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“Anywhere that you aren’t,” she spits and attempts to stomp off.
I’m quick at grabbing her wrist, keeping her in place. She twists in my grasp, fighting to get free, but it’s no use. Someone clapping in the distance steals our attention, and we look to see Samuele walking toward us.
“Well, look at this,” he taunts. “Trouble in paradise?”
With a snarl, I ignore him, choosing to focus on Siân and her defiance. She’s immediately uncomfortable at the sight of him. She doesn’t cower away, though, and tries not to allow him to see that he rattles her.
Good girl. It seems she does listen when it’s convenient.
“Siân. I’m getting angry. Put on the fucking ring,” I demand, keeping it so that only she and I can hear.
With shaky breaths, Siân snatches the box. “You know what you can do with this fucking ring,” she yells and tosses it with the ring in it across the field.
From the corner of my eye, I notice my father watching along with me as it falls in the distance, landing next to the flower bed. Flowers I don’t give two shits about, but they are there. Curb appeal is important, I guess.
I size her up, staring down at her, but she doesn’t budge. In fact, she stands her ground while never dropping her gaze. Fuck. She’s so goddamn tempting. I love this version of her, fierce and unapologetic. Something about the determination to stand up for herself does something to me. It makes me want to take that from her, to break her down and show her that she can have as much fucking fight as you want, but in the end, I will win.
“Siân, I'm not going to tell you again not to fucking test me.”
Samuele lets out a whistle while clapping his hands together loudly. “Feisty one, isn’t she.”
I snap my gaze back at him. “Stay out of it.”
“I’d never let a bitch talk back to me like that. It’s about time she is taught the meaning of respect,” he interjects.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” I seeth and throw back at him, mentally telling myself not to react any more than I already have.
The last thing I need is for him to see that Siân is a weak point for me. He’ll exploit it, use it to get his way. I won’t have that. I won’t let him see that he’s getting to me. And until she’s my wife, she isn’t completely safe from him either.
But he’s not wrong. She does need to be taught a lesson.
Grabbing her by the elbow, I force her over to where I think the ring landed. After a brief second, I spot it nestled between the bushes. Siân struggles to free herself from my grasp, but it’s no use. She’s not strong enough, and she knows it. But still, she fights, probably some eternal thing she does to keep from feeling defeated.
“Pick it up,” I order.
Siân stands her ground, rolling her shoulders back to hide the discomfort she feels from my touch. “Fuck you,” she seethes through her teeth.
“Pick up the fucking ring, or there will be serious consequences.”
She inhales deeply. “There’s nothing that could be worse than what you’ve already done to me. Keep me prisoner. But you’ll never be able to force me to marry you. I won’t make it that easy.”
Speechless, I bend down and snatch the box from the ground, thankful that the ring is still inside it. Calmly, I remove it, then toss the box back to where it previously rested in the shrubs. Siân stands still, her chest rising and falling in sharp bursts. She knows she fucked up, but she’s smart enough to continue to stand up for herself.
I’m proud of her, actually. She’s putting her foot down and not backing down. Great. Finally, while a part of me loves seeing this from her, the other half needs to punish her.
Siân slaps my hand away when I try to grab hers. We tussle for a bit before I eventually get a hold of her, twisting her wrist to force her to stop.
She winces. “Ouch. Christian. You’re hurting me.”
I forcibly slide the ring on her finger, watching the red bruising that forms from how hard it scraps against her flesh. Then I scoop her up, throwing her over my shoulder and stalking away, past my father, up the stairs, and through the patio door. And I don’t stop. Siân kicks and screams, but I continue until we reach the room she’s dubbed her prison.
Removing the key from my pocket, I unlock the door and kick it open. It slaps against the wall, startling Siân, who continues to squirm. Once we’re inside the room, I return her to her feet. She attempts to flee, racing toward the door, only she isn’t fast enough.
I grip her by the hair, pulling her back while using my free hand to slam the door shut. Siân claws at my hands for me to free her hair, and I do. We stare at each other, both equally out of breath. I have to admit, I like the fight, the fear in her eyes right now as she tries to figure out how to get away.
