Page 14 of A Wife’s Duty

B oone had promised to try and get to the college campus to spend some time with Lucia. By five o’clock, all the day classes were over, and Lucia sat in the car with Frank as they made their way toward Howard and Nancy’s.

They had a dinner menu, and she wasn’t interested in going to a fast-food place. She liked their place, especially as she knew they were friends with Boone.

Frank parked the car, and they climbed out.

“Has Boone been in touch?” she asked.

He glanced down at his cell phone. “Nah, nothing.”

“Is everything okay?”

“It’s Boone, everything is fine.”

They entered the café and she waved to Nancy who smiled at her. She went straight to Boone’s usual table, and Frank slid in after her.

“Hey, you two. No Boone tonight?” Nancy asked.

“He’s busy,” Frank said.

“That man always is. I think he is trying to save the world.” Nancy sighed. “Anyway, what can I get you two?”

Lucia ordered a cheeseburger with chili-cheese fries, as she had been dreaming about them for most of the day. Frank ordered the same.

“How long have you and Boone known each other?” Lucia asked.

“A lifetime.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

She looked at him and tried to implore with her gaze for him to elaborate, only the man wasn’t talking.

“When?” Lucia asked.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but anything you want to find out about Boone, you’re going to have to ask him yourself.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Why is it so top secret?”

“Boone doesn’t like his shit ... talked about. It is as simple as that. You can either like it or not. As his wife, he would have no issue talking to you about it.” He shrugged.

She wanted to know more.

“Is he a good guy?” Lucia asked.

“You’re curious now?”

“I was curious before, but it’s not like it is something I can ask.”

Frank chuckled. “Now that is true. It depends on your perspective. You make the right choices, yes, Boone is a good guy. You don’t, and well, you see a side of the guy you don’t want to see.”

She looked at Frank. It was such a vague answer. Boone had given her a choice.

“Does he hate me?” Lucia asked.

“He married you.”

“Yeah, but I know he intends to ... end the Bonaldis forever.” She didn’t know if she should say anything but Frank worked with him. “I’m part of that. My father is a capo in the Bonaldi empire.” She sighed. “Doesn’t that mean he hates me?”

“No, he doesn’t hate you.”

“How do you know?”

“Because Boone, in his way, is showing you parts of his life that he doesn’t share with everyone.

Take this place, for example. This place has real meaning for Boone.

He loves Howard and Nancy, and would do anything for them.

He did do everything for them. Bonaldi made him step out of retirement, Lucia. ”

“Retirement?”

“Yeah, look, this is Boone’s story to tell.

Not mine. The guy doesn’t like bullies. He doesn’t like people who exploit others just because they can.

It pisses him off, and well, I’m sure you’re aware of what was happening here, and Boone took care of it.

That is what he does. He takes care of people, in his own way, and now he is taking care of you. ”

Lucia went to ask him something else, but Nancy brought them some food. She thanked the other woman, and Nancy placed a hand on her shoulder and left.

“How’re Amy and the boys?” Lucia asked.

She didn’t want to keep talking to Boone. Frank wasn’t exactly giving her answers, and he was doing the opposite, giving her a lot more questions.

“They’re doing great.” He took a bite out of his burger, chewing it. “I’ve got to leave early on Friday and get to one of my kids’ plays. Amy told me she will kick my ass if I don’t make it.”

Lucia laughed.

“Do you want kids?” Frank asked.

“Uh, I don’t know.” She frowned. “I guess, one day I will. I think. I’m not sure.”

Children had been necessary. There was no choice in her life. Her value was her virginity and having kids, especially a boy. A boy was important. If she was able to do that, it would make her valuable to her husband. She didn’t know if Boone wanted kids.

They slept beside each other every single night, yet they didn’t touch. There was no sex. Lucia wasn’t sure if she wanted sex. Her mother had made it sound terrifying.

“Lucia, tonight you will be stripped naked, and when you’re on the bed, you are to lay still.

Spread your legs, and do not make a sound.

That annoys them. He will put his penis inside you, and it will hurt, but you do not scream.

You do not cry. You take it, and you wait for him to be done. That is your duty.”

She had spent the whole day of the wedding being terrified. Only, nothing had happened. Boone didn’t want to consummate their marriage.

