Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Liana
The gates of my prison groan shut behind us, the sound slicing through the dry, dead air like the last ring of a funeral bell.
My funeral to be exact…and yes I know I’m being a bit dramatic, but can you blame me?
I clutch my new stack of books to my chest, knuckles white and the sharp scent of fresh ink and new paper doing nothing to tether me to reality.
If I had one wish right this very second, it would be that one of these books could swallow me whole and suck me into their universe.
I don’t even have to look at any of them to know I would be better off there than here right now.
Frankie kills the engine with a flick of his wrist, and the sudden silence is brutal. It wraps around us like a constrictor, squeezing tighter with each passing second until my lungs burn for air that suddenly feels too heavy to breathe.
I glance sideways, searching for a crack in his granite mask, but he just stares ahead, jaw working slightly as if chewing on words he won't let himself say.
His hands rest on the wheel, fingers drumming once, then freezing, then curling into a fist before deliberately relaxing again.
The tension coming off him shifts between anger and something softer…
uncertainty maybe? Is he waiting for me to say something?
Finally, I can’t hold it in any longer and the words tumble out, desperate and sharp just as he goes to reach for the door handle.
“When can I talk to Andre?” My voice cracks, and I hate how needy it sounds. “I need to let him know I’m okay.”
He doesn’t even flinch but for a second, his hand just hovers above the door handle like I’ve hit a nerve he didn’t know he had.
The silence stretches, and I can’t tell if he’s searching for the right words or just deciding if I even deserve an answer.
It would be typical for him to outright ignore me…
expected even. When he finally turns to face me, his eyes are dead cold and I subconsciously flinch away from him. Why does he look so angry?
“You’re not allowed contact with anyone right now,” he responds before turning away again. “I’ll let you know when that changes.”
The words hit me like a slap to my face. I know my uncle took my phone but I didn’t think that meant I wouldn’t be getting a new one.
“What do you mean ‘not allowed’?” My voice rises in pitch and I can feel anxiety creeping in. I wasn’t prepared for this. I wasn’t prepared to be completely cut off from everyone I love.
“He’s my cousin. He’s probably freaking out! You can’t just cut me off like this.”
“This isn’t a discussion, Liana.” He’s already pushing his door open and not even bothering to look at me.
I hate him. I hate the bastard, maybe more than the man I’m supposed to marry.
And this isn’t nothing, like how he's acting. Not to me. This is everything. Panic surges in my chest as I scramble out after him, nearly tripping on the gravel. The heat outside hits me and sweat prickles along my hairline. I can’t tell if it’s the temperature or the anger surging through my body.
“You can’t just cut me off from everyone I care about!”
I’m shouting now, my voice bouncing off the stone and sand and echoing across the empty grounds. “What am I supposed to do here? Sit around and look pretty until my so-called fiancé decides I’m worth his time? Am I just a doll for grandpa to come play with whenever he feels like it?”
Frankie stops dead at the base of the steps.
His shoulders are locked tight and I watch as every muscle strains under the black cotton of his t-shirt.
Why does he have to be so damn hot? Is the world mocking me right now?
Why am I being tortured with this God of a man?
Surely my old husband won’t look anything like him.
I’m certain of it. He turns slowly, deliberately, and when he looks at me, his eyes are black storms. I should be scared.
I should be cowering, but for some reason, I want to push him further.
I want to see him break like I’m breaking right now inside.
“Liana,” he says, his voice low and dangerous. It sends shivers up my spine and heat straight between my thighs.
“No.”
The word is out before I can stop it. I march up to him, anger and lust making me reckless, and jab a finger at his chest.
“Your boss can buy me whatever he wants, but he can’t buy me.
I’m not some doll you can dress up and put on a shelf.
I bet you are enjoying this, aren’t you?
You’re probably running off to tell him about all the things you let me buy to keep me complacent.
You’re probably both just laughing at me.
The young, naive girl from Italy has no idea what she’s in for.
Tell me, Frankie,” I spit out my words. “Will my new husband beat me into submission? What horrible things am I in for? Is he having you build me up just to destroy me later?”
For a second, I see something flicker in his eyes. Surprise or maybe guilt? It doesn’t matter because it’s gone before I can pin it down, replaced by something darker that makes my skin crawl.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he grits out. There’s a warning in his voice, but also something else. I can sense the frustration. Good because I’m frustrated too.
“Then tell me!” I’m practically shaking and my books are clutched so tight the corners dig into my arms. “What am I supposed to do all day? Stare at the walls? Count the hours until I’m married off to a stranger who can’t even be bothered to show up? Why can’t I talk to my family?”
His jaw clenches, and for a second I think he might explode as his gaze pins me in place.
“You’re acting like a fucking child,” he snaps, and the words cut deeper than I want to admit. Because I know I’m young and I know I have no real world experience. But also because…I don’t want this man to see me as a child. It hurts but it also pisses me off.
“And you’re acting like an asshole,” I spit back before realizing I might have taken things too far.
The air between us crackles and the tension is so thick I could choke on it…if he doesn’t choke me first. He holds my gaze for a single, scalding heartbeat, then turns on his heel and storms up the steps. The front door slams behind him, hard enough to rattle the whole house.
Confusion. That’s what I feel as I stand there, breathing hard, my chest tight as anger and fear battle it out inside me. I don’t know what I was expecting but It wasn’t him walking away. The thought of being left alone again, really alone, makes my skin crawl.
“Where are you going?” The words slip out weakly as I rush inside after him.
He stops so suddenly I almost run into him and when he turns, his expression is pure fury. I step back quickly and look up at him.
“I have shit to do.” He jerks a finger at the hallway off to the right. “That wing is off-limits. Got it? Off. Limits.”
Before I can answer, he’s gone. The echo of a door slamming somewhere deep in the house is the only reply.
“I already knew it was off-limits,” I growl under my breath as I stand there fighting back the tears that threaten to spill.
‘Don’t cry, Liana.’
Sucking in a shaky breath, I head back to my room and toss all my new books on my bed. I grab my current read and turn away to head for the only place that feels remotely safe…the little garden behind the house, where the sun filters through the leaves and I can escape reality.