4. Chapter Four #2
“Except for Jake,” I taunt.
His lips form a thin, long line. “Mmm. Yes. Except for Jake. You know, for someone who hates that I kill, you gave Jake’s name up right away. I can easily find out who he is and kill him. You just signed his death warrant. Why is that?”
“I never gave you his last name.”
“Easy to find. Is it because there is no Jake? Are you lying to me right now, Sasha?”
I keep my face as neutral as I can but it feels like every move I make – every fidget, every eye twitch, every scratch of the head – shows my lie.
“No,” I say. “I am not.”
Nico stares me down a moment longer before leaning back in his seat and taking a sip of his drink. “This is going to be a long flight.”
For once, Nico and I agree on something.
I feel out of place once we land in Rome. All the people who greet us at the private hangar speak Italian and none of them bother switching to English for my benefit.
Nico doesn’t even translate for me.
The driver of our car talks in Italian with Nico on the drive to Nico’s home. I zone out what they’re saying since I can’t understand it and look out at the city as we drive through it. It’s beautiful in so many ways from the architecture to all the nature in the distance.
There are some uglier parts but we quickly drive past that and reach a beautiful neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. It’s more remote here.
The driver takes us up a long gravel driveway until a huge mansion appears before my eyes. It’s like something out of a fairytale. Large lush green trees surround it. A huge fountain is in the middle of the circular driveway.
The house itself is a pretty cream color with vines all along the sides of it.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a prettier house.
I can feel Nico watching me and I force my mouth to close. I’m not about to gawk at his house and let him think he has anything over me.
After we get out of the car, Nico walks on ahead of me, striding into the house with confidence. Of course he would. He owns the place.
When I enter the house, I’m struck by its beauty. Herringbone wood floors. Rich colors on the walls from green to cream to hints of red that make everything more lush. Luxurious furniture and decorations everywhere.
But then I’m struck by a different idea: Nico brought me to Italy. I’m not even on the same continent as my family. If he wanted to keep me here for the rest of my life, he could and I would have no way of stopping him.
I would have no way of saving my family.
“What do you think of the place?” Nico asks when we’re in the living room.
It’s a large open concept plan that feels cozy at the same time.
My eyes dart to the couch. All I want is to sleep after the trip.
I didn’t dare fall asleep on the plane with Nico watching my every move, though I’m not sure why here will be any different.
“It’s nice,” I say with a shrug.
“Just nice? Come on, Sasha. Be honest with me. Let’s start this marriage off right.”
You forced me to marry you , I want to shout but I keep it down. Nico is infuriating but he’s also powerful. Screaming at him won’t get me anywhere.
“Fine. It’s beautiful. You have a lovely home.”
“There she is. I knew you could be polite.” He tries to place his hands on my hips but I dance back. A little smirk remains on his lips. “Well, then. I’ll let you get settled. I’m sure you’re tired. You didn’t sleep on the plane.
“Neither did you.”
“And I’m tired. But I’m also starving. I was going to have dinner then go to bed. I have something big planned for tomorrow. A housewarming of sorts.”
“What?”
He gives me a secretive smile. “You’ll see tomorrow.”
“Tell me now.”
“You don’t boss me around.”
“Neither do you,” I snap back.
Nico chuckles, running his hand over his head. “You’re going to be a lot of fun, Sasha. Come on. You must be hungry too. Have dinner with me.”
“I’m tired of talking with you.” My stomach growls right then and there, revealing that I’m hungry. But I would rather starve than be in Nico’s presence a moment longer.
“We don’t have to talk. We can just eat. I called ahead so my housekeeper should have dinner ready for us. You can meet her.”
“You have a housekeeper for your summer home?”
“Who doesn’t?”
I shake my head. “You’re so wealthy you don’t even realize how ridiculous your comment was.”
“Ridiculous? You come from money too.”
“But not this much money. My family has just the one home. Not two.”
“Well, get used to having two homes, now that you’re married to me.”
He leads me into the dining room, which is just as beautiful as the rest of the house. A long dark table takes up the entire length of the room.
“How many people are you expecting over with a table like this?” I ask.
“I like to have company. Throw some parties.”
“Like the celebration tomorrow,” I hedge.
He taps me on the nose. “Nice try. Now take a seat.” He settles himself at the head of the table so I make a point of taking the seat all the way at the other end as far from him as I can get.
“Now that’s no fun,” Nico jokingly whines. “Come sit closer to me.”
“You said I could take my own seat. I chose this one. Besides, you sit at the head of the table, so I’m going to sit at the other head of the table. Isn’t this the seat for the wife anyway?”
Nico smirks. “Fine. Have it your way, Sasha. For now.” His clear threat sends a shiver down to my toes. So far, Nico has taunted me or made me blush. But he has never truly tested me yet.
