Chapter 4
LUCERO
The thick band around my left ring finger continued to pull my attention.
I still couldn't believe I'd married Onyx.
Planning wasn't my thing. Most times I messed up my brother's plans, but this time, everything had gone off without a hitch.
I was starting to think my high school teachers were wrong about me. I might be a genius of some sort.
"Dumbass!"
Ah, he's calling for me.
My chest filled with warmth as I turned the eye down on the stove to leave the goulash to simmer.
I stripped out of the apron and made my way to our honeymoon suite.
We were upstate at a cabin my family owned.
It had been my brothers’ and my escape whenever things hadn't gone well for us.
We didn't get much time to come out and be a part of the wilderness as of late.
Not with us carving our way into a stronger foothold in New York.
Luckily, none of my siblings needed the cabin, and I got to have it all to myself with Onyx.
We were in the three-bedroom cabin we owned.
The furniture was older and worn but well taken care of.
I hadn't had the time or money to splurge on refurbishing everything.
The only thing I'd made sure to replace was the bed and sheets I knew Onyx would be sleeping on.
I would have loved to get him the presidential suite at Amen New York, but I'd already spent what I had in savings for the wedding.
I wasn't poor by any standards, but with our business on the come up, I wasn't flushed either.
I knew my man liked the finer things in life which was why I was more than willing to take on any and all jobs that came my way.
In the pristine sheets lay the man of my dreams. His creamy white skin practically shimmered like diamonds as the silk powder blue pajamas I'd gotten him rested against his slender frame. If I didn't know what kind of man he was, I'd take his doll-like face and soft voice for weakness.
"Dio buono, you're beautiful."
The white sheets were a mess under him. His platinum hair sat wildly on top of his head, making it look like there was a glow that surrounded him.
Onyx's face was flush as small beads of sweat slid over his flesh.
There wasn't an inch of him I didn't like.
My desire for him grew every second. I hung, suspended, waiting for the moment I could have more of him.
I knew the moment Onyx gave in would be the day I'd see heaven.
I'd make sure to take my time and memorize every inch of him by touch, taste, and sight.
I'd dedicate every sense to learning more about my husband until I was the only person in this world that knew him.
"Finally take these off now." He tugged at the cuffs on his wrists and the ones around his ankles. His glare was deadly, and if it was possible to kill with a look alone, I'd be a cold corpse by now.
I wonder if he'd keep me around? Maybe store my body in a freezer to visit. I'd do that to him. I'd make sure to visit him every single day, washing his corpse down and storing it in a freezer that would be lined with silk and jewels.
"Stop staring off into space," Onyx growled out.
"I'm not. I was thinking about how I'd preserve your corpse. If you happen to die before me." I moved closer, the ball of anxiety twisting my stomach the longer I thought about Onyx not being alive. "But I won't let that happen. Ever."
"You were dropped on your head as a baby, weren't you?" He shook his head, messing up the already tangled hair even more. "Never mind, don't answer. Your mother probably drank while she was pregnant with you."
I stopped short of the bed and leaned forward. "She didn't, and that isn't nice. She's your mom now too. Wait, is this the thing everyone talks about? When the wife doesn't get along with the mother-in-law ’cause they are always in competition for the son's affection?"
Onyx's face scrunched up as he stared at me.
Slowly, he tilted it sideways, studying me intently.
I couldn't have the love of my life unsure of where I stood.
I sat on the bed, reaching for him, and not loving the way he flinched away from my touch.
Soon he wouldn't respond that way; he'd jump into my arms and bury his face into the crook of my neck.
"Stop smiling like that," Onyx griped, pulling me from my daydream.
I intertwined our fingers together. I held on even as Onyx dug his sharp nails into my flesh. There wasn't much he could do to me that would make me ever want to let him go.
"You have nothing to worry about." I made sure our gazes were locked. "You are my everything. I will always put you first, no matter what."
"Thanks, I feel so reassured." His words were drawn out but they made me happy.
I kissed his forehead before pulling back, narrowly avoiding his teeth. "I'm so glad you believe me."
Onyx blew out a slow breath, his pillowy lips parted just slightly.
I knew they had to be as soft as they looked.
