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I let my stare linger on her curves. I was going to enjoy having her body under mine and making her submit to me.
“Surely your mother explained what is expected of you tonight?”
“She didn’t need to.” Jessica was equally terse with me, vexing me further.
I frowned, pausing for a few seconds, before I moved my hand toward her body again.
But she didn’t give me a chance to touch her, instead pushing hard against me and scrambling off the bed. She ran and grabbed one of my knives that I had left on the dresser. “Touch me again and I swear I’ll kill you.” Her voice was full of hostility and vehemence.
My patience snapped. “What the hell, Jessica? Have you completely lost your mind?”
She held the knife in her violently shaking hand, its blade gleaming under the light of the lamps.
“Jessica, you know I will be asked to confirm tomorrow morning that you were a virgin and that we consummated our marriage. The Società expects it of all its newlyweds, and we are no exception. In fact, it’s even more important that the Santinos, as the Società’s ruling family, are seen to be following the organization’s traditions.”
Her eyes were huge in her face.
When she didn’t answer, I slowly prowled toward her. “You know I must bed you and make you bleed tonight.”
“Fuck you! You’ve already had my blood. You’re all monsters.”
“What are you talking about?” My voice was hard.
“Your family has already had my blood. What, do you want me to bleed again? Was once not enough for your family? Are you going to take me so roughly tonight that I bleed again?”
As unease prickled at me, I said in a low voice, “What do you mean, my family has already had your blood?”
When Jessica gave no answer, I carried on in a deadly quiet voice. “Jessica, tell me, are you still a virgin?”
She looked at me bewildered, her cheeks flushed red and her chest heaving with panicky breaths.
“Answer me.” I took another step toward her. I was used to interrogating people, getting answers out of them even if they didn’t want to talk. I wasn’t going to let this girl keep secrets from me.
“You already know! Why are you tormenting me?”
“What do I know?”
She swallowed hard. After another long pause during which she looked carefully at me, she murmured, “You don’t know?” The color drained from her face.
“I want you to tell me the truth—if I take you on this bed tonight, will you bleed for me?” I should have tempered my words with her, should have questioned her less harshly, but something was surging through me and making me lose control.
A tear rolled down her cheek. “How can I bleed for you if I’m not still a virgin?” Her voice was a whisper. “You obviously don’t know…did your father think you wouldn’t notice? Jesus, your family is beyond fucked up...” Her free hand flew to her mouth as if realizing she shouldn’t have just spoken about my family like that and was afraid of my reaction.
Another thought crashed into my mind, and horror spread through me. I made my voice gentle. "Did somebody force you?"
"Y-yes," she stammered, averting her eyes from me as her cheeks turned bright red.
I approached her in a wary manner. “Jessica, please give me the knife before you hurt yourself.” I could easily get the knife from her, but I didn’t want to scare her any further in her current state.
We were both silent for a long while. She looked like she wanted to tell me something but was too frightened to say anything more. My previous anger had scared her.
“Do your parents know about this?”
“Of course they know. Both our families know,” she said bitterly, half laughing and half crying as she swiped her hand across her face.
“And they let this marriage go ahead?” I couldn’t stop the steeliness creeping into my voice.
When she nodded, her voice broke down into rasping sobs and she sank into an armchair, her face in her hands. I wanted to ask her more, but she didn’t look in any fit state to be questioned.
