Chapter Thirteen
I exit my wife's painting room with a boner.
She needs to stop being a little vixen because the dreams I have with her might come alive.
It's the way fire engulfs her eyes every time she thinks of me dead that makes me so damn obsessed with her. It's the kind of fire that will burn both of us, not just me.
And her goddamn mouth. Oh, I want that mouth on me every second of the day and night.
She might consider me the enemy, but I can see the desire in her eyes when we're fighting. She is so turn on by me and that’s killing her.
And my new mission is to make that desire win so she can surrender to me.
And the times when her face almost softens makes me want to destroy the walls she build around herself.
That's why I made her that painting room. I want her to have a place where her walls are down, a place where she can be herself.
When Keres told me Althea is a painter, I was a little shocked. Althea is a fighter so I thought she might have a dangerous part.
But looking at her awe at the canvases and those damn watercolors made me finally understand that this is the way she breathes.
What I vowed to her in front of the altar is going to be my main reason to live.
I will find out what happened to her even if it's the last thing I'll ever do, even if it will break me.
I walk into the living room and I see my father looking at the forest that surrenders the house with a glass in his hand.
I know why he's here and I know that this conversation was needed a long time ago.
I'm twenty-seven years old and while most heirs take their place as Boss in their thirties, my father is eager to give me his position much sooner.
Seth Moretti is an amazing Boss, but he's even better at being a husband and father. He fought for my mother until he almost lost his place in the mafia.
My father always wanted true love for his kids, the kind of love that makes you want to give your heart in your hands to the other person.
And I thought I had that. I can still feel the fascination I had when Keres saved me.
But something changed when I saw her again.
And because of that I tried to cancel our wedding until I was sure that she is the one.
Until our fathers got ahold of it.
"You know why I'm here." He says and turns to face me.
"You're not even gonna ask about my wedding night?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
"Do you want me to?" My father eyes me curiously. I shake my head and motion him to speak.
He sighs and drinks what's left in the glass.
"When you decided to marry Keres I was unsure of Outfit's future, but you described so mesmerized the scene when she saved you that it made me see reason of this union." He looks at me and smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "An empire is powerful if the Boss is powerful, and while others might think differently, he can't be like that if he doesn't have someone by his side. A queen."
"Dad-"
"I watched you getting angry at the news of Keres's death, but not heartbroken. You never loved her."
It's not a question.
My father knows me too well.
"I tried." I say like it helps. "I was fascinated by her but that's what she was. A fantasy."
"Then why didn't you break up with her?"
I look behind me and make sure that my wife is not near and I walk closer to Dad.
"I thought it was a phase until I would fall for her, and when I realized that I won't, I still wanted to marry her. She was perfect for the Outfit, Dad. Our mafia and The Famiglia never had peace before. I wanted peace."
"I never asked you to make peace!" Dad growls.
"You don't need to ask. I will be Boss sooner or later, and when it happens, I'll be ready."
"And Althea?" My muscles tenses at her name.
"What about Althea?"
"What's her status in your life?"
"She's my wife. The Outfit most protected woman." My woman.
If Althea hears what I just said she will beat my ass red.
I don't need your protection , she would say.
"And that's it?" My Dad asks again.
"What do you want me to say? That she is my next breath? That I can't live without her? You arranged this marriage between us. You made me marry her even though you knew I don't stand her. She lives just to hate me." And it was the truth.
The little kisses and teases are not going to make us forget all the events that made us this way. We have to live together and stand each other sometimes, but we will never be a real couple.
I will find out what happened to her, but not because I pity her. I need to know what or who made her like that.
"I can't give you the mafia like this, son." His words make my blood boil.
"You can't give me your position because me and my wife can't stand with each other? Are you serious?"
"Yes, I am very serious. You have great abilities, an amazing brain, but I can't put at risk the whole Outfit."
"I thought you wanted to retire." For Mom. He looks at me with the same green eyes I have, and puts his hand on my shoulder.
"I do, but I want my son alive more than that." He leaves and I put my hands on my face.
He's asking too much from me. I am able to forget the past and be a husband for Althea, I won't love her, but I can be a reasonable man for her.
But she wouldn't do the same for me. She holds too much hatred in her.
And for what? A misunderstanding?
She thinks Keres died because of me, I don't think she assumes that I personally killer her because Althea and Hanibal would've had my head a long time ago.
But why did Althea cut her connection with her sister if she still cares for her?
Too many questions are in my head. All tangled with Althea.
