Page 38 of Coercion

She fixes me with a look just as the tea arrives. It’s placed on the table in front of us and, as soon as the girl leaves, she kicks off her ridiculously high heels and tucks her feet under herself leaning back into the cushions as she sips from the mug.

“How are you finding all of this?” She asks.

“It’s fine.”

“Fine?” She smiles, like she knows that’s not exactly true.

God, is this some sort of test? Did Preston send her here to see if I’m properly apologetic now? Is that what all this is about? He tagged me and left, so he knows exactly where I’ve been all this time. Will this be how it is from now on? Him showing me how much power he has, how he can treat me however he wants and the minute I do something he doesn’t like, he’ll have me locked away out of sight until he decides I’ve learnt my lesson.

“Please,” I half-whisper. “Please tell him I’m sorry.”

She narrows her eye. “Sorry about what?”

I gulp, hanging my head my head. “I…”

She gets up, putting the mug down and comes and sits right next to me. My body instantly tenses at our sudden proximity. I’ve heard so many things about this woman. About how she charmedtheNico Morelli, how she helped him to kill his brother and every other person that was betraying him.

She sounds fearless. She certainly looks it with that scar marring her face like a battle trophy. Compared to her, I must seem pathetic.

“Ruby,” She says gently. “I don’t know what you think you have to apologise for but…”

“He’s angry at me.” I blurt out, almost frantic now.

She frowns with confusion. “Who?”

“Preston.”

“Why would he be angry at you?”

I shrug as a tear escapes, sliding down my cheek. “I had to try.”

“Try what?”

“To escape.” I whisper it, wincing as I remember who exactly I’m talking to. Eleri chose this life. She chose to marry Nico Morelli and become everything a Mafia wife is, while, so far I’ve done everything I can to try to escape it. “…And now he won’t come home. He won’t see me.”

She lets out a low breath, gently taking my hand in hers. “Ruby, he’s not staying away because you’ve done something.”

“Then why..?”

“You’ve been through a lot. Not just with the wedding but before that. Preston wanted to give you some space. He didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

I shut my eyes, burying them into my palms, not sure how to respond. Why would he care if he overwhelms me? I’m his wife. His property. My feelings don’t come into this. And besides, we all know Preston isn’t the kind of man who considers feelings. He’s logical. Calculated. I doubt the man even has warm blood in his veins.

But I need him to thaw, I need him to want me, if I’m to survive any of this, if I’m to stand a chance I have to win Preston over.

“None of us want to overwhelm you.” Eleri says gently.

“But I’m okay.” I say but it barely comes out because, suddenly, I’m sobbing. All my fear, all my self-loathing over the last few days hits me like a tidal wave and I can’t contain it any longer.

If I were back in my old room in the basement, I could deal with this, I could compartmentalise this, shut my headspace down but everything is so different here.

Everything is so confusing.

Eleri wraps her arm around me and it’s all I can do not to flinch from the contact. “No, you’re not.” She murmurs, “But that’s to be expected.”

When I’ve finally cried myself out, she calls for more tea.

I don’t talk much after that. Eleri talks away, talks about non-consequential things, about her husband too. I want to pay attention but a big part of me wants to shut out her words. I don’t want her to tell me anything secret, I don’t want to learn anything that Gunnar might force out of me later.