If only I could test it out. My control on myself was low on a good day, but when it came to Onyx, I was trying my hardest every second near him.
I was pushed to the brink of breaking and devouring my husband.
"If I'm your everything, then why am I tied up like a captive?" Onyx asked. He scooted closer to me. "Love means you have to have trust, right? And you love me?"
"I do." There was no denying what I felt for Onyx. I knew the moment I'd laid eyes on him, and it was cemented the day I witnessed him kill.
He tugged at his restraints as if to drive home that I wasn't showing him how much I, in fact, loved him.
I chewed the inside of my cheek, contemplating his words.
If I took off one restraint, it would make him happy, no doubt, but Damian had warned me not to give in easily to Onyx.
My oldest brother hadn't steered me wrong yet but this was my husband, the love of my life, we were talking about.
"If I do, you're going to try and run."
Onyx smiled at me. The motion invoked a feeling of pure joy in the middle of my chest. If I could I'd bottle it up only to open when I was around Onyx.
"Look, I was nervous, is all. I won't run this time.
" He batted his lashes and scooted a little closer.
Not enough to touch me, but I felt the heat radiating off his body.
Could smell the coconut body wash that we had at the cabin waft off him.
Under the sweet smell was Onyx's own intoxicating scent, one that I wanted to go to sleep with.
That's what he said when we arrived last night.
I'd taken his word for it and he'd nearly killed himself again.
I was starting to think my husband had a death wish.
It was unfortunate for him because I didn't, and couldn't, imagine a world without him.
Onyx tried this tactic every so often, he flip-flopped back and forth between gentle seductive words to his cruel and sharp ones.
I loved them. Both sides of Onyx were ones I welcomed.
"Maybe after dinner. Do you have to use the restroom?"
Onyx’s pouty lips dipped in a grimace. "You sick fuck, we're not doing that again." The soft seductive look wiped away, replaced by another one I was getting used to: disgust.
I shrugged. "I tried to turn away and give you privacy, but you tried to sneak a razor out of the bathroom. What if you cut yourself?"
Onyx's left eye twitched just slightly, and I made a mental note to maybe give him decaf tea. He probably ingested too much caffeine. My mom used to have the same symptoms when she had one too many coffees.
"You claim to know me and yet you keep thinking I'm going to hurt myself."
"Because you don't take your own life seriously."
"I'm more than capable of handling a blade, want to see?"
Yes.
I was up and across the room in seconds. I knew Elia and Emir both kept knives at the cabin. Finding the small safe where the weapons had been stored prior to our arrival was easy. I put in the code and grabbed a random blade. My feet couldn't move fast enough as I made my way back to my husband.
"Here." I placed it in his hand. "The moment I think you're going to hurt yourself, I'm tak?—"
My words died off as pain seared over my cheek bone. My flesh had parted and hot drips of blood rolled down my face. I touched the thin cut from the knife. He'd thrown it at me.
Onyx's face was smug as he smirked at me. His lip curled up showing his left canine.
I pulled my fingers away to examine the bright crimson liquid painting my fingertips. "Thank you."
"Thank you? What?"
My lips stretched in a wide grin as happiness spread like a wildfire through every single one of my limbs.
I turned around and yanked the knife free of the wall.
There was a small slender hole left behind.
I should mark it. Like when people marked their children's heights against the doorjamb.
It would say “Onyx and Lucero's Honeymoon” with the date.
The more I thought about it, the better the idea sounded. I headed out in search of a marker.
"Hey!" Onyx's voice carried throughout the entire cabin. "Get back here now!"
"Grabbing something." I didn't want him to worry, but I needed to do this before I forgot.
I found a permanent marker in the kitchen and rushed back to his side.
I scribbled our names next to the hole and smiled as I took a step back to admire it.
"Oh, wait." I gathered some of the blood from my cut and smeared it on the wall. "There."
"Je suis en enfer avec un idiot."
"What does that mean?" I asked. I really wished I'd brought the French books with me. I wasn't making any headway but I'd keep trying until I could talk to Onyx in his native language.
"I said you're so sweet for that."
He gets me.
"You know, I could really show off if you remove these cuffs."