After locking the door, I made my way into the living room. The house was unfurnished, except for a mattress in her room, one in mine, and a few pillows and blankets.
She didn’t even turn to look at me when I walked up, so I stood in front of her and lifted her chin so her eyes could meet mine. The pain and hurt were noticeable.
“This is your home now.”
She laughed bitterly, yanked her chin out of my hand, and stepped back. “My home? You force me to marry you and then have the audacity to call this place…myhome?”
“Yes, it is your home.” I pulled out my wallet and handed her a credit card. “Use this. Order whatever we'll need, and decorate the house however you like.”
She pointed the card at me. “You think that by giving me a card and telling me to decorate, I can make this house into a home?”
She took a step back and opened her arms.
“In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the most fashionable person around.” She dropped her arms at her side. “And even if I were, there's no way I'd decorateyourhouse. I don't want to be here.”
“Whether you want to be here or not doesn't matter at this point. You have a choice to be comfortable or uncomfortable. And you can be comfortable by getting the necessities for the house.”
“You think furniture would make me comfortable here with you? A stranger? A man tied to the freaking mafia? How would you feel if someone forced your sister into marriage?”
My jaw twitched. Because when I heard about what Artyom did, I wanted to kill the damn bastard.
“Arranged marriages are popular in our world, Mrs. Safin. A world that you are now a part of, whether you like it or not. Dwelling on it isn't going to change the fact that you're my wife, or that I'm your husband. The quicker you understand this, the better it will be for you.”
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. When she opened her eyes, there was no emotion in them. Like she had just flicked a switch and shut them off.
“I have some studying to do,” she said flatly.
“I’ll take you to your room.”
I made my way up the steps and down the hall to the last bedroom at the back of the house, overlooking the annex, and the only other bedroom with a bathroom. I opened the door.
“Go ahead and study. I’ll order us some dinner in the meantime,” I said.
She stepped into the room, threw my credit card in my face, slammed the door, and locked it.
I exhaled sharply, bent to pick up my card, and pulled out my phone to order two pizzas from Sienna’s favorite place.
Thirty minutes later, I knocked on her door with one of the pizzas in hand. “Sienna, I ordered us pizza.”
I waited for her to open the door or at least answer, but neither happened. I knocked louder.
“Sienna, it's time to take a break and have something to eat. You can't study on an empty stomach.”
Still nothing.
“Sienna, I'm leaving the pizza by the door.”
No response.
I wanted nothing more than to break down the door and demand her attention, but I knew it would make things worse between us. She needed time, and I'd give it to her.
I placed the pizza by the door and walked to the master bedroom. I stripped down to my boxers and collapsed on themattress, exhausted from the day. I closed my eyes, even though I knew sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon. I stayed awake, worrying about her and listening for her door to open.
At the crack of dawn, I began getting ready for the day. Tension rolled through my muscles, and a headache throbbed behind my eyes, maybe from worrying about Sienna, lack of sleep, or both. After a quick shower and pulling on a fresh suit, I saw the untouched pizza in front of her door and knew it was going to be a long fucking day.
I grabbed the box and made my way to the kitchen. After I tossed it into the trash, my phone rang. It was Pyotr.
“Hey, where the hell have you been? You aren't at the club, the headquarters, or home,” he said, concern etched in his voice.
