Stepbrother's Debt(30)
Letting out a breath, she rested her head against the wall, wishing for some kind of peace, or any kind of peace.
“Don’t cry,” Donnie said, coming into her bedroom. She closed the photograph album and stared at him. He held a plate with a large slice of cake. “You didn’t take any cake.”
“I wasn’t exactly in the mood to eat.”
He didn’t hand over the cake. Instead, he reached out, taking the album from her. She watched as he opened it up, stopping on the photo she’d been looking at. “I haven’t seen your dad’s picture for a long time. This you?”
“Yes, it was so long ago. That was taken when I was six, and at Christmas.” She crossed her legs.
“You look happy.”
“I was a kid at Christmas with my dad. Of course I was happy. Haven’t you ever had happy moments?”
“Not as many as you’d think. Being Martinez’s son didn’t come with a lot of happy memories.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that,” she said, meaning it. This man was going to be her husband. “Do you want children?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you really want to have kids when you’re part of a family that kills people? I don’t want that kind of life, not for myself, and not for my kids, Donnie.”
He closed the book with a snap before cutting into the cake. “Here, take a bite. It’s beautiful with a wonderful chocolate frosting just for you.”
Staring at the cake, she opened her lips, waiting for him to feed her. Staring into his dark eyes, Paige struggled to look away. He was so handsome in a cold kind of way.
Licking her lips, she moaned. The intense chocolate flavor exploded on her tongue, making her mouth water for more.
She watched him take a piece, using the same fork to eat some for himself.
“You’re not worried in case I’ve got germs?”
“You’ve not got germs.” He presented her with another piece of cake.
Staying silent, she ate while he fed her.
“We’re going to have a real marriage, Paige.”
“We shouldn’t be thinking about marriage. I’m eighteen, and you’re twenty-one. I’m finishing up the final years of high school. I’m graduating, and yet you’re here talking about marriage.”
He silenced her with another piece of cake. “We’ll have a real marriage, and I’ll allow you to attend college through the internet. I can’t let you leave to go away to a good college. The Family would try and stop it, cause problems. I can’t have you causing problems for me otherwise they’d take action against me.”
“I don’t want to hurt you or cause you pain.”
“Good. I won’t allow anyone to hurt you, but as you can imagine, at this moment in time, there’s only so much I can do.”
Biting her lip, she stared down at the empty plate. It hadn’t taken them long to eat the whole of the cake. “Do you really want to be married to me, or are you just being nice to me?”
“I want to be married to you, Paige. I want you to be mine.”
“Why? You’ve never given me any sign that you’ve wanted me.” She couldn’t help but doubt his intentions. “I mean, you didn’t tell me you were trying to find out information about my father.”
“I told you I didn’t have a choice. I needed to know what you know. I’ve kept your secret. Dad doesn’t know. What I need you to understand, baby, is that I may have been there because my father wanted me to, to start off with, but it changed.”
“How did it change?”
“I thought you’d be like every other woman I’ve come across, loving the life my father could give you.”
“I don’t know your father. I’ve never been into material things.” She shrugged. “I guess I’m strange like that.”
“I can’t offer you love, Paige. What I can offer you is safety, protection, and friendship.”
Paige wouldn’t give into her thoughts. “I guess those are the same things I can offer you. I don’t love you, Donnie. I care, but I don’t love you.” For a split second she was sure that she saw a flash of pain in his gaze. She must have imagined it as his face seemed to close off from all emotion. “I guess in a month we’ll be man and wife.”
She tried to put a brave face on it. The truth was, she was absolutely terrified of the future.
Chapter Eight
One month later
“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Donnie turned to his beautiful bride. From the moment she walked down the aisle dressed all in white with her raven hair bound up, and cascading all around her¸ he’d been mesmerized. Luiz stood by his side as his best man with Jake and Tonio standing next to him. Maria was Paige’s matron of honor.