Page 44 of Sinful Bride

"She's adjusting," Finn says finally, his voice softer than the others. "It's only been a couple of weeks. Give her time."

"Time won't fix this," Rian argues. "She thinks she's better than us. She thinks we're beneath her. Time won't change that."

"Maybe not," Cormac says. "But the boss is right. This is between him and his wife. We need to trust him to handle it."

The others nod, but I can see the reservation in their eyes, and the worry that I'm not up to this. That I'm weak.

I do need to do something. I need to show Elena—and my men—that I'm in control. That I'm the boss.

That I won't tolerate disrespect.

The dinner ends early. The men leave with murmured goodbyes and concerned glances. I clean up, then pour myself another whiskey and stand in the empty dining room trying to figure out what the fuck I'm going to do. This can't continue. Elena can't keep undermining me. She certainly can't keep insulting my men and treating me and them like we’re not good enough. Privately, between her and me, is bad enough. Now she’s dragging it out into the open, and I can't keep letting her.

I drain the whiskey and set the glass down, then walk upstairs with heavy steps and a heavier heart. Elena's bedroom door is still locked. I can hear her moving around inside. Pacing, probably, working herself into a fury.

A part of me that’s also furious likes the idea of her in here for the past hour or so, working herself into a froth as she wonders what I’m going to do. She fucking insulted me and good men that I care about. Men who have been far better partners and friends than she could ever hope to be, from what I’ve seen so far.

And I'm done playing nice.

I unlock the door and step inside. She's standing by the window, her arms crossed, her face flushed with anger. When she sees me, her eyes flash.

"How dare you⁠—"

"Sit down."

"I will not⁠—"

"Sit. Down." My voice is calm, but there’s a note of deadly anger in it.

She sits on the edge of the bed, her hands clenched in her lap. Her chin rises in defiance.

I close the door behind me and lock it, then move closer until I'm standing in front of her, looking down at her and letting her feel the weight of my presence. "You're going to be punished," I say quietly.

Her eyes widen. "What?"

"You heard me." I keep my voice level. "You insulted my men and undermined my authority. You disrespected me in my own house. There are consequences for that."

"You can't⁠—"

“Yes, I can. And I plan to, because this isn't just about you and me anymore, Elena. This is about my organization. My men. My reputation. If I let you get away with what you did tonight, I lose their respect and their trust. I lose everything I've worked for."

Her jaw clenches as points of red flush on her cheekbones. "I don't care⁠—"

"You should. Because if I lose their respect, I lose my position. And if I lose my position, you lose your protection. Your safety. Your life, even, if things go badly enough. You’re smart enough to know what happens when organizations topple. Your fate is tied to mine now, wife. And it’s time you learned to take that seriously."

She goes pale.

"So yes," I continue, my voice still calm, despite the anger raging in my chest. "You're going to be punished. And you're going to accept it."

10

ELENA

My heart hammers against my ribs. "What—" My voice comes out breathless. I hate how weak I sound. "What are you going to do?"

"I told you. You're going to be punished."

The word punished hangs in the air between us. My mind races through possibilities, each one more humiliating than the last. He wouldn't. He can't. This is⁠—