Lib Novel Page 20
I squared my shoulders, trying to find courage I wasn’t sure I had. “Look, I get it. We’re in a weird situation here, but I don’t need gifts, especially not like this.”
He stepped closer, and the air between us crackled. “You don’t understand,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “You’re going to do as you’re told, and you’re going to drive the damn car.”
“Listen, Nathan,” I began, my voice steadier than I felt. “I don’t want the car, I have one outside. Can we just talk—“
Before I could finish, his hand shot out, closing around my throat with an iron grip. My back slammed against the cool metal of the car, his body pinning me in place. His face was inches from mine, eyes black and unreadable as he snarled through gritted teeth.
“This isn’t about what you want.” His grip tightened, and I gasped for air, clawing at his hand. “You’re missing the bigger picture, Abby. If you don’t play your part, if you don’t drive this damn car like you’re my wife, then it’s not me you need to worry about—it’s my father.”
He released his hold just enough for me to draw a ragged breath. “Your dad?” I rasped out, trying to process his words through the haze of fear.
“Exactly.” Nathan pushed away from me, his voice laced with venom. “Think about it. You riding around in some beat-up clunker? That’s not how the wife of Nathan Zhou should be seen. You’re no commoner now, Abby. You’re with me, and that comes with certain…expectations.”
I rubbed my sore throat, watching him warily.
“Am I clear?” he asked, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“Crystal,” I whispered, the taste of fear sharp on my tongue. “But…does that mean I’m free to go wherever I want?” The question slipped from my lips before I could stop it, a mix of hope and doubt churning in my stomach.
“Sure,” Nathan chuckled dryly, the sound devoid of any real amusement. “But don’t think for a second that means you’re off my radar.” His dark eyes gleamed with a warning. “I’ll always know what you’re up to, Abby.”
He loosened his grip entirely, stepping back, and I stumbled slightly, my hands flying to my neck as I coughed and tried to regain my composure. The tender skin felt raw from his iron hold.
Tears welled in my eyes, not from the pain but just from how messed up this all was, from how much I didn’t want him to be angry with me, from…fuck, from everything to do with Nathan.
“You said I’m going to be your wife. Why?” The word was barely audible, choked out between labored breaths. “Why do you still want to marry me?”
Nathan’s expression shifted, his eyes momentarily losing their hard edge as he regarded me. There was something there, a flicker of something genuine that disappeared as quickly as it came. He leaned in, his face inches from mine, his breath ghosting over my cheek. “Because,” he whispered, the word heavy with unspoken truths, “we both know this is bigger than us.”
“What?”
“Remember that, Abby,” he added softly, turning away and leaving me alone with the echo of promises and threats that bound us together.
The metallic taste of fear lingered on my tongue as I faced him, the man who had mastered the art of menace without saying a word. He stood there, a dark silhouette against the flickering lights of South Beach beyond the garage.
“No. That’s not good enough. You tell me why.” My voice came out steadier than I felt. “Why do we have to go through with this charade of a marriage? You have a choice–”
Nathan’s laugh was devoid of any warmth, a sound that scraped along my already frayed nerves. “Choice?” he spat out bitterly. “You think I have a choice in any of this?”
I searched his face for a hint of softness, a hint of that affection I knew he felt for me. But all I found was the hardened mask of Fangs Zhou, the ruthless heir to a criminal empire.
“I still love you,” I confessed, my voice nearly breaking under the weight of my own deception. It was true, despite the danger, despite everything, some treacherous part of me clung to what we once had.
His reaction was swift as he closed the distance between us. His hand shot out, grabbing my face with an unyielding grip.
“Never fucking lie to me,” he snarled, eyes like voids pulling me in. “You’ve trapped me, Abby. You think I don’t know that? So here’s how this is going to play out.” His thumb brushed against my bottom lip, a cruel reminder of the power he wielded. “You drive what I tell you to drive, you go where I allow you to go. You live in my house, play by my rules until I say we’re done. And if you’re going to stay here, if you insist on lying to me, I’ll fill your mouth with my cock whenever you lie. On your knees, you lying bitch. You need to remember what you are.”
The command hung heavy in the air, a decree that left no room for refusal. My knees buckled, not just from fear but from the weight of the situation I’d entangled us both in.
What I wanted to do was tell this man to take this car and shove it up his ass. But what I did instead was drop to my knees on the concrete floor of the garage and get to work.
Chapter Ten: Nathan
It would have been so easy to just…push her head against the car, make this all seem like an accident. But as her fingers trembled over my zipper, I realized I wanted this; I wanted her, I wanted more.
I watched her, my breath hitched, as Abby dropped to her knees. Her hands shook, fingers clumsily grappling with the metal teeth of my zipper. It was a dance she knew all too well, yet every time, it felt like she was learning the steps for the first time.
Nervous, awkward, when I knew she was so much more unflappable than that.