Page 36 of When Sinners Hate
“You’re not safe here on your own.”
“Oh, that’s bullshit. I’m a grown woman, Abel. I can’t stay at home all my life, and she hates me as much as I hate her so I’m doing this. In fact, I don’t need your permission anyway. I don’t even know why I’m asking because I bought this in my own name.”
“Sit down.”
“Do you know what? I’m beginning to understand why Dante gets so pissed with that tone of yours. I have a right to leave, Abel. A right to make my own choices and–” My chair scrapes the floor as I get up, cutting her tirade off and silencing her tongue.
“Sit, the fuck, down.” Her head drops to look at the floor, and she frowns away her temper tantrum. I huff and take my time looking at her, getting a check of my anger. She's glowing in her rage. Just as any one of us should be when we're being bullied. “Please. Sit, Mariana.”
She does after a few seconds, and eventually looks up at me. “Abel, I–”
My hand goes up. “I understand why you want to leave, but we can’t protect you here.”
“What about if I make two apartments and we have a guard or something living in the other one?”
“No.”
“Dante has something similar with Wren and that works.”
“No.”
“Why?”
I sit again, sigh, and push the half-eaten plate of food away. “Because you’ll just wrap any guard around your finger and then not listen when he tries to contain you.”
“Contain me? See? That’s exactly what I mean. I’m like a prisoner sometimes. Knox isn’t contained. Even my own twin isn't and I’m far more capable than him. Why do I have to be?”
“Contained is the wrong word.”
“You’re right, it is wrong. It’s wrong on so many levels I don’t even understand why you’d use it. In fact, explain this to me. You were thinking about me marrying Nicolas before that whole thing went south. And don’t tell me you weren’t because I know you were even if Dante didn't like it. But I’m not allowed to live on my own?”
“That was different. You would have been protected there.”
“Like you’re protecting Alexia? She’s as much a prisoner as me. Is that what you would have preferred for me – on Nicolas' leash and being fucked under his direction? You won't give a goddamn inch, will you? On anything.”
“Cool down.”
She leans in, ready to make a direct point, no doubt. “Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you? You'd like me to be servile and do as I'm told without challenging you, but guess what? Not going to happen. I'm not your wife. You don't get to threaten me with brutality and pin me down because you don't trust me.”
“Mariana–”
“I don't even know why you bothered marrying her, considering she spends all her time doing nothing for us. In fact, why not just kill her and end her misery? It's not like you're even trying to use her for something other than fucking.” My palmtightens into a fist on the table, and fury starts building. “Either way, I've earned trust in this family, Abel. I've earned my rights, and I will not be treated like a fucking prisoner!”
“Shut the hell up about being a prisoner. You’re not one. You have a car, freedom, and money to do whatever the fuck you want whenever you want to. No one stops you from going out or living your life. The only thing I restrict you from is this, and that is to keep you safe. Tread carefully with your words. I’m getting pissed with your attitude, and this is about to turn offensive.”
She crosses her arms and glares at me for a while, letting all Mother’s spite and wrath settle on her features. I understand it. I even admire her for it, but nothing changes, as far as I’m concerned, when it comes to this.
“So that’s it, is it?” she spits. “Even after I’ve done all this and proved myself with responsibility and business, I’m to live my life at that house until some man screws me into marriage? Perhaps then I can go live with him if you agree he’s okay for the family? God, you’re an asshole, Abel. Truly.”
Swallowing down the anger that wants to surface, I slowly push my chair out again and stand. This is going nowhere other than arguments and dead ends, but I suppose she is right on most of that last attack because that is the plan. Until I know there’s someone who cares about her the way we do, she’s not living out here without us wrapped around her.
I turn and head for the entrance lobby. “I'm glad you understand the way this works. And I'll tell you right now, before you get any stupid ideas in your head, that dick you're fucking around with comes nowhere near us. He's trash. Don't make me deal with him.” I open the door and sigh, half looking back at her. “You've done well here, though. Let me know when you open. We'll need to pick the right women.”
There isn't any response as I leave, and I don't expect one. I'm sure she'll sulk on this for a few days yet. Or maybe trygetting Dante to make me think differently. She won't change his mind either.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ALEXIA