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“He wants me to work for him, and I agreed to do it.” I hope the conversation ends here. But, of course, it doesn’t.
“That’s it? He just wants you to work for him? That’s why he nearly choked the life out of me? So you would work for him?”
She doesn’t understand the repercussions of saying no to my brother, or that her life would be on the line if I disagreed, so I’m not surprised by her lack of understanding.
“I’m working for him in exchange for your brother’s debt being paid. But I had to do something else to ensure your continuous protection. I won’t lose you, Keira. Not now, not ever. And…well, technically, I haven’t done it yet, but I promised I would as soon as possible.”
“What is it, Damon?” Her voice is shaky, and I bet she thinks I’ll have to kill somebody.
“I need to get married.”
Silence settles over us.
“To who?”
I can’t believe she just asked me this. Does she expect me to marry someone else?
“To you, of course. We’re getting married…soon. Very soon. You will officially be mine, and everybody in the world will know it.”
She twists in my arms, breaking my tight grip. Her movement causes the lights to turn back on, and it’s then I see the horror in her gaze.
“You’re not serious, right? You didn’t actually tell your family you would marry me, did you?” She seems upset. The look in her eyes tells me so. How can she be angry with me after I’ve given up everything for her? After all I’ve done to protect her? It pisses me off.
“I can’t believe you’re fucking mad over this. I did this for you, Keira. For us. It was either marry you or worry my family might kill you. Is that what you want? Would you rather die than marry me?”
I don’t want to hear her response.
I twist away from her and shove out of bed. My head is clouded. I’m not thinking straight. I run my fingers through my hair and tug on the strands, willing my mind to work. When I turn around to face Keira, she’s sitting up in bed with the comforter pulled to her chest, her eyes full of worry.
“No. That’s not what I want, Damon. I don’t want you tied to me forever—not when you can’t tell me you love me.”
I want to laugh. Actually, I want to destroy this fucking room and all its contents. But I’m tired…so fucking tired.
My gaze drops to the mattress, and I see blood. It sticks out on the white bed sheets, and I nearly vomit on the floor realizing I’ve truly become a monster.
I fucked her hard enough to make her bleed. If I was Keira, I’d hate me too.
I wouldn’t want to be married to a monster, but she doesn’t have a fucking choice—and neither do I.
Keira’s eyes follow mine, and the horror in her gaze mirrors my own. She hides her facial expression as soon as she realizes the way she’s looking at me, but not fast enough. I’ve seen it, and I’ll do anything in my fucking power to make certain she doesn’t have to look at me that way again—ever.
I can’t do this.
I can’t lose her.
I don’t deserve her.
But I don’t care if I deserve her.
She’s mine and always will be.
I walk into the attached bathroom and turn on the water in the garden tub, making sure it’s the perfect temperature before I pour in the bath salts. When I walk back to the bedroom, Keira is still sitting right where I left her. Her eyes lift to mine as I enter the room.
Her expression is inscrutable. I pull the comforter from her grip and reach for her naked body. I pluck her off the bed, cradling her to my chest. She’s a little tense, and I hate that I’m the reason. Holding her in my arms, I’m reminded of how little she weighs and realize I sent her upstairs without dinner.
Fuck, this whole marriage thing isn’t getting off on the right foot. Bringing her into the bathroom, I lower her into the hot water.
“Can I leave you here a few minutes? I need to get you something to eat.”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ll be here when you get back” She seems surprised, maybe even astonished, that I’m going to get her some food in the middle of the night. She better get used to it.
If she’s going to be my wife, I’m going to take care of her any way I possibly can.
Leaving Keira behind to enjoy her bath, I pull on some shorts and head downstairs. Walking through these hallways in the middle of the night awakens feelings I thought I had buried long ago.
Picking up my pace, I make my way to the kitchen and head straight for the fridge without bothering to turn on the light.
