Chapter 72
Ren
Ithrew the dirty sock at Nash’s head.
“What did I say about leaving your clothes on the floor?”
The sock, which had been stuck to the bottom of my backpack, landed on his shoulder. He glared at it before picking it off.
“Ren.”
“Don’t you, Ren me. I can’t believe you’ve reduced me to a nagging wife stereotype.”
Yesterday had been so peaceful. Right now, I was fuming. It wasn’t just the sock, although Nash and his endless striptease routine when he entered the room was irritating. It was everything. I seemed to be going through the stages of grief all over again, and today was apparently my angry day.
Nash walked toward me and tossed the sock across the room, but this time it landed in his laundry basket. He put his hands on my shoulders as I glared up at him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and I sagged, deflating like a balloon.
“Well, that took the wind out of my sails,” I said, and he gave me a little smile, but there was no humor or teasing for once.
“Princess, it’s okay to be hurt and angry and frustrated. I would be worried if you weren’t freaking out. And I will do better with the dirty clothes. I’m still getting used to sharing a room,” he said.
“I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t be taking my frustration out on you. I guess the longer I go without talking to her, the angrier I get. The shock has finally worn off, and I need answers. Her no-excuse-is-good-enough bullshit is…that’s what’s not good enough.”
Nash tipped my chin up and made me look into his eyes.
“I wish I was like Liam with all the right words to say or like Blake who finds the silver lining. Hell, if I was more like Theo, I could add a scientifically remarkable reason for accepting this miracle, or I would know the most comforting thing to say if I were Myles, but I’m not.
I dealt with everything in my life through anger.
So, if you need to yell at me to feel better, or if you want to have a sparring match, I’m here. ”
He smirked, and I knew it was coming before he said another word.
“But my favorite method of coping is angry sex. I could really get down for you hate fucking me, Princess,” he growled and bit his lip.
I shivered, despite the heat in his eyes.
“Not everything can be solved with sex,” I said.
He screwed up his face. “I beg to differ. Even for a little while, all the problems go away.”
Nash ran his thumb along my jaw and then slid his hand down to my throat. His fingers teased me as he slowly wrapped them around to rest on my jumping pulse.
“What do you say, Princess? You want to give it a try?” Nash’s voice dropped low. The rough, ragged sound raced down my spine and set my blood on fire. “I’ll even let you smack me for old times’ sake.”
There was something seriously wrong with me, because the entire idea was turning me on way more than it should.
“You’re a terrible temptation,” I said.
His eyes penetrated my soul as he lowered his face to mine.
“It’s only terrible if it doesn’t work. Otherwise, I’ll call it a job well done.”
“Your arrogance never ceases to amaze me.”
“At least I amaze you, I’ll take it,” he retorted, nipping at me and silently begging for me to say yes.
“Fuck it. Yes,” I said, surrendering to his charm.
At this point, I was almost positive that he was a hypnotist. There was no other explanation for how he invaded my mind and senses.
Nash growled and kissed me hard. It was like fire meeting fire as he demanded and took, and I released all the built-up frustration burning in my veins. One hand tightened on my neck while the other pulled me closer.
Everything was fevered, as I raked my fingers through his hair. He shuddered as I ground my hips against him. I grabbed the zipper on his jeans—
Knock, knock, knock.
We stopped and stared.
“Whoever that is, I’m gonna fucking kill them,” Nash growled.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound was more insistent this time.
Letting me go, he marched across the room and whipped open the door.
“What the fuck do you—” Nash stopped mid yell and froze.
I couldn’t see who was at the door until I stepped to the side. My mother was in the hall, arms crossed as she glared at him.
“Go on. What were you about to say,” Mum asked, her voice quietly demanding.
Nash stammered and paled like he might faint. I rolled my eyes.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Mikhailov, or is it Genovese…either way, I’m so sorry. I thought you were someone else. Literally, anyone else.”
“I see. I think I would’ve preferred for you to say that you were angry to see me, rather than knowing that is how you talk to everyone.”
“Yeah…I can see that,” Nash said and backed up, holding the door open. “Come on in.”
Mum looked at me as she stepped inside, and her eyes softened. I hated that, just like last time, I wanted to rush across the room and hug her.
“Mum…what are you doing here,” I asked.
She looked different than the last time I saw her.
More relaxed, not so brittle, maybe. Her hair was loose, and she was dressed in fitted jeans, leather boots, and a knit sweater with a long tweed coat.
