Penny steps back, shaking like a leaf. “Leon. Take Penny upstairs. I’ll take care of this scumbag myself.”
“Kervyn, please,” Zakhar groans. “I wasn’t trying to hurt her. I’m sorry.”
“Take him,” I say to the guards. “Tell Arseny to sort him out.”
I walk into the house as Zakhar screams behind me to spare him, but I shut the door and enter the kitchen. Penny stands there with Leon.
Leon bows his head in respect. “She wouldn’t go any further until she spoke to you.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to him, right?” Penny asks, her voice shaking.
“I would think you would want him dealt with, considering he just lunged at you.” I look at her before I go over and take her hand. “Let me run you a bath so you can relax.”
“Kervyn, is something going to happen to him? What did you mean, take care of him? Is he going to be killed?”
I sigh. “Penny, you don’t want the details of what my family does, okay? And I don’t know yet if I can trust you with that level of work. I warned Zakhar. I warned his father.”
“His father? But his father isn’t here causing trouble,” Penny pleads with me, squeezing my hand. “Why would you want to hurt your own family?”
“Because they’ve crossed me. This is what I was talking about in the car. They’ve crossed me, and now they have to be dealt with. Please don’t worry about it. You don’t have to think about it at all. Come on.” I lead her out of the kitchen, but she’s holding back. I can feel it. I let go of her hand as we reach the entrance hall.
“I don’t want them to be hurt. It was me they were after. Don’t I get a say in this?” she asks.
I rub the bridge of my nose, getting irritated. “Penny, there are going to be times you can interfere. This is not one of them. They haven’t just tried to hurt you. They’ve gone against me. Their leader. This is more than just you getting hurt.”
“No,” she raises her voice, shaking her head. “I don’t want that hanging over my head. You’re going to hurt them or worse because of me.”
I can’t help myself. I lose it and roar at her, “He was trying to take advantage of you.” I glare at her. “I don’t even want to think what he would have done to you had I not tracked you two. And I already spared him his life once.”
Penny swallows hard and looks at me so sadly it stabs my heart. “So you are going to kill them.”
“I am doing what is necessary to maintain the balance and order of the family,” I say with steel in my voice.
“A family I don’t have a choice of being part of. Is that any better than what he tried to force on me?”
“I haven’t forced you…” I say, now angry.
“You’re forcing me to marry you. Right now, I don’t think I want to, so since I can’t leave my prison, I’ll just go up to my cage.” She turns around, and I frown.
“So you don’t want to marry me? All this lovey-dovey bullshit is just that?” I yell after her.
She pauses on the stairs and turns around. “I thought I saw something in you.”
“You thought you saw weakness, but it isn’t. I’m not a fucking hero, Penny. I’m the devil. You either marry me and get in on it, and I trust you to keep family affairs private, or we live together in separate rooms raising our child pretending to be happy, and you know nothing.” I stare her down, and her gaze bores into mine.
“I…” she hesitates.
“You what? You’re going to act like you don’t like the power? You don’t like what I can do?” I raise my voice, and then I move closer to her. “I’ve never hurt you. I’ve never been physical with you. If you don’t want this, then say so, but the wedding is on. You get to decide whether there’s a relationship afterward or not.”
I turn to storm off, and I hear her choke out a sob, and I pause. I want to make her feel better, but I’m too angry, so I walk into my office. I light a cigarette and pour myself a whiskey.
Women.
No, just her. Just Penny.
I would burn the world for her, but my heart feels like it’s torn right now because I want her to choose a relationship. I want her world and mine to be intertwined without me worrying that she’s going to go to the cops and rat me out. I don’t know what to do.
My phone goes off, and it’s a text from her.
I want to stay at Asher for a few days while I decide. I’m too upset to be here. Is that fine, sir?
Sir? Sir! I clench my jaw and then take a deep breath.
Luka has to give you two guards. Leon and maybe one other. He’ll check in on you daily to ensure you’re not trying to run away.
It doesn’t take her long to reply.
There is nowhere to run to.
I can hear the sadness in her response, and I want to throw my phone across the room. All I have ever wanted was for her to be happy. All I wanted was for her to feel as though she fit in and that she could relax around me. I’ve undone all of that now.
I doubt she’ll choose to have a relationship with me.
Danil might be right, she might be my ultimate weakness, but I won’t let anyone else know that. Not even her.
I need to protect her and our son at all costs. I was hoping to spend tonight choosing a name for our baby, but instead, the mother of my child is going to stay with a friend because she can’t stand the sight of me.
She’s realized I’m a monster.