Now that we’re married and living together, what will he do to me? I’m not sure I want to find out.
A woman places a plate of food in front of each of us, speaking Italian to Nico.
“Maria, this is my wife, Sasha.”
Maria turns to me and rattles off a long sentence in Italian.
“She only knows English. A true American despite her Russian heritage.”
“I apologize,” Maria says, speaking in stilted English. “Most people I know only know Italian.”
“It’s ok,” I tell her. “You live in Italy. What else would you speak, right? I don’t expect you to talk in English all the time.”
She gives me a grateful smile and turns to Nico, talking to him in Italian again. Even though I did just give Maria permission to talk in whatever language she wants, I can’t help but feel left out all over again since I can’t understand a word she’s saying.
Nico laughs at something she says and flicks his eyes at me. Maria pats him on the shoulder, then leaves the room. Without her here, the room instantly falls quiet.
The food is a pasta dish with meat in it that I find myself scarfing down because I’m so hungry.
“You’re not afraid to eat in front of me. That’s good.”
I still, my spoon halfway to my mouth. “I’m just hungry.” But now I’m self-conscious. Does Nico not like how I eat? Does he think less of me now?
Living with Denis for the past year has really wrecked my self-esteem. He would criticize everything I did, from the way I dressed to the way I walked to, yes, the way I would eat.
I know rationally that all of those things are normal about me but he would just constantly get on my case about it. It was his way of tearing me down and I hate to admit it but it did work in some regards.
“I can tell your hungry,” Nico comments.
“Is that a bad thing? Am I supposed to starve myself?”
He offers me a genuinely kind smile – the kindest he’s given me. “How you’re eating is more than fine, Sasha. I was just saying that I liked that you’re not afraid to eat in front of me. I’ve dated some women in the past who were self-conscious about it.”
“I’m just hungry,” I say again. “I didn’t even think about it.”
“I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.”
“No you’re not.”
“You’re right. I’m not.”
I think Nico lives off making others uncomfortable. He wants me to squirm. He enjoys it.
I finish my plate more slowly, keeping my eyes on Nico. He looks right back at me as he eats. It’s a challenge between us though I’m not sure exactly how.
Once we’re finished with dinner, Nico leads me upstairs to our room but I stop on the stairs as I look out through the windows to the large backyard. There’s a huge hedge maze in it. When I say huge , I mean I can’t even see where it ends from here.
“Has anyone ever gotten lost in there?” I ask.
Nico comes back down the stairs to stand right behind me. I don’t move for fear of bumping into him. His presence is so present that it’s hard for me to even think of anything else. “Many people have.”
“Have they ever come out?” I joke.
“Some of them.”
I glance at him and he winks, letting me know he’s joking too. I calm down – just a little.
“Usually I send one of my guards into the maze to search for missing people. They always help them out. But it’s also a good place to go hunting.” His voice lowers on the word.
“Hunting?” I practically squeak. “You mean… animals, yes?”
“If you want to think of it that way, then sure. Animals. Some men are animals.”
I shudder. “You hunt them in the maze how exactly?”
“I’m surprised you want to know. You don’t like that I’m a murderer.”
“But you are my husband and I should know everything there is to know about you.” Mostly so I can prepare myself for the worst .
“Well, if there’s anyone who pisses me off – who doesn’t pay me on time or who’s an enemy looking to take me down – I’ll make them run into the maze. If they manage to make it out without me finding them, then they’re free to go. But if they don’t make it out in time…”
“You find them,” I whisper.
“I do find them.” His fingers brush against my arm, making me startle. I hate how goosebumps break out on my skin.
“Do you really let the people who escape go? You don’t trick them?”
“They are free to go but so far, no one has ever escaped my maze.”
“But that’s not fair. You know it. They don’t. You have an advantage.”
His hands grip my arms. “Do you think it’s fair for someone to cheat me out of the money owed to me? Do you think it’s fair if someone tries to kill me when I’m just enjoying my breakfast? Of course it’s not fair. This world isn’t fair. You should know that better than anyone else.”
I think of Denis and my family. What is he doing to my sisters right now? Is there any way I can save them?
My eyes land on Nico’s hands on my arms. An idea hits me. “Nico, if I agreed to play along, as in not fight you on everything, will you help me save my sisters from Denis?”
“Denis is my business partner.”
“Yes but you could get my sisters out of that house. You could keep them safe. If you did that, then I…” I swallow hard. “I’ll promise not to hate you as much as I do.”
“What an interesting offer.” He lets my arms go. I feel instantly colder without him touching me. “But one I’m going to have to decline. I like the fight in you, Sasha. I’m not ready to see that go just yet. I haven’t even shown you our bedroom. Come on.”
I follow him up the stairs, embarrassment coursing through me for the offer I just made him. My eyes remain on the hedge maze until I reach the upstairs and then it’s gone.