It was the exact thing she’d worn back home before…
well, before she faked her death. She looked beautiful.
“I know you asked for space, but I couldn’t wait any longer to talk to you. I really hate how we left things,” she said, looking around the room.
Mum pressed her lips together as she spotted the single large bed and my things scattered throughout like I lived here. The confusion was evident. She had to be wondering why this looked like a luxury suite for two instead of the standard dorm room.
Nash walked over to the desk and grabbed his hoodie.
“I think I’ll give you two some time to talk,” he said, clearly trying to make a run for it.
My mother held up her finger, and Nash stopped like she’d hit a switch.
What the hell? I want that ability.
“Can you tell me why you’re in my daughter’s room, Nash Collier,” she asked, and he turned an unhealthy shade of green. “That is who you are, right? The son of Lawrence Collier? The man who destroys lives for amusement?”
“Well…um…yes, but…” Nash started, and I could see his brain misfiring.
“For God’s sake. He’s not in my room, this is our room,” I said, and Mum’s head snapped in my direction.
“I’m sorry, did you just say your room? As in the two of you share this room?”
Nash looked like he might try to bolt out the door.
Chicken shit.
He would step in front of a bullet for me, but didn’t want to be in the same room with my mother and me. I shook my head at him.
“Yes, that’s what I said.”
“I’ve never heard of this. Dean Henry said this isn’t your room. In fact, I know that it’s against school policy to stay in a boy’s room. So can you explain to me why…you’re staying in here?”
She looked at Nash, her glare stripping him down from his head to his feet, and her face screwing up with obvious disgust.
“Is this Nash’s room? Are you two…dating?”
She finally managed to get the word out as if that was the worst thing in the world.
Well, if she thought dating Nash was horrifying, I was about to blow her mind. There was a sick little part of me that was excited to throw this in her face.
“We’re not dating,” I said, and held up my hand with the wedding ring. Her eyes immediately focused on it. “We’re married.”
My mother stepped back, her face draining of all color.
“You’re what?”
She clutched her chest and took a gulping breath of air. Suddenly, her eyes went wide and unfocused as she turned her head and looked at Nash.
“I’m going to kill you.”
My mother had never flipped a switch like this before. She was full of rage, her body tense as she stalked toward him.
“Oh shit,” Nash swore and then backed up as my mother advanced.
I ran across the room and got between her and Nash.
“Mum, stop.”
She pointed at Nash, her face morphing like she was someone else, seeing someone else.
“How dare you force my daughter to marry you! You’re despicable, disgusting—”
“Mum!”
“Don’t worry, I’m going to fix this. I’ll slit his throat and take the blame,” Mum snarled as she reached for something shiny in her boot. Jesus. I thought it would blow her mind, not that she would lose it completely.
“Stop! Right now!”
She looked at Nash and then me, blinking as if she were trying to clear her vision.
“Ren, I can get you out of this. You don’t need to be stuck in this marriage.”
“I don’t want you to get me out of it. I accepted Nash’s proposal. I love him,” I said, but that didn’t seem to calm her down.
Mum marched away, then turned back when she noticed his hand on my waist. She snarled like a dog. I’d never seen her like this.
“Mum, look at me. This is not you.”
“Not me. Not me! You want me to be calm and civil when you tell me you willingly married the son of a monster tying us to that tyrant forever. A man who—”
She stopped, and her whole body visibly trembled.
“Mum…Nash is not his father, just like you are not Vadin. He has worked really hard to destroy Lawrence, and he would’ve pulled the trigger and killed him, himself if Blake hadn’t knocked him out. But that’s a much longer story.”
I stepped away from Nash and slowly walked toward her like I was trying to calm a wild animal instead of my mother.
Dad said something had changed her, but right now it looked more like something had broken her, and my heart cracked at the thought. How did you turn the kindest soul into this? What happened?
Tears pricked my eyes.
“I can’t believe you would do this.”
She pointed at Nash like he was Satan’s spawn. At one time, I would’ve agreed with her, but she hadn’t seen what I had over the last year. She hadn’t learned what I had, and she certainly didn’t have the right to insert her opinion on anything to do with our relationship.
I had to find a way to reach her. As much as I loved her, I was now my own woman, and she needed to see that.
“Well…not to be a bitch, but newsflash, you weren’t here.”
Every word bit with sarcasm. The room went silent. No one moved.