her that no man in her current circle deserved.
The life I offered was a prison and freedom. She would be my wife, the mother of my children, and her loyalty would belong to me. That was her prison. She could do whatever she wanted with her life. There were no restrictions to how I wanted her to act. She would be free.
This was the only woman in this household to ever be spoken about with high regard. According to my sources and eyewitnesses, this woman was kind. I found it hard to believe that any Marini could be nice, and yet without a single doubt, the only feedback I got from this woman was good. She was the only one.
I moved closer, and the only sign of her panic was the tightening of her body. It was subtle, but I knew what I was looking for.
Years of mastering the art of intimidation meant I knew when it was working. I didn’t get where I was today by backing down.
Alba didn’t tilt her head back. She stayed looking straight ahead, which showed she had been trained well by her parents, which didn’t fucking please me.
“Look at me,” I said.
At first, I thought she was ignoring me, but then I realized she had to be nervous. In a matter of minutes, if not hours, she’d gone from her boring existence to standing in line about to be offered up. Only, I wasn’t interested in sending her to slaughter.
Staring into her brown eyes, I saw the confusion, as well as the fear. I’d looked into many people’s eyes over the years and seen my fair share of emotion. Of course, there had been pain. There always was when I was torturing them. Begging, pleading to be let go, or begging for forgiveness. I’ve come to learn a lot about people. The way their loyalties changed with a better offer.
I stared into Alba’s eyes, and I don’t know what the fuck happened, but it was like something shifted. She was terrified of me, of the circumstances. This was the daughter who’d been told all her life that she was a waste of space because she was ugly. This woman wasn’t ugly. Her beauty was deep, pure, and no one could take that away from her.
“What’s your name?” I asked, attempting to put her at ease.
“Alba,” she said. “What’s yours?”
I knew her name, she already knew mine, but it was starting a conversation.
“Odin,” I said. My parents were into some old names. I think mine was old, possibly Greek, but again, I didn’t know what the fuck I was talking about. My dad would say he wanted a badass name for his son, and this was what he found.
None of that mattered. My parents were long dead. Dead far too soon, and I would make sure those that caused their pain would feel it tenfold. My revenge was nowhere near complete.
“It’s nice to meet you, Odin,” Alba said.
“And your thoughts on becoming my wife?”
Her eyes went slightly wider, as if she hadn’t quite realized that was my intention. “Why do you want to marry me?” she asked.
“Because you’re my choice.”
“My sisters are much better choices. They look good, and they’re ready to be wives.”
“You’re my choice.”
Alba frowned. “You’re making the wrong one. Men want a woman they can be proud of on their arm. Not be disappointed in.” She took a step back and glanced down at herself. “I’m not wife material.”
I couldn’t help it, I reached out and grabbed her chin, and I saw the instant bolt of fear travel down her spine. I didn’t want her to fear me, although I knew it was an emotion many responded to. Those that felt fear learned their place freaking quickly. Only, Alba was not going to learn her place. This was not about that.
Stroking a finger across her jawline, I tilted her head back to look at me, and those brown eyes were so expressive. Eyes were where the truth lay. The mouth could lie, as could the body. But the eyes never lied. Every emotion was free to watch. You just had to be willing to listen and see.