SWNOVELS Brutal Savage: Chapter 21
An alarm rings beside me, and I peel my eyes open, lids heavy, stretching my limbs over the silky soft sheets. By the time we went to bed, I barely got any sleep.
Exhaustion hits me like a truck, though I can’t skip work. Groaning, I look over to find the space beside me empty.
I guess he left already. What does a Mob boss even do every day?
It’s six in the morning, according to the clock on the wall, and I have to be at school in an hour and a half.
When I get up, I notice a small vase on the nightstand that wasn’t there before, and inside it is a bouquet of red poppies.
Tears fill my eyes, a trembling hand rushing up to my quivering mouth.
I can’t seem to catch my breath from my soft cries.
He got me poppies.
Somehow, before I woke up, he managed to get them and made sure I saw them first thing in the morning.
What is he trying to do to me? I want to run and find him, to throw my arms around him and thank him. Because this was really sweet.
Brushing my tears away, I head for the door, and it’s then I notice my luggage in the far corner of the room.
He made sure my things were here for me too, just as he promised.
I move toward his closet, opening the door to find a large walk-in space. My hand falls across my chest when I notice that all my clothes have already been hung, with my shoes neatly lined up on one side, not that I have that many. I didn’t want too much to run with.
I don’t have as many clothes as he does either. Suits and pants and t-shirts are organized by color.
How in the world did he get all this in here without waking me? Were his men in the bedroom while we slept?
I don’t like that. I need to ask him about it. But first, I really want to thank him for the flowers.
Rummaging for an outfit, I settle on a pair of black dress pants and a baby-blue blouse. Putting on a light touch of makeup and running my fingers through my hair, I’m finally ready. Heading down the stairs, I hear Ruby.
“Come on, Bubbles. Be a good girl and drop my apron.”
I stifle a laugh just as I make it the last step, and from my right, I see him strutting over to me.
“How’d you sleep?”
When we lock eyes, my heart gives a little leap. And all these thoughts instantly rush into my head. Remembering the way he held me last night, how good it felt.
Yet I can’t forget why I’m here to begin with.
Because no matter how sweet his gestures have been, he still kidnapped me. He still forced me to marry him. How do I forget that?
I refuse to let him think I’ll fall in line and pretend this is okay.
No matter how good it feels when he’s touching me.
“I slept like shit. Your mattress is terrible.”
A lie. A complete and utter lie. The mattress was heavenly. I wish I could go back and sleep on it some more.
“I’m sorry about that.” His jaw tenses.
“It’s fine.” Clearing my throat, I push my hair back with a finger, moving the strands away from my eye. “Thanks for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”
“It’s not a problem. I know your mother felt like home. I wanted to bring a piece of her here to you. So that maybe one day this house can feel like a home too.”
“Tynan…” Emotions well in my chest.
I can’t handle him being this nice to me. I want him to be what I would expect from someone in the Mafia: someone cruel and heartless.
But Tynan Quinn? He’s shattering every perceived notion I held about him.
I shove down the emotions stitching up my throat. “Thank you for having all my clothing when I woke up too. But, uh…” My face flushes.
“What is it?” He cups my cheek.
I instantly close my eyes, and somewhere inside me, I want to believe that this—whatever this is—could be something real.
“I wanted to ask if maybe the next time your men are in our bedroom while I’m sleeping, you wake me up first?”
Confusion settles in his brows. “What do you mean?”
“Well, that’s how my clothes got here, right? You said your people packed my stuff from the house?”
“They did, but I’m the one who brought them to our bedroom.” He tucks his other palm across my face, his eyes staring intensely. “You think I’d allow other men into our space while you’re asleep? I’d burn their eyes before they’d be allowed to see my wife lying in our bed, looking as good as you did when I woke up this morning.”
His thumb brushes over my lower lip, his eyes following its movement.
A heady pulsating need burns between my thighs.
My wife.
It sounds so good when he says it.
“You mean you did all that?” My lips part.
And my heart? It beats against my ribs, waiting for his answer.
He nods. “I woke up a few hours before you to make sure it was done as promised. I tried to be as quiet as possible. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“No, you didn’t,” I whisper. “Thank you.”
He did that…for me.
Why is he such a complicated man? How does he go from the man who chased me down and drugged me just to marry him to a man who would get my mother’s favorite flowers, who’d wake up early just to make sure I had all my stuff ready when I woke up?
He lowers his arms and slides a hand through mine. “Let’s go get breakfast before you have to leave for work. I have a meeting I need to get to shortly, but I want us to all eat together before I do.”
As soon as Brody sees me, his eyes light up. Ruby looks questioningly between us.
Tynan pulls a stool for me and helps me up, clearing his throat. “Elara and I are married. She’s going to be living here.”
Way to drop the bomb, husband.
Ruby jerks back, while Brody’s little mouth pops open, staring between us with bewilderment. And I’m not quite sure if that’s good or bad.
