SWNOVELS The Marriage Debt: Chapter 37
A week later
As we get into the car, Luca suddenly hands me my phone out of the blue. “I want you to have it back.”
“Why now all of a sudden?” I ask as he starts the engine and hits the gas.
“Because I trust you,” he says, the smile on his face making my heart thump faster and faster.
I narrow my eyes as he keeps his on the road. “Is this a trick?”
“No trick. But … I do want you to call someone.” He glances at me for a second before shifting his gaze to the road ahead again. “I don’t want anyone bothering us anymore. Call Easton and his little postboy.”
“Nick,” I fill in for him. “I thought you hated them and never wanted me to talk to them.”
“I do, but you don’t,” he replies. “You’re my wife, Jill. And I want my fucking wife to be happy.”
Something about that statement makes me super giddy, and I slam my lips together to stop the laughter from coming out because I don’t want to embarrass Luca.
“Don’t make me change my mind, Bunny,” he says.
“All right, all right, I’ll do it,” I say, quickly flicking open the call app. “It’s been so long since I last talked to them. What do I even say?”
“Whatever you want,” Luca answers, throwing me a sexy side glance. “I know you’ll make the right choice.”
“But you’re going to be mad at me if I say I want them back in my life,” I say.
He tilts his head. “No. But I am disappointed I won’t be able to gut him like a fish.” My eyes widen, and he immediately starts laughing. “Relax, I’m just trying to get to you.” He places a hand on my knee, squeezing tight. “But he did hide you from me.”
I blush. “Because I asked him to. So please don’t punish him for it.”
He pecks me on the cheek. “Because you begged so nicely … I won’t.”
I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Now go on. Talk to Easton,” he says, throwing a look at the phone.
“What about Nick?”
Luca’s tongue dips out to lick his top lip. “He knows you belong to me.”
Something about that kind of mad possessiveness has me swooning all over again. “Ten minutes,” Luca says.
“Ten?” I gasp. “That’s not nearly enough.”
“It’s enough for now,” he replies. “Besides, you’ll have plenty more time to call them later.”
I roll my eyes, but still call Easton’s number. It feels like forever before he picks up. Before I hear the voice of the man who saved me from the clutches of the De Vos family three years ago.
“Hey, it’s me. Jill,” I say.
“Jill,” he murmurs. “Nick told me what happened. I thought we’d never see you again. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I reply. “Better than ever, actually.”
“If you need help, just say the word, and I will do everything in my power to come and get you.”
I blush, not knowing how to even answer, let alone explain. “No, no. Luca’s not keeping me a prisoner. Not anymore, at least.” When I glance at Luca, he throws me back a devious smirk.
“Nick told me he forced you to marry him and that he put a collar around your neck,” Easton says.
Now my blush worsens even more. “That part is actually true. But I don’t want it off,” I immediately add. “This is how he shows me he loves me … and I’m going to stay with him,” I say. “I just wanted you to know that I’m okay. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
“Are you sure?” Easton asks.
“Yes. Absolutely.”
“So you’re not being forced to tell me this?”
I laugh. “No.”
“What about his parents? They forced you to marry him, didn’t they?”
“No. This time, I was the one who chose this.”
“I should’ve never have let them into my restaurant to do their business,” he growls.
“No, wait. Don’t write them off. I don’t want there to be animosity.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I just want things to go back to normal, you know,” I reply, clearing my throat. “And they used to do business at your restaurants and hotels. Maybe it will make them warm up to each other again.”
He sighs into the phone. “If it means a lot to you, maybe I could let them do business at my restaurants again.”
“Is that Jill?” I gasp in shock at the sound of Nick’s voice through the phone. “I want to speak with her.”
Some rustles and rummaging ensue.
“Jill?” he says. “What do you want? Did your boyfriend put you up to this?”
“No, well, yes, but I wanted to contact Easton too.”
“Why? So your boyfriend can force you to tell him not to bother saving you? So he can force you to bow down to him and wear that collar around your neck?”
My hand instinctively rises to touch my neck. “You don’t understa—”
“I knew it. He still acts like he owns you.”
“I chose this. Willingly.”
“Is he sitting next to you right now?” Nick asks. “Because I swear to God—”
“Stop. I know you’re angry, but I love him.”
“You love him?” The hurt is clearly coming through his voice. “Like for real?”
“I do.” I throw a glance at Luca, who is keeping an eye on me, even while driving.
“I want to believe you. But the last time you said those words, he was threatening to kill me.”
“I. Love. Him.”
It’s silent for a few seconds.
