“Peanut butter and jelly is fine. I do have one more question, though.”

“What is it?”

I sit down on the edge of the bed and rest my hands firmly in my lap. He moves to stand directly in front of me.

“Well, more like two questions.”

“I don’t have time for games. I’m fucking hungry.”

“Fine. First, I’m not comfortable with someone else buying my clothes. And second, I’m also not keen on some random doctor coming here and seeing me, either. So if and when we-”

He stops me again.

“If and when we what? Fuck? Screw? Have sex? Make love? Is that what you’re trying to say? Because trust me, there will be an ‘if!’”

He ticks off one finger.

“An ‘and!’”

He ticks off another.

“And there definitely will be a ‘when!’”

My heart pounds in my chest. I know Cain doesn’t like disrespect. He’s made this loud and clear. We’re also alone here. Just like anyone else, I’m entitled to my own damn opinion. I’m also in control of my own body.

“You and I are happening, Calla Bexley. Deal with it!”

“We shall see,” I say smugly, crossing my arms over my chest.

I haven’t been called Calla Bexley since the day we got married. It sounds even better than I remember. Cain shoves me back onto the bed, covering me with his big body.

“Listen up. I have answers to those damn questions. I’m only saying them once. You can’t leave here to go shopping for clothes. I’ve told you the reason why. You make a list of what you need and I’ll give it to Priscilla and she will get them. And you will see a doctor. I may not have an education, but I sure as shit know there are more options for birth control then condoms. I don’t want anyone looking at your pretty little pussy, either, but there is no way in hell I’m letting anything come between you and me again and that includes a goddamned condom. Deal with it.”

His arrogance is flipping maddening. I tip my head back in shock.

“And don’t look at me like that!”

“How am I looking at you?”  I say flippantly, trying to get a little of my own back.

“Like you’re wondering who the hell Priscilla is and whether I screwed her or not.”

“I most certainly am not! Who you screwed while we were apart is none of my business. Just like what I did is none of yours.”

“Bullshit. Everything about you is and always will be my business. And for your information, no, I did not fuck her. She’s married to Bronzer. They have two kids, a dog, and a damn hamster. She keeps my books for me. Are there any other questions brewing in that head of yours?”

“Not right now. I’ll ask to reconvene to discuss these facts with my client,” I laugh.

“There you go, then. Bring it on, Ms. Lawyer. I have nothing to hide.”

And this is where I call bullshit. Not out loud, of course. I know damn well he’s hiding plenty.

Tossing him a forced smile, I reluctantly agree. I’m too tired to argue with him anymore. As I follow him out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, all I can do is picture myself wearing Daisy Dukes and black biker tank tops. Going braless and pantyless. God, I need to find a way out of here, and fast.

“This kitchen is amazing. The whole house is, actually. Did you build it yourself?”

I sit at the kitchen table on one of the high bar stools. The rounded table looks handmade. A thin strip of dark wood borders the glass tabletop. The intriguing part of it is what’s underneath the glass. Shards of what appear to be broken glass in every color are scattered throughout, giving the appearance of a rainbow effect the way one color bleeds into the next.

“I designed it and hired a company out of Canton to build it,” he shrugs and takes the last bite of his sandwich.

“It all looks so new.”

“It’s been done for about a year. And like I told you already, I haven’t stayed here. I built it for us. You’re here now, so this is where we stay.”

Maybe I’ve been wrong about Cain this whole time. Then again, the way he turns from ice to a blazing hot sun, maybe not. I’m exhausted. I need to sleep and wake up to a fresh mind.

Cain busies himself in the kitchen, putting things away and wiping down the counters. I observe him. He’s hiding way too much from me. Would I be crazy to dig around and see if I can find out exactly what it is? Do I gain his trust and make him think I will stay, then run the first chance I get? Or do I stand by his side like he wants me to?

Give it a day or two and everyone will have the cops out looking for me. They’ll all be worried, and when that happens, here is one of the first places my dad will look, depending on how much he actually knows. He’s hidden a lot from me. He may know everything.

“You ready for bed?”

Cain’s voice startles me and my eyes snap to his. His inspection holds me in place. Warmth flourishes in places where it shouldn’t, thinking about sleeping next to him all night for the first time as husband and wife. This night should have happened years ago, but it was ruined.

I muster up a fake smile.

“Sure.”

It seems to appease him. He walks over and reaches for my hand, then turns off the light, guiding me through the house in the dark to his room.

“I’m just going to use the bathroom. Do you have a spare toothbrush?” I ask.

“I do. It’s in one of the top drawers. Help yourself. I shower here and that’s about it. I’ll have Priscilla get you everything you need.”

I stand for a moment watching the muscles in his back flex while he pulls the covers down and adjusts the pillows. Here comes the heat again between my legs. Heat mixed with pleasant pain from the rough sex we had. I’ve never fucked or been fucked like that before. Not even when Cain and I first started having sex. Both of us were inexperienced, but always wanting to try something new. And like typical teenagers, failing miserably at it.

It doesn’t matter. I will play this game. See the doctor. Do what he wants me to do. Stay until he finds this man who wants to hurt me.

With my mind made up, I enter the bathroom, this time shutting the door behind me. I brush my teeth, wash my face, and clean myself up. I stare at my reflection in the mirror, cringing when I see small bite marks on my neck. No matter how good he is at sex, how big his dick is, and how he truly sets me off like no one else, my heart needs to stay guarded around him. He’s a man who can’t be trusted. A man who will destroy me again if I give him the chance.

There are a lot of songs out there about being crazy. I think they all were written with women like me in mind. I feel like a racquetball being slammed up against the wall with the way my thoughts go from wanting him one minute, then the next biding my time to get away from him.

By the time I exit the bathroom, Cain is already in bed texting on his phone, his long fingers moving swiftly across the screen. He glances up at me briefly, turns, and plugs his phone into the charger. God, I would give anything to get my hands on a phone, just to let my family know I’m all right. I’m smart enough to know I can’t do that. Not until I investigate for myself this asshole who is after me. An idea goes off in my head. I can use the skills I’ve worked hard at cultivating to help bring this piece of shit down.

“Come here,” Cain beckons.

“Geez. You’re like a tyrant on a bossy power trip. I’m coming.”

I crawl up the bed and settle my body next to his.

“You’re a little hellcat, you know that? You’re going to be a great lawyer.”

Sweet baby Jesus. He can be nice when he wants to be. I snuggle into him, resting my head on his shoulder.

“I hope so. Speaking of which, you should let me help you find this Kryder guy. I have resources, you know.”

I tread lightly with my words. I’m hoping he will let me. It might move things along faster.

“You can help me from here. Work by my side if you want, and we can see what we can come up with. He’s vanished. He has others do all of his dirