Chapter 5 - Anton
Fuck's sake, she was not supposed to find out who I actually am until after signing the damn marriage certificate. It only makes it more complicated, and now she’s in full rage mode, arguing with me about how this is never going to happen.
Sure, the plan wasn’t ever to force her to marry me. Why the hell would I have wanted that? It has nothing to do with anything regarding Josiah.
But after watching her for this past week and after seeing her untamed, wild, and ferocious spirit, I want her, and I will have her.
That’s the bottom line. There is no negotiation here.
She will be mine.
In all honesty, everything else has become less important, somehow. Secondary.
My primary goal has shifted.
Well, she knows now. And she’s clearly not happy about it. But it doesn’t change a damn thing.
“I refuse to marry you. And if I don’t sign those papers willingly, it won’t be a real marriage, so you are screwed!” she snaps at me.
We’re about to land in Detroit, and she’s still on about this.
My patience has worn thin. I’m done with this conversation.
I lean forward in my seat so that my face is closer to hers. Reaching out, I grab her free arm, the one not cuffed to the seat, and pull her forward, so we are only inches apart.
“Let me make this nice and clear for you, Izabel. If you don’t sign the papers, if you refuse, that’s fine…but there will be consequences. Your friend, Kayla. And her twins. And her husband. And anyone else you love or care for…. I will kill them all. Do you understand me?”
There is no way in hell I would ever go after children. But she doesn’t need to know that.
My voice is a dark and deadly growl, and each word I say is spoken clearly, so there is zero chance for misunderstanding.
Izabel’s mouth drops open. Her eyes flare wide, and for a second, I think she stops breathing.
I hold my stare. I keep my mouth stern.
She’s too stunned to speak, so I ask slowly, “Do we understand each other?”
She nods. “Y-yes,” she stammers, still stunned.
I release her and settle back into my chair. For the rest of the landing and the drive from the airport to my mansion, she is silent.
When we arrive at my estate, the lawyer is already waiting for us. I’m not delaying this in any way. It’s happening immediately. The sooner I make her officially mine, the more satisfied I will be.
Consequences can go to hell.
Her brother can hunt me down. Josiah can come at me with everything he has.
This girl is mine!
I push Izabel forward when she hesitates in the doorway of my home.
“Is…is that a lawyer?” she asks, staring at the man with the briefcase and a bunch of paperwork spread out over the entrance table.
“Very observant, little pixie. Yes, it is.”
“Are we getting married right now?” she gasps.
I nod, pushing her forward again. “Remember what I told you,” I warn her.
A low, savage sort of growl rumbles from her. She sounds like an angry kitten threatening a tiger. It makes me chuckle, which makes her angrier.
The lawyer nods in greeting and hands me a gold pen, a fountain pen with a delicate nib.
“You’ll sign here. And here. And then she will sign here.”
Reaching out, I have to grab Izabel by the arm and pull her to my side. I don’t let go as I hand her the pen and point to the document. “Go on,” I demand.
She bites her lip. Her eyes move from the paper to me and back to the paper. she stares at the pen as though she is trying to decide. She knows the outcome if she doesn’t sign. I have given her a choice. Not really, but the illusion of a choice, at least.
Izabel leans over the table and scribbles her signature next to her name wherever the lawyer points. The nib scratches into the paper as she presses down hard in anger. It tears the paper on the last page and ink bleeds into the edges of the tear.
“Not to worry, it doesn’t matter,” the lawyer mutters.
“None of this matters,” she snaps.
Izabel drops the pen on the table with a clang and ink splatters from the nib in a black blob, again bleeding across the crisp white paper. He hurriedly grabs a tissue from his pocket and dabs at the ink pool, but only ends up making it worse.
The lawyer groans in annoyance. His upper lips curls upwards in disgust. Clearly, he likes his paperwork un-smudged and perfect. Clearly, Izabel doesn’t give a shit what he wants. I smirk as I watch her storm away into the living room and the lawyer mutters his disapproval under his breath.
After I’ve signed, he stacks the pages into a neat pile, still pissed off.
“Is that everything?” I ask.
“Yes, you are officially married.” He glares after Izabel, as though indicating that he can’t fathom why I would want to marry such a savage little creature.
“You may leave,” I tell him.
That savage little creature belongs to me now. The ferocious little pixie.