“Nick. Please, stop fighting,” I beg. “It’s over. I’m not coming back.”
“Fine. If you’re happy.” He sighs, but I still appreciate it, even if he’ll only do it for me. “But I don’t ever want to see that fucker, and if he ever hurts you, I’ll come and rain down fucking hell on him. Got it?”
“Thank you,” I reply.
More silence ensues. “Guess he got what he wanted after all. I just hope you did too.”
More rustling sounds follow, and then I hear Easton’s familiar voice again. “Well, that was … interesting.”
“I think he thought something was between us, but there wasn’t. I feel bad for him.”
“Don’t be. He’ll find the one eventually,” Easton replies. “We all do.”
“I hope so. He deserves it,” I say.
“He’ll get over it,” Easton says.
I sigh. “Well, anyway, tell Charlotte I said hi. And don’t worry about me, okay?”
“I will. And don’t forget, you can come over anytime you want,” Easton replies. “The door is always open.”
I smile. “Thanks. That means a lot. I’ll drop by soon.”
I lower my phone and end the call, but Luca is looking at me like he means business, and it’s freaking me out. “What?”
The car stops, and he parks it right in front of his parents’ car. “We’re here.”
Luca
“I don’t understand why we have to be at this godforsaken house,” my father growls as we stand on the porch and wait for someone to open the door.
“I haven’t been here in so long,” Jill says, gulping like she’s afraid of her own family. “I didn’t actually expect to ever be back here.”
“I hope I never have to fucking come back here,” my mother complains, throwing her hair back.
“Does that mean I won’t be able to see my sister ever again either?” Jill suddenly asks.
My parents look at her like she’s a fucking traitor for even saying it out loud, but I understand. She and her sister have a very close bond.
“You can see her whenever you want,” I say, and I throw a look at my parents too. “And your parents too.”
She smiles and looks up at me. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Grabbing her hand, I bring it to my lips, pressing down a soft kiss. “Trust me.”
She rubs her lips together, trying to hide a smile. “You know it’s hard for me to say no when you look at me like that.”
My brows rise. “I know. Perks of being a devil boy.”
My father frowns and opens his mouth, but then the front door opens, and the moment is gone.
“Welcome,” the maid says, opening the door wide.
My parents seem confused she was expecting us all, but I had Jill contact her in advance and keep it a secret.
“Well … so nice to see you all here.” Mrs. Baas’s voice makes us both look up. She’s holding a plate of what looks like freshly baked cookies in her hands. “C’mon, let’s sit and talk in the living room.”
As Jill follows her mother, I stay behind and point a finger at my parents. “Behave.”
“Don’t you fucking talk to me like that, you piece of—”
My dad’s violent coughs take over, and he grabs another napkin from his pocket and spits something into it. More blood.
“I don’t think you’re in the position to make the damn rules anymore,” I retort. “So unless you want to watch your goddamn empire being burnt to the ground, I suggest you calm the fuck down and actually give this a fucking chance. You want me to take over the company? Then you’ll let me run the show the way I fucking want to.”
They both look at me like they want to burn me at the stake, but I don’t care.
I know my priorities. It’s about time I used theirs to my advantage.
“Now be nice to her parents and just sit down and have a nice cup of fucking coffee,” I say, running my fingers through my hair. “She’s my wife, and they’re her fucking family.” I look at my mom in particular. “You wanted me to be nice. This is me being nice.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “Fine. Let’s go.” She barges right past me with that snooty look on her face, her perfume leaving a trail down the hall as she throws her scarf around her neck.
“You’d better know what you’re doing,” my father growls in that low tone of his.
“I do, so sit down and listen for once in your goddamn life,” I respond.
He grunts but still steps forward, shoving me out of the way.
Despite being a weak old man, he still has a lot of spite left inside him. Enough to destroy everything in his path. But I won’t let him.
We go into the living room where it’s chilly, and I don’t mean the fucking temperature. Hugo, Vera, and Jasmine sit on a couch on one side of the coffee table while Anne sits on the opposite one, far away from them.
“Have some coffee and a cookie,” Jill offers Anne, probably to shut her up. “My mom made them by hand.”
“Yes, Dad. We don’t want to offend the family, now do we?” I say, tilting my head at him. “Sit down and have a cookie.”
His face is so red he looks like a bomb about to blow, but I don’t fucking care as he sits down beside my mother anyway.
“So, to what do we owe this … pleasure?” Jill’s mom asks.
My parents throw me a look. The entire room is silent, and it’s very telling.
I beckon Jill to come over and sit on my lap. “I’m done with these fucking games, so I’m going to give it to you straight,” I tell the rest.
