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“How about when I fuck you until you’re begging for more, would you enjoy it then?” I tightened my hand around her waist, securing her to me.

“Nothing, and I repeatnothing, will ever happen between us, so you and lefty may as well get used to one another.” She smugly smiled, not batting an eyelid at my comments. She had a reply for each and every one.

“Or how about I fuck that pretty little mouth of yours instead?” I trailed the pad of my thumb across her lower lip before she turned her head away from me. “I can’t wait to hear you beg for it.”

“I have never been one to beg, and I don’t plan on starting when it comes to you.” She tried to sound convincing, but I could have sworn I heard her voice jump an octave.

“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

We were locked on one another for a second, her eyes not leaving mine. She was strong-willed, not wanting to look weakand gullible to someone like me. I had to admit, I admired that, even if it was just a little.

I felt Red silently join us, waiting for a moment before clearing his throat to speak. “The car is ready.” She snapped her head towards Red, who looked pretty sheepish, not knowing whether he should have interrupted whatever this was or not.

“Good. We’ll be right there.” I let my guard down for a second as she managed to free herself from my grip, a triumphant expression now gracing her breathtaking face.

“No, we’re coming now.” She smiled sweetly at Red, whose cheeks flushed the same colour as his hair.Brilliant. This woman was going to screw up everything. She stomped off to the waiting car, ready to head to the reception and not once looking back at the pair of us.

“This just got harder didn’t it?” Red asked, finishing his cigarette. “And no, mate, I’m not talking about your dick.”

“Fuck off, Red.” I snapped. “I was expecting her to be timid—a ‘yes sir, no sir’ kind of woman but she’s anything but, She’s a nightmare!” I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. “That family will pay, and trust me, no matter how strong she thinks she is, I’ll always be stronger.”

“If you say so.” He laughed, and I swore if he wasn’t one of my best friends he would have had a bullet in his head already. “You can always rethink the whole plan. She might be good for you.”

“How about you rewind and think about what you say before you say it. She won’t be good for me. The only person she’d be good for is the devil.”

“So, you, then.” He nudged me with his elbow before heading towards the driver's seat of the car.

I slid into the seat beside Anastacia, who didn’t even have enough respect to look at me. She kept her gaze trained on the window.

“Didn’t your father teach you any manners?” I asked, unbuttoning my suit jacket.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but he taught me very little actually. Besides, my father sold me to you. As far as I’m concerned, he’s dead to me.”

Brilliant. At this rate she wouldn’t even bloody care if I killed her father.

I caught Red glancing in the rearview mirror at me with an amused twinkle in his eye.

“What? No words?” She shifted in her seat, finally looking at me. “Did you really think I’d be over the moon with this shit show? That I’d thank him for selling me to you to save his alliance, the one that went to shit when he pulled the trigger on your backstabbing father?!” Her venomous tone was enough to send me over the edge.

Red swiftly exited the car, leaving the engine running. I yanked her onto my lap as a gasp of shock left her lips. My fingers dug into her flawless skin. She didn’t have a chance to try and slip her mask into place.

“Say one more fucking word about my father, and I’ll pay your dearbabushkaa visit.” I fisted her hair at the nape of her neck, bringing her ear to my lips. “I noticed she wasn’t watching us get married today, meaning she doesn’t support what your father agreed to. Therefore, she’s currently the only one you truly care about. It would be awful for something to happen to her, wouldn’t it?”

“How do you know about her?” she asked, a slight quiver apparent in her voice. Gone was the Anastacia who didn’t falter.

“I know more than you think I do. Didn’t you think I’d do my research before asking to marry you?” The ball was back in my court, and I loved it. “So, tell me, are you going to repeat what you said or be a good girl and refrain from mentioning him again?”

“Noted.” One simple word and she was back on top. With the fear gone, her mask slipped into place, and her body offered no signs of panic.

I placed her back in her seat as she folded her arms across her chest, pushing her breasts up, which was hard not to notice. I tapped on the window, signalling Red to get back in the car.

“We’re going to put on a front at the reception. You’ll play the perfect wife, you’ll dance with your father if that’s what he wants, and then I will take you home.”

“Your home will never be my home,” she scoffed, unable to hide the disgust in her voice. “Stop speaking to me like you’ll own me because that’ll never happen.”

“But I already own you, Anastacia Katerina Ricci.”

That didn’t even get a damn reply. She had decided to give me the cold shoulder and the silent treatment.Lucky me.She was stubborn, I’d give her that.