Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
BELLAMY
Crusiaux.
Accardo.
Ferrari.
All names I didn’t belong to. Yet here I am, somehow claimed by all.
The day I came here, I was angry, scared, and sick. I wanted nothing more than to be released from these men’s grips and run, escape the fate that was sure to come. But as the night wore on, nothing happened. I had heard them outside my room in their own private spaces, doing their own separate things, but not one man came to the room after Mercer brought me soup and checked in on me.
As the night went on, the tiniest bit of hope formed that maybe I was safe here, at least for a while. At least until he learned my secret. He would learn it, that I knew. I couldn’t hide it forever, even if I tried. But a safe place until I figured out my life and got a hold of Hannah was all I could ask for.
If only I could get a phone, I could call my best friend and she’d help. Well, as much as she could with the limited funds she’d earned while working at a bar, but she’d do it for me. I was sure of that.
As promised, with shaky hands, I had signed the papers to make our marriage official, then my new husband disappeared into that forbidden west wing and well…
It had been five days.
Five days of blissful silence from my new spouse.
Five days of staying shut up in my room, wishing I had a book to read instead of the television that was plastered against the wall.
Five days of having two men tail me to the kitchen, because that was the only place I dared to go.
And five days of wondering when the pin would drop and chaos would break.
I had almost made it to day six of no contact when a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I stood, adjusting the tie on the pair of oversize sweats so they didn’t fall as I walked to the door. My palms sweated, my pulse raced, and I was scared to twist the knob and face the man who calls himself my husband.
I wondered when he’d come. When he’d expect me to lie down and perform my wifely duties and allow him to take what was his by law. But each day passed, and he hadn’t. He’d avoided me, and I was thankful.
The knob was cool under my fingers as I pulled it open, and there he stood. I blinked up at him, trying not to stare at his scars. Would he be offended if I had? Would he blame me for doing so? I had so many questions about his marred flesh, the scars, the…
“You’ve not come to meals,” he stated.
“I didn’t know it was required.” That was a lie. Mercer had told me as much the first day I was here.
“We eat breakfast and dinner together every day. From now on, if you aren’t there, you’ll starve,” he threatened, his voice rough. Though I doubt his motherly housekeeper would let that happen. She was always trying to feed me, always trying to force comforts on me that I earned by the mere fact of being his wife. Not like I accepted. The thought of eating made my stomach bubble uncomfortably. But she was a motherly lady, stout and jolly, and when she learned about me, the glee was palpable. I wish my husband felt the same. Did I even want him to?
“Do you understand me?”
I blinked, forgetting he was talking to me. “Yes, sir.”
“You can use my name,” he pointed out.
“Yes, Adam.”
He was quiet for a moment. His eyes roamed over me as I held the too big sweats in place. Then he thrust two bags at me. I hadn’t even noticed the bags. I was too busy looking up at his towering height, instead of down at his hands. When I didn’t take them, he ordered, “Take them.”
I was reluctant. “What is it?”
Why did he seem so exasperated at my simple question? “If you took the bags from me, you’d know.”
“I-“ I looked down at his hands again, one perfect, the other with scars and ripples, damaged to the state to match his face. “I’m sorry.”
I reached up and grabbed the bags from him, the weight of them instantly dragging my arms down. It wasn’t until I opened one and peered inside that I realized they were bags of clothes. “Thank yo?—“
I looked, and he was gone.
“Okay…” I sighed before lifting the bags to carry them into my room, turning back to shut the door.
I carried the bags to my bed, lifting them onto the plush surface so that I could remove the items. A small stack at a time, I emptied the bags, organizing the clothes on my bedding as I looked on with awe. He’d brought me a small wardrobe of clothing. Each piece was better quality than my father ever provided, and each in my size.
It wasn’t much, but considering I’d spent the last few days wearing what I assumed to be Mercer’s sweats and T-shirts, I appreciated the fact that I could now walk around in a pair of Lulu’s and wouldn’t have to concentrate on holding them up.
The bags contained leggings, simple solid-colored shirts, a few sweaters, undergarments, pajamas, as well as toiletries. I popped open the lid on one of the bottles, closing my eyes as I inhaled the luxurious scent. The lotion, body wash, and shampoo all matched with a subtle floral scent that tempted me to pour some of the lotion in my palm and feel the silky-smooth liquid against my skin.
