Bleeding Heart (Captured Miracle Book 2)(5)

I felt his hand close over mine and when I opened my eyes, Calix looked distraught. Maybe I was getting to him. “Yes, Nova. You will feel the pain of his death. But I’ll be here to comfort you.”

Was he so mentally imbalanced that he thought, for even a moment, that I could find comfort in the hands of the man who killed my father?

I didn’t ask him this. Instead, I asked quietly. “Will you release me when you’ve found your revenge against my father?”

He shook his head. “I’ll never release you, love.”

“Why?” I felt no sense of hopelessness in his statement. Hope had long ago fled my body, a long lost love of my heart. Now, I was just curious. “You’ll have gotten all you want. Why not release me? Why not allow me to live my life?”

“You’ll know too much.” He shook his head. “Fate has bound us together, love. As I’ve said before, you’ll learn to want me. You’ll learn to accept this life and all I can offer you - but you’ll never leave me. I will never permit you to leave me, love.”

“Will you tell me then?” I asked into my lap. I couldn’t bring myself to look up into his blue eyes. They were so beautiful - so deceiving. Who ever would have guessed that a monster would wear the eyes of an angel?

“Tell you what?” Calix asked gruffly.

“What happened between your parents and my father - will you explain it to me?”

“No.”

My eyes flashed up to his. “What?” I frowned. Surely I’d heard him wrong.

“I said no.” He said again. “There are some things better left unsaid.”

“I think I have a right to know.”

“You are my fiancée, Nova. You will be my wife - I will decide what you have a right to know or not to know.”

My mouth dropped. I realized Calix was controlling, but his words were a surprise. I don’t really know why they surprised me, but they did. I’d honestly expected he would brief me on the events of our pasts that led us to this point in our lives right now.

“However, I would like to discuss the fact that you refused, repeatedly, to accept my calls while I was away.”

“I didn’t want to talk to you.” I said quietly.

“Why?”

“I was - I am angry with you?”

He settled back into the couch. “Why?”

My brow furrowed. “Calix,” My hands shook in my lap as I tried to steady their shaking. “How can you ask that question?”

“We were getting somewhere, Nova, before I told you why I took you.” Calix shrugged and I cut him off.

“No, we were getting somewhere when you dangled the possibility of contacting my family over me.”

“I told you I would allow you to contact them once we were married.” Calix growled, his eyes and voice were tense. “If you insist on pressing this, you won’t be contacting them at all.”

I sealed my lips. Obviously, Calix wasn’t in the mood for my talking back to him. I didn’t want to anger him further than he was. Honestly, I was tired. I had slept the day away and after only an hour of this with Calix, I felt as though I could easily sleep another twelve hours.

“I’m tired.” I whispered. “Can I please go back to bed?”

“No.”

My eyes flickered up to look into his hard face. “Please, Calix.”

“I said no.”

I sighed. “What do you want from me right now?”

“I want you to tell me why you refused my calls.”

“I already told you.”

“No, you didn’t.” He shook his head. “Tell me the truth, Nova.”

“I didn’t want to talk about my father over the phone.” I cried, pressing my fingers into my temples. “I didn’t want to finish our conversation over the fucking phone!”

He reached out to catch my chin in his hands. “Language, Nova. It’s improper for a woman to speak in such a way.”

I sniffled. “Can I please go to sleep now?”

“No.” He swiped the pad of his thumb over my lip and my breath hitched as wariness flooded my body. I couldn’t handle this right now. If he kissed me - if he forced me to attend to my wifely duties of welcoming him home - I would die.

“Calix,”

He dropped his hand. “Go put a swimsuit on.”

I blinked, stunned. Making sure it was night and I hadn’t been delusional in making up the color of the sky, I glanced toward the patio. “It’s, it’s night time.”

“I’m aware what time it is, love.” Calix said sternly. “Go put a swim suit on.”

“But,”

“If you would rather swim naked,”