Since then, she had watched a lot of television and movies, and the sex scenes did not look as terrifying as her mother made it sound. Was it really like that between a husband and wife? It had to be the case, because her mother had told her what to expect. This was messed up.

“You okay?” Frank asked.

“I don’t know about kids. I don’t know if Boone wants them. I guess if he wants kids, then we will have them.”

She finished her food, but she no longer felt hungry.

Frank filled the silence with tales of his wife, their children, but she wasn’t really listening. They made it home, and Boone was already there. Frank said his goodbyes, leaving her alone with her husband.

Boone sat on the sofa, drinking from a glass with dark amber liquid inside.

“Did you have a good time on campus today?” he asked.

“Yeah, it was ... good,” Lucia said.

She was distracted, thinking about the future and about sex. What was to become of her?

“I’m going to go and take a shower.”

She put her bag in the corner of the bedroom and walked straight into the bathroom. Using the toilet, she flushed, washed her hands, and grabbed a toothbrush. As she brushed her teeth, she looked at her reflection and tried to figure out what was going on.

The choice she made had been to stay with Boone, but what did that mean for her? Were they to stay married? He told her she would be free. The hair was already cut, and she was going to classes. She was still none the wiser at what course to choose. She was hopeless.

Once this was over, and whatever revenge kick Boone was on, what did it mean at the end? Nothing made any sense to her. There were too many questions and no answers. She had no idea about Boone’s past.

Stripping out of her clothes, she stepped beneath the stall, feeling the cold water as it hit her body. She didn’t whimper. Instead, she clenched her hands into fists. It didn’t take long for the water to warm, and she was thankful.

“I have nothing against you using the warm water.”

She gasped and spun around. Lucia had not heard Boone enter the bathroom, or even strip down naked.

Boone was very naked. His heavily muscular, inked body was on display.

He wasn’t wearing any briefs. Everything was on display.

She couldn’t help but look down at his cock.

Quickly, she averted her gaze and spun away from him.

This was her husband. He had stepped into the shower, naked, with her. She took a deep breath. The oddest thing of all, she was not afraid.

“What are you doing?” Lucia asked.

“You looked sad and confused. I didn’t like that.” He stepped up close but didn’t touch her.

She felt how close he was, knew if she leaned back, she would be touching him.

His hands reached out, grabbing the bar of soap.

“How was your day?” he asked.

She took a deep breath. “It was good. Frank sat with me as I went to each lesson.”

“Do you know what you enjoy?”

“All of it.” She loved the freedom of being able to choose. “I still don’t know what I want to study. It all seems so fascinating. I love all of it.”

She tensed up as his hands touched her, just at her waist.

“I’m going to wash you. Tell me to stop if you don’t want it.”

His naked hands on her body. One side of her brain was terrified, the other wanted his touch. She didn’t say a word.

Boone had lathered his hands up with the soap, and he touched her. He started at her sides and passed her the soap. “You can do me if you want?”

She looked at the soap. If she turned around, he was going to see her naked.

Her very unflattering body that had ... extra weight.

She was nothing like her sister, all smooth and firm.

She had a curved stomach and her thighs met in the middle, with a touch of cellulite on the outside.

Yes, she had been hit on her thighs repeatedly, because they looked ugly.

That was one of her father’s punishments.

He used a belt to make his point of how ugly her body was.

“Look at me, Lucia,” Boone said.

She hadn’t even realized she was shaking. He turned her, and she had no choice but to follow his lead.

“I’m ugly,” Lucia said.

He tilted her head back, and she had to look into his eyes and see what he saw. She expected to see disgust, or something that made her sick to her stomach. There was nothing there.

“You’re not ugly.” He surprised her even more by taking her hand and curling it around his large cock. “Do you feel that?” he asked. “That is what you do to me. You’re not ugly, and you tell me who told you that, and I will kill them for you.”

“My father,” Lucia said.

“He’s already on my list.”

She should just stop there, but she couldn’t. “My mother.”

“Done.”

“My brothers.”

“Noted.”

“My sister.”

“On the list.”

What had she done? Did she care? Her whole family had been more than willing to send her to Boone, knowing there was a chance he might kill her. They didn’t want to send Isabella, as she was too beautiful. No outsider of the Bonaldis would get one of their beauties.

Just Lucia. The ugly one.

“No one calls you ugly and gets away with it.” And with that, he gripped the back of her neck and showed her she had not been kissed properly at all.