There was a brush, hair ties, face wash, and face moisturizer, and for the briefest of moments, I wondered how he knew what I needed, but then I decided I didn’t care. I would appreciate whatever I received because I refused to ask for anything. If I made myself as silent as possible, caused as few problems as I could, didn’t inconvenience them, then maybe I could get my phone back.
God, I missed Hannah something fierce.
A few hours later, I had showered, applied lotion, and moisturized my face. The softest pajamas known to man encased my skin, and for the first time since I came here, I felt relaxed. I had almost drifted off to sleep, my eyes closing as I snuggled into a mountain of pillows, when a commotion outside caught my attention. I jumped up, already feeling the surge of adrenaline as panic crept in.
Was the house under attack?
Would they get to me?
Did I want them to?
My fingers balled in the material of my oversize night shirt as I approached the window. With a deep breath, I gathered all my nerves and braved a glance outside. Then I froze. They weren’t under attack, at least not of the traditional kind. Instead, standing by the fountain that held no water, next to an overgrown bush, was Mercer, and he had a puppy.
He bent down, picking up a little blue ball before he stretched his arm back and released it with a powerful throw. The tiny bundle of energy bounced after it, barking and yipping its excitement until it found the ball in the brush and rushed back to him, jumping up and down in front of him to show what it found. Beside them, Ace watched unimpressed as the pair repeated the playful action.
I couldn’t look away even if I tried. There was some sort of pull I had watching them. It was wholesome and sweet, and nothing like how I thought a man in this house would act. Then again, I hadn’t given myself time to get to know my husband’s friends, had I?
As if he felt my eyes on him, Mercer looked up. Our gazes collided. He lifted a hand, flexing his fingers at me, beckoning me to come outside. Did I want to? Should I? The dog yipped happily, stealing his attention, and I stood for a moment longer before I turned around, searching for a pair of pants and a sweatshirt.
I’d never left the house in the days that I’d been here. Never had the desire to venture outside when I had guards trailing my every move and the knowledge that outside, the property was encased in a border of men with guns. But I suddenly wanted to feel the cool breeze against my skin, if only for a second.
I slipped my feet into a pair of shoes I had in my bag at the church. They weren’t anything special, just a pair of canvas shoes I had worn to the building that day, before I changed into the dress. But they would keep my feet dry and prevent me from stepping on any twigs that could hurt me. I opened my bedroom door, looking both ways in hopes I wouldn’t see Adam, before I dared to step out.
I hadn’t explored the house much, and I had only used the front door once when Mercer had led me inside. I had been too concentrated on my fear and not vomiting to observe much. Still, I found the door easily enough. It was large and nearly impossible to miss. What I had missed was the set of stairs that went upward. What was up there? How had I not realized this place was two stories? Or had I chosen to ignore the fact that it was a massive estate while I kept myself locked up in a single room?
The double doors pulled open easily enough, and when I stepped out, I paused, closing my eyes against the slight breeze that fanned against my face. In my father’s house, I would never be granted such luxuries as standing outside just to feel the breeze, and I wondered, if Adam knew I was doing so, would he forbid it? Force me to ask permission for my every action as my father had?
I took the steps slowly, not willing to fall on the steps and risk any sort of injury. That was one thing I couldn’t afford to add to my life right now. When I reached the bottom, Mercer spotted me. His lip quirked up slightly, but he made no move to come to me. Did I expect him to? I wasn’t sure. At the slight smile that toyed his lip, Ace stopped talking and turned, his glare heavy as his brows pulled together. He said something I wasn’t close enough to hear, and Mercer responded before they both went silent.
I was ten feet away when Mercer called to me, “I see you ventured out of that stuffy room.”
I changed the subject, not wanting to talk about my self-imposed isolation. “You’ve got a dog.”
He beamed at the hyper little pup before he reached down, ruffling her fur and picking the ball up to throw it again. “You like her? I acquired her today.”
“Acquired?” What a funny way of putting it.
“Yeah.” For a moment, his eyes went hard before the blue cleared into the playful eyes I’ve seen often. “Her owner unfortunately passed, and I couldn’t leave her on her own.”
“Passed or was murdered?” He acted like I hadn’t been raised in this life since the day I was born.
“One and the same.” He shrugged it off, but I got the underlying meaning. He was dead, and it was because of the men in this house.