How can I have the mafia and answers regarding Althea in the same time?
Looking at the white ceiling, an idea strikes my mind.
An idea that I don't even think about.
I almost run to the painting room and I see Althea blow drying the paint on the black canvas.
She doesn't hear me, so I take my time looking at her.
Her shoulders are relaxed, her hands aren't trembling anymore.
I look at the painting and I can't figure it out what's on there.
They look like hands, but since she's not finished, I really can't describe the canvas.
But I look at her again. Her back is straight and her fingers are covered in colors. With her left hand she holds the dryer above the place and with her right she adds details.
She looks so natural.
Althea stops the dryer and she puts it on the chair next to her.
"I told you that you're being clingy." I let a quiet laugh escape. Of course, she knows I'm here.
"I need to talk with you." I say in a serious tone.
"Oh, is this our first married talk?" Her sassy answers will always surprise me.
"Yes, so turn your ass around."
She sighs and turns with her brush still in her hand.
Her face is covered also in dots of color and I can't take my eyes off her face, but her focus isn't on me and
that's pissing me off.
With big steps, I put my right hand under her legs and the other around her middle and I lift her in the air, bridal style.
Althea drops her brush on the floor and her angry eyes are fixing my face.
Exactly how I like.
"You have some nerves, Keaton." I smirk down at her and I leave her room just to go in our bedroom. I almost drop her when she turns in my arms, clearly unhappy with me carrying her.
"Stay put unless you want a concussion." I glare at her.
I close the door behind us and I let down the maniac.
"How much would you like to act as a normal married couple?"
"I'd rather die." She says with fire in her eyes.
"Then you'll love this." I say with a smile.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"This is our bedroom." Our.
"I'm not sleeping with you in the same bed. Or the same room." She comes closer to me.
"Mhm, but you will." She opens her mouth but I put my finger on it quickly. She looks at my finger and then at me with wide eyes.
"You will listen to me carefully. After I'm done, you can say whatever you want. Understood?" I ask like she's a five-year old.
"Get your finger off me if you still want it attached to your hand." The feeling of her soft moving lips against my finger is divine.
I put distance between us and she raises her eyebrow like she's already bored.
This is gonna be harder than I thought.
"My father won't give me the position of Boss if we're not a real married couple."
"And that concerns me how?"
"What did I say about talking?" I say through my teeth. She rolls her eyes at me and I'm trying to keep my focus.
"In public, you will be the perfect wife for me. I don't care how much you hate in private, I can take it. But we are going to show my father how a lovely couple we are, Althea." And I will get to know you and your secrets.
Her hands tremble and I can feel her losing control.
"And before you say something, I will get you anything you want." And that stops her. "If you have a wish, I'll make it happen."
Althea looks at me for a couple of minutes.
Every human wants something so badly that they'll do anything to make it happen.
I wonder what my little wife wants.
Another painting room?
Freedom?
Her father dead?
What does she want?
"Anything?" Her voice is loud, but I can feel the uneasiness in it.
I nod my head and she bites her lower lip.
Blood rushes to my groin but I stay put.
"If I help you get the mafia, you will get me anything I want." She repeats.
Is she deaf now?
"Yes, Althea. I will get you anything you want."
"I want Vincent." She doesn't hesitate. I look at her with wide eyes.
I did not expect that.
"You want your brother?" I ask.
"Yes, I want him here, in Chicago, with me." Her eyes are conflicted. Her body looks so small.
"You want him as in to move here? Permanently." She nods.
Her strongest desire is Vincent. Her brother.
What's going on, Althea? What are you afraid of?
"Okay." I say with a long sigh.
Next to my bucket list is to anger the Don of the Famiglia, my father-in-law by taking his son away.
Anything for my beautiful wife.
"Okay?" She repeats.
"I think you need to get your ears checked."
"Don't be a dick. Are you really going to take him?"
"Yes, Althea. I will." I stop myself when the words 'I promise' were about to be spoken.
"He will put up a fight."
With a smirk, I say: "Let him come."
"You're crazy." That I am, but her little smile makes my knees weak.
"Do we have a deal?"
Althea eyes close for a second and then determination takes ahold of them.
"I can't believe I'm doing this." She whispers. "But yes, we have a deal. Is this the part when we cut ourselves and we combine our blood?"
This time, I let out a good laugh.
"If this is your kink, yeah." Althea puffs and leaves the room.
"I'm already regretting it."
And I'm starting to love it.