Page 39 of Coercion

It’s safer if I remain ignorant.

By the time she leaves, I’m exhausted. I feel like I’ve spent so long doing mental gymnastics, watching what I say, what I ask, how I behave. I want her to like me, I want her to see me, maybe not as an equal, but someone good enough to be her friend.

As if someone as glamourous and powerful as Eleri Morelli would ever consider me as that.

“We should have dinner.” She says, as I walk her to the front door. “You and Preston should come round. I’ll ask Nico to sort it.”

The way she says it, the way she acts is like Nico is the sort of man who arranges dinner parties and is not in fact a ruthless killer, the head of a Mafia Family so powerful my own seems to pale in significance.

I smile, nodding, but would Preston allow that? Will he ever even let me step foot outside this house again? Maybe he will because he’ll want to show Nico how well he can control his new bride. I’d have to be careful, really careful, I’d have to put on such a good show.

I let out a silent sigh, realising how utterly exhausting such an evening would be.

And if I fucked it up, my new husband would never forgive me.

And he sure as hell would punish me badly for such an insult.

Preston

Ididn’t intend to stay away all week but in the end that’s what happened. One thing after another came up and I found myself busy. Really busy. Though in truth, I think that’s an excuse.

I still can’t control myself, I still feel like a damned freight train that is hurtling towards almost certain destruction.

Besides, she’s too fragile and I’m too much of a brute. I shouldn’t be looking at her, contemplating all the ways I want to fuck her after everything she’s been through, everything she’s suffered, - she deserves better than that.

And anyway, Nico will skin me alive if I lay one finger on her. Like I haven’t already.

The door slams as Eleri storms into the office and slaps me hard around the face.

“What the fuck?” I stammer as Blaine grins.

Nico mercifully is out because whatever the fuck I’ve done to upset Eleri, he will undoubtedly be pissed at me for too.

“You complete and utter arsehole.” Eleri cries, throwing her arms up to emphasise her point.

Blaine sits back, lighting that damned zippo, his eyes showing how much he truly loves a fight.

“What have I done?” I ask.

“Done?” She hisses. “Done? Do you know where I’ve been today?”

I frown. Like I’m supposed to know her damn diary now?

“Ruby.” She says.

My stomach drops. “What..?”

“She thinks you’re punishing her.”

“Punishing her for what?” I growl. “She hasn’t done anything.”

“Exactly.” Eleri snaps like that explains it. “She’s traumatised. She’s frantic. She’s spent so long having to second guess everyone else’s behaviour because no doubt Levi has treated her like a punchbag this entire time…” She runs out of steam before shaking her head. “Have you not even thought to check on her?”

“I stayed away to protect her.” I say.

She snorts. “So, that means no. Did you not even check all those camera’s I know you’ve rigged the place with?”

I haven’t. I haven’t dared. I didn’t want to look and catch her in a compromising position. To get a glimpse of her when she was getting in the shower, to see her at moments when she thinks she has some privacy, because I know what will happen ifI do. I’ll open the box, I’ll lose what tiny control I still have and I’ll be driving like a mad man up that hill to get to her.