The puppy ran up to me, her excited yips and jumps contagious as she greeted me. I bent down, running my fingers through her fur. “What’s her name?”
“Lady.”
“Lady,” I repeated. “That’s…”
I let the word hang there as I tried to think of a nice way of saying unoriginal. When I said nothing, he responded, “Something to say about her name, little girl? It fits her. She’s the only lady in my life.”
I knew he was talking about the dog. He had to be. But damn if his eyes didn’t smolder and burn into me at those words. I was his friend's wife. Deep down, I knew that. But that wasn’t a choice of my own, and the way his eyes burned into me, practically asking me to say something about it, made my blood turn to fire in my veins.
Ace, who I found to be usually quiet, snorted before mumbling under his breath, “The only lady he could get.”
There was absolutely no way that could be true. I was apparently married, but I wasn’t blind, and both men standing in front of me were gorgeous. Ace with his long hair and broody eyes, and Mercer with his thick muscled arms and scruff along his jaw. All things that make the women swoon, at least in the romance books Hannah used to smuggle me when my father wasn’t looking.
Without warning, Mercer punched Ace’s bicep, causing him to stumble back, a smirk on his lips as he rubbed the spot. “Asshole.”
“Do you want to throw the ball for her?” Mercer asked, holding up the slobber-covered ball.
I reached out and took it, happy to play with her. I never had a dog, but I always wanted one. My father always thought pets were useless unless they served a purpose. No dog meant to guard could be affective if a single treat made them beg. Maybe it wasn’t a pet I wanted, just affection, because I would beg for that and my father still found me useless until he found a purpose for me to serve.
My hand went to my stomach as I closed my eyes, fighting against the feelings that came with that thought. He really went the extra mile to get what he wanted. That thought soured my mood a little, but I couldn’t dwell on things I couldn’t change.
“Where you at?” Mercer asked, a brow rose in question.
“What do you mean?” I blinked a few times, clearing my mind before meeting his eyes. I didn’t miss his eyes roaming from my hand to my eyes.
No.
I dropped my hand quickly, then distracted him by throwing the ball. After throwing it, I watched Lady run after it before I answered, “Just thinking.”
His eyes landed on my stomach for a moment, “Care to share?”
“No.” I sighed. “Your housekeeper seems nice.”
Nice change of subject, I thought, a neutral ground. He laughed. “When she’s not busting our balls about something.”
“She would never.” I shook my head, laughing. “She’s sweet.”
“Give it time,” Ace added, not taking his eyes off the dog. “He won’t let you keep her.”
“I’m not dropping her off at the pound.” Mercer picked up the pup, laying kisses on the lucky girl's face before continuing the conversation with his friend. “Besides, when I can’t take her along with me, she could keep Bellamy company, right? The two girls in the house, bonding?”
I was torn between fear of getting attached, just to have it ripped away, and joy at getting to be part of having a real dog. It was my childhood dream come true. “Do you mean it?”
“Sure.” He beamed at the dog. “Plus, I’ve already got everything for her. I can’t take it all back just because Adam is a killjoy.”
Ace held up his hands. “That’s your battle, then. Good luck.”
Mercer handed the dog to me. Her weight was light for something that would someday grow into a beast of a thing. I laughed as she squirmed in my hands before placing a kiss on her head. Then I sat her down, running around playfully so she could catch me.
Fifteen minutes of playing with the pup, and I was more worn out than she was. I snatched her up, laying too many kisses on her head, before offering her up to Mercer. “Your lady, good sir.”
Amusement danced in his eyes as he reached for the pup. “She thanks thee for draining some energy.”
“Drained.” I laughed. “No. That girl is ready for round two.”
He held the puppy up, kissing her aggressively. “Energy like your daddy. We could go all night, can’t we, baby?”
“Bruh,” Ace spat, “you can’t say that with her here.”
“What?” Mercer asked, like he hadn’t even realized what had left his mouth. When he processed it, his eyes went big. “Shit. Sorry.”
“He’ll have your head in a sack if he hears you talking like that.”
“He’ll never know.” He tucked his dog under his arm before he turned toward the house, signaling playtime was over.
He’ll never know. Except when I looked up, feeling the weight of eyes on me and seeing my husband standing there, his eyes hard as they watched, I had a feeling he knew more than we thought.