She’ll be tamed. One way or another.
“I’ll send you a copy and file this one away…neatly.”
“Good. Thanks,” I say.
I wait until he is out of the door and it’s locked behind him before I head into the house to find her. Everything is locked up, so I’m not worried about her getting away. She obviously needed a moment to breathe after selling her soul to me.
“Pixie?” I call out as I walk into the living room.
She doesn’t move or reply. She’s standing with her back to me as she stares through the patio doors at the sky. The sun is setting. It’s streaked orange and purple as though putting on a show just for her.
“That went well, I think,” I muse, stepping behind her.
She shudders when I get too close and sidesteps away from me.
“Don’t you dare come near me!” she snaps.
“Shouldn’t we celebrate our marriage. I have champagne,” I taunt her.
She scoffs and turns to glare at me.
“Your house is nothing but a prison to me. And that signature on that document means nothing!”
“Actually, Pixie, this is your home too, now. Everything here is yours. And that document means that you now belong to me. You’re my wife, and I assure you, I will be taking good care of you,” I smile.
She shakes her head, taking another step away from me.
“Well, Anton Radev, I hope you didn’t want a sweet, submissive wife.
If you did, then you are about to be bitterly disappointed.
I am going to make your life a living hell.
Every chance I get, I am going to make sure you are miserable.
I am going to ruin everything. On top of that…
the moment I can escape…I’m going to. So, if you wake up one day and I’m gone, well, don’t be surprised,” she snaps at me, her eyes so fierce and beautiful that I’m struggling not to push her against the patio doors and kiss her.
“You will never escape me, little pixie. I will hunt you down no matter where you hide. I will find you and bring you back home.”
“Home?” she mutters, looking around in disgust. Her nose is scrunched up, and her lips curled back.
“This isn’t my home. And the only ones doing any hunting are my brother and Josiah.
They will hunt you down, and when they find you, I am going to watch every single minute of your agony as they skin you alive and leave you to bleed to death. ”
It’s incredible to watch her explode with such intense emotion.
The way her eyes burn, lighting up, her fists clenched at her sides.
She is wild. She isn’t holding back. And I know her goal is to scare me, maybe even just to annoy me or bother me with her threats of death and violence… but all she’s doing is turning me on.
The more I see of her, the more I want from her.
Unable to control myself, I step forward and reach out to wrap my hand around her jaw. My fingers dig into her perfect, soft skin. She tries to tug her face free of my grasp, but I hold tighter.
Her eyes flare again, and my cock stirs. Leaning lower, I hover my lips close to hers.
I can feel the hot breath from her lungs as it spills from her perfect mouth.
Kiss her. Show her who is really in control.
Izabel isn’t backing down. She’s standing tall, unable to fight me with physical strength, but fighting me with defiance. And I love it.
Laughing, I release my grip on her and watch as red marks appear on her skin where I was holding her.
She doesn’t move. She keeps staring at me with her shoulders squared and her chin up.
Too beautiful for words.
I wait a moment, another, not wanting to move away from her. But eventually, I have to, because it’s either going to end with me moving away or kissing her, and as much as I want to kiss her, I don’t want to push my luck too far tonight.
She’s here forever. She belongs with me now. I have all the time in the world to break her barriers and make her mine.
As soon as I take a step back, releasing her from this little game we seem to be playing, she lets out a breath of relief.
“Come, I will show you our room,” I say, gesturing with a tilt of my head.
“Funny,” she snaps. “Show me my room.”
I had to try. I knew she wouldn’t be sharing my bed this quickly, although again, I am tempted to force the issue.
We walk upstairs, and I select the bedroom right next to mine. The closer she is, the better I will feel.
I push the door open, and she immediately shoves past me into the room. Then, to my surprise and amusement, she huffs, “Goodnight!” and slams the damn door in my face.
I quite literally have to jump back to avoid it hitting me in the face, and as I stand there shaking my head, I find myself laughing quietly.
Oh yes, she is going to be endless trouble.
And because I’m clearly not quite right in the head… I am genuinely looking forward to finding out what our lives are going to be like as husband and wife. I could never have chosen a better suited girl for myself.
Little pixie.
She’s going to learn to want me.
To love me.
To yearn for me.
My cock stirs again as I stare at her closed door.
Patience, Anton. It will be a fun game to make her come crawling to you.