My father is throwing me darts with his eyes, but I don’t care. I’m done with this charade.
“My family has been scheming to steal the Baas contacts and burn your business to the ground.”
“WHAT?!” Hugo immediately stands and towers over the table.
“What do you mean?” Jill asks, turning to me. “Is this why you wouldn’t tell me?”
“You would’ve hated my family and me if I did,” I respond. “But it’s important that everyone knows.”
“LUCA!” my father barks, getting up too, but to shout at me instead. “You betray your own fam—”
Hugo interrupts him, pointing fingers. “How fucking—”
“I’m not finished yet,” I say in a calm, collected tone to both of them.
“All this time, I thought we were partners. After all the sacrifices I made to keep this friendship from being destroyed,” Hugo growls at my parents. “Get out of my fucking house.”
“DAD!” Jasmine roars, commanding his attention.
No one expected a little bird like her to squawk that loudly.
“Listen to what Luca has to say,” she adds.
“You’re in on their little scheme?” he asks her, his tone threatening, even at his own daughter.
“I’m not, but this is more important than your petty fight,” Jasmine says.
“Petty?!” My mother gets up too now, crumbling the cookie in her hand. “My son died, and you call that petty?”
“So that’s what this is all about? That’s why you’re so intent on destroying our family, our livelihood?” Vera jumps into the fray too. “We already sacrificed our daughter to your family, and it still isn’t enough for you?”
“Blood must be paid in blood,” my father says through gritted teeth.
They’re all eye to eye now, and I doubt it’ll take a minute longer before any of them starts throwing the coffee around.
“EVERYBODY SIT THE FUCK DOWN.” My loud voice immediately throws all ire onto me, but I’m prepared for their rage. I’ve faced worse. “I’m not fucking finished yet.”
“I don’t fucking care what else you’re going to say,” my father barks, attempting to leave.
“Liam is alive.”
Everyone holds their breath. Even my father.
In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him flinch, but he did just that.
“Alive?” My mother’s face turns to shreds as tears freely roll down her cheeks.
“Do not mess with your mother’s heart, Luca.” My father grabs my shoulders. “Or I swear to God—”
“I saw him with my own goddamn eyes,” I respond. “He survived the crash. He’s alive.”
“Where?” he asks, shaking me. “How long have you known?”
“Couple of weeks,” I reply.
“And you didn’t tell us?!” my parents say in sync.
“Because I knew you’d abuse the situation,” I reply.
This really gets them riled up. I can tell from the way they’re throwing daggers with their eyes alone. If we weren’t at someone else’s house, real daggers might have flown across the room at this point.
“He’s my son,” my mother growls at me, trembling vigorously.
“I am too. Now take a sip,” I tell her, pointing at the coffee. “And you? Sit,” I tell my father.
Even after throwing me a damning look, he still sits because everyone here knows I hold all the cards now.
“Liam’s gone now,” I say.
“What? Why? Where?” my mother asks while wailing. “Why wouldn’t he come to see us?”
“Because he doesn’t want to,” I reply, staring both of my parents down dead in the eyes. “Because he hates you both. And you will never, ever see him.”
My mother almost chokes on her coffee while my father doesn’t even touch his.
“I don’t believe you,” he says.
“It’s true,” Jasmine suddenly says. All eyes are on her now. “I saw it in his eyes. He hates everyone and doesn’t want to see any of you.” There’s a certain sadness on Jasmine’s face when she looks at her mother. “I’m sorry for not telling you guys. I didn’t want to start another war.”
“War?” Vera says. “Oh, honey …” They hug tight.
“How? How is this even possible?” my mother asks, staring at her coffee like it’ll tell her the truth.
“He survived the crash and decided to disappear,” Jill replies, swallowing because we both know she’s leaving some crucial details out.
“But why won’t he even tell his own parents?”
“Because he’s forgotten almost everything about us. He doesn’t want to remember, and I won’t force him,” I reply.
My father shakes his head. “We didn’t do anything to make him hate—”
“We’re a goddamn mafia family,” I interject.
“How about you wanted to force him to marry the only girl he never wanted?” Jill says, her nails digging into her knees. “Me.”
I pet her back to relieve some tension, and it works.
Everyone’s eyes are on her now. It’s about time they listened to her demands.
“When he drowned, the guy you all knew vanished and was replaced with a monster,” Jill says.
“How do you even know? Did you see him too?” my mother asks. “Did you talk to him? What did he say?”
Jill’s face darkens as I grab her hand and squeeze tight. “Tell them,” I whisper into her ear.
“He tried to kill me.”