Chapter 68
Julian
I stare down at the silver band on my finger. It catches in the light and feels strange on my finger. I’m a married man. Married to the enemy’s daughter. Married to a woman who knows nothing of the truth as to why I took her. A moral man would feel guilt, but I feel nothing close to that. Now, I hold all that Romero cares for in the world in the palm of my hand.
Marie packs our suitcases, and Elena sits on the bed and watches her. She tried to help, but I stopped her. I pay Marie an hourly wage to do the things that I want her to do. Elena needs to come to terms with that.
Leaning against the wall, I watch the two women talk and laugh while I drink a glass of whiskey. The day is still young, I know, but a union of marriage calls for a glass of whiskey. Dressed in a sundress that hugs her luscious curves and shows off the perfect swell of her tits, I have to stop myself from taking my wife into the bathroom and fucking her against the mirror to consummate our marriage properly.
Wife. She is my wife now. It seems surreal, almost as if this morning was a dream.
Marie keeps her head down, her eyes trained on folding the last few items for our suitcases as I stare at Elena. The idea of leaving this mansion and heading to the island makes me nervous, but I know Elena needs this, and a part of me needs it too.
No one will be able to reach her there, and any chance of her escaping is extremely unlikely. Plus, everything back here will be managed and taken care of. Lucca will be holding the fort down, and Zeke is searching for Romero, so I have a little time to relax and focus on us. All will be well.
I’m just anxious to get out of here and to the island. Downing the rest of the amber liquid in my glass, I walk over and set the crystal glass down on the nightstand. The sound causes Marie to jump a foot off the ground, and I bite the inside of my cheek to withhold a smirk.
“Go make sure your things are packed and ready to go. We’ll finish up here,” I dismiss her. Her eyes dart between Elena and me before she scurries away like a timid little mouse.
“Do you take pleasure in scaring everyone?” Elena questions as soon as Marie is out of the room. The defiance in her eyes glistens in the sun filtering in through the window.
“Do you want the honest answer or the one that will make you feel better?”
“Never mind.” Elena rolls her eyes at me.
“Fear keeps people in line. I’ve told you this before.” I step closer to the bed and zip up the suitcase, “Are you hungry? We have an hour-long plane ride, and then a boat will take us to the island. So, it will be a while before dinner.”
“Island?” She perks up.
“Is that the only word you heard out of that sentence?”
“Kind of.” She smiles widely. “We’re going to an island? What kind? Where is it?”This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.
“It’s a private island in the Caribbean. We’ll fly down to Saint Martin, and from there, a boat will take us to the Island. Have you ever been to the Caribbean?”
“What do you think?” She frowns. “The furthest I’ve been away from home is Orlando. My parents actually took me to Disney for my eighth birthday.”
“You’ll love it, and I’ll be happy to take you to see the world if that’s what you’d like.” She gives me an uncertain look like she is doesn’t believe what I’m saying. “Where would you like to go?”
“I know it’s cliché, but I’ve always wanted to go to Paris.”
“Then we’ll go to Paris. Maybe in the fall.” Her smile widened at my words, and I’m already planning out the details in my head. “Come on, let’s get a light lunch before we head out.”
Elena gets up from the bed. I let her take the brace off after I called the doctor and confirmed she didn’t need it anymore. She loops her arm in mine like she did earlier this morning, but it already feels different now. More natural, more familiar, like her arm is supposed to be in mine… always.
* * *
I watch her raven hair dance in the wind as the boat glides over the water gracefully. I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of her all day. Not because I’m worried about her running, but because I’ve never seen her so happy. Never seen this twinkle of excitement in her eyes or this permanent smile on her lips. Her whole face lights up every time we see something new, and I can’t get enough of it.
If I could, I would spend the next hundred years traveling with her, simply to ensure this is how she’ll feel every day. I want her happiness, to always see her smiling. It’s grown on me, becoming the most important thing next to destroying her father in my life.
“Are you cold?” I ask when I see goosebumps pebble across her bare arms.
“A little, but I’m fine. I want to stay out here. I feel so free with the wind in my hair like I can do and go anywhere.”
“We can stay.” I wrap my arm around her and pull her into my side. Marie and Celeste are below deck, and I’d rather spend time with my wife alone anyway.
Security is already set up on the island. I’ll have fewer men there than I have around the mansion, but since the island itself is secure, and no one even knows where we are, we don’t need as many men.
“Is that it?” Elena squeals beside me as the island comes into view. It’s less than an hour boat ride from the mainland, but it’s far enough away to be secluded. It’s not even on a map.
“Yes, that’s it. Our home for a month.”
“I’m excited…” She looks out at the island in wonder, and I spend the rest of the ride watching her.
Ten minutes later, we arrive at the small dock at our private beach. I help Elena off the boat and walk her onto the shore.
Two of my men greet us and board the boat to get our luggage while I walk to the house with my eager wife by my side.
As soon as we step inside the house, the aroma of fresh roasted chicken greets us. I hired two extra maids, which got here yesterday, to make sure everything was perfect and ready by the time we arrived.