“Congratulations, you two!” Ruby’s shocked expression transforms to a happy one as she embraces us both. “I’m so thrilled to have you here.” She pats my hand, her kindness radiating through her eyes. “If you don’t like how I do things around here, you just let me know and we can fix that right up.”
“Oh…” I throw a hand in the air. “I’m not hard to please. Don’t worry about me.”
“You’re the woman of the house now, Mrs. Quinn. Whatever you say goes.”
From the corner of my eye, Tynan’s mouth twitches, and I try to control the butterflies soaring in my gut.
He heads for the coffee machine, making two cups, while I stare at all the breakfast options: bacon, eggs, crepes, and muffins.
So this is how the rich live.
“Now, you guys enjoy your breakfast,” Ruby says. “If you need me, I’ll be down the hall in the laundry room.”
“You’re not eating with us?”
“Oh, no. I ate while I was cooking. But you all enjoy.”
She darts out of the room while Tynan makes me a plate, dropping it in front of me just before sitting beside me with his own. “She lives here, so you’ll be seeing a lot of her.”
“She seems nice. How does she have the misfortune of working for you?”
“You’re funny.” He hikes a brow. “I met her when I was doing a deal at a hotel and saw how badly she was being treated. So I offered her a job, and she took it. That was five years ago.”
“Does she have family?”
He shakes his head. “Her only son died in the Army, and her husband passed away years before.”
“That’s so sad,” I whisper.
“We’re her family now.”
“I can see that.”
Brody continues to stare at us with bulging eyes, like he really can’t believe this. I don’t blame him, because neither can I.
“This must be confusing for you,” I tell him. “But I promise, I’m still going to be your teacher. I’ll just be living here.”
“Right,” Tynan throws in. “I’m sure you’ll like having Ms.—” He chuckles. “I mean Mrs. Quinn all to yourself after school.”
“But…” I turn toward him and narrow my eyes before looking back at poor—probably confused—Brody. “I’ll still be Ms. Hill at school.”
“For now,” he says, and I swear I’m about to take a fork to his eye.
“Do you have any questions?” I ask Brody.
He shakes his head.
“Great. Let’s all eat now,” Tynan adds.
I force myself to pop some bacon into my mouth, and as soon as it hits my tongue, I groan slightly. I must admit this is the best piece of bacon I have ever tasted.
“Good, I know. Ruby is the best cook around.” He takes a sip of his coffee before he reaches into his pants pocket. “I almost forgot to give you this before I go.”
He hands me a credit card.
I stare blankly at it.
“It’s a credit card. Not a bomb.”
“Why are you giving it to me?”
“To use?”
“You already set up that account for me. I don’t want any more of your money, Tynan.” I peek at a curious Brody before I continue with a whisper. “I appreciate the flowers, the clothes, and the cards. But you can’t just buy me with money. It’s not gonna work. I’m not that woman.”
Am I being ungrateful?
He forced you to marry him! Of course you’re not!
He groans. “For fuck’s sake, Elara. I’m trying, okay? I want you to be happy. Just because I told you I won’t love you doesn’t mean I don’t want to take care of you, and this is just one way I can do that.” He roughs a hand through his hair. “Just take the damn card. That money I set up in your account is for you to save.”
He places it in front of me. “There’s no limit on it. Unless you spend over five hundred in one day, my bank doesn’t even call me, so buy whatever you want for you, your grandparents. Whatever you need.”
“Five hundred dollars? Why would I need to spend that much?”
He’s already giving me enough to cover my grandfather’s housing costs. And I can pay for Gran’s place easily now too. I don’t need his credit card.
He laughs. “Five hundred thousand, babe.”
My eyes almost fall out. “Uh, I’m pretty sure I’ll never need to spend that much. Ever.”
“Well, if you do, I’ll know about it.” His mouth curves, and my God, he’s so sexy. Especially when he smiles like that.
I take the card just to get him off my back and place it in my wallet. Releasing a sigh, I glance down at my plate, before leaning into him, lowering my tone so that Brody doesn’t overhear.
“Is there any chance you would reconsider?”
“Reconsider what?”
“This!” I gesture between us with a hand. “Please, Tynan,” I implore with every ounce of my being, dropping my mouth closer to his ear. “I can’t be your wife. I can’t do this.”
He cuts a piece of bacon and places it into his mouth, staring at me with indifference. I know I shouldn’t talk about any of this in front of Brody at all, but I’m desperate. I need him to let me go. To stop this madness once and for all.
“Eat before your food gets cold.” He continues to act as though I’ve said nothing at all, and that only enrages me further.
Pushing his plate back, he rises, giving Brody a kiss on top of his head. “I’ll see you after school, buddy.” He gives me a quick glance. “Can you take him to school with you?”
I nod.
“Thanks. And, Elara?”
“Yeah?”
“I know this seems like the end of the world right now, but you’ll see. It won’t be so bad.”
Then he’s walking away, leaving my soul aching and bruised.
Because this is not what I want, and he doesn’t seem to give a shit.
And for that, I can’t forgive him.