“It’s simple. You’re going to pay that girl more money to work less hours. You’re going to treat her with respect. And you’re going to promote her to another position far, far away from you.”

He’s so red, he’s nearly purple. I release him, and he falls to the floor in a heap. “Well?”

“We have a deal,” he chokes.

“I’ll be making sure you follow through with that deal,” I say, straightening my suit. “Good day, Robert.”

With that, I leave.

~*~*~*~

KATIA

I’m fumbling my fingers together when Marcus comes out. He strides over, his face carefully blank. I leap up, running towards him. “What did you do?”

“Fixed it.”

“Fixed it how?”

His eyes flash, but he makes no move to explain.

“Marcus?”

He leans in close. “It’s sorted, Katia.”

“Marcus,” I begin, but he cuts me off by curling his hand around my neck and pulling me close. Our faces are only inches apart and his eyes are intense, so intense my breath catches in my throat.

“What’s done is done. Go to work. Finish your day.”

“Marcus.”

“Later, Katia.”

With that he lets me go and turns, walking away.

Argh!

CHAPTER 15

NOW

Katia

I hear his car pull up, and the lights flash into my room. He’s home. I roll to my side, curling into a ball. My heart aches; it aches because he didn’t defend me. He didn’t beat the life out of the man I was dancing with. He showed nothing. Nothing at all. I wish I didn’t love him so much. I wish it didn’t hurt. I wish for a fucking second I had the guts to be angry with him.

I stare at the bedroom door, just as the front door slams.

I know what I have to do, the minute I hear his keys hit the counter; I know.

I get out of the bed and I walk over to the door, flicking the lock. Then I get back in and squeeze my eyes shut as he stops at my door. I hear the door rattle and my heart clenches angrily. I swallow and a tear slides out of the corner of my eye.

“Katia?”

God.

“Open the door.”

I press my face into the pillow, and listen as he rattles it once more.

Then he walks away.

Walks away.

My heart can’t take much more.

~*~*~*~

I’m in a deep sleep when the door rattles again. It’s pitch black out and I know it’s Marcus. He rattles it a few times, then it flings open. I keep my eyes closed as I feel the bed dip. Marcus’s fingers glide over my hips and I clench my eyes shut, pain radiating through my heart and scorching into my soul.

“I know you’re awake, precious,” he murmurs.

“Don’t call me that,” I whisper. “Just go, Marcus.”

“You’re angry at me.”

I huff. “How observant of you.”

“Why?”

I roll, and his fingers remain at my hips, making small circles.

“Really?” I whisper. “Why?”

“Yes, Katia. Why?”

“There was a man touching me.”

He’s silent.

“Yeah, there was.”

“And you stood there and watched. Let me ask you something, Marcus—why did you marry me?”

More silence.

“You can’t even answer, can you? You can’t answer because I mean nothing to you, nothing at all. Why the fuck would you do this to me? Waste my time? Make me love you? Make me your wife? When all you want is a piece of ass in your bed.”

“Katia.”

“Fuck you, asshole. He was touching me.” My voice rises. “He had his hands on a body that is meant to be yours and you didn’t care.”

“I fuckin’ hated it,” he barks.

I flinch. “What?”

“Fuckin’ hated it, but I knew what you were doing. I fuckin’ knew you were trying to get a rise out of me because you were pissed off.”

“What?” I say again.

“Fuck me, Katia. You’re testing’ everything.”

“Just go.”

“No.”

“Marcus.”

He leans down, flipping me to my back and his body falls over mine. I cry out angrily, shoving at his chest but he doesn’t move.

“Stop fighting me, Katia,” he hisses.

“Maybe you should have fought for me. Maybe it would be better for everyone if I just leave!”

“No.”

The word comes out harsh, yet it’s so real, so full of depth, my mouth clamps shut. His mouth finds my neck, and he kisses me softly. God damn him. Damn him. His fingers trail up my sides, his mouth moves over my body and I know he’s getting the better of me. He’s winning. He’s beating me down. He’s making me forgive him with every touch.

“Tell me you love me, Katia,” he demands hoarsely.

“No,” I moan as his mouth slides down my neck.

“Tell me, Katia.”

“Tell you something you refuse to say to me? No!” I cry.

His mouth finds my breast and he sucks it through my nightie. My back arches up off the bed.

“Katia,” he warns.

“Fuck you, Marcus Tandem.”

He growls, low and deadly but I won’t give in. I won’t give him what he’s trying to get out of me. Not tonight. Even though I feel it, with every inch of my body, he won’t be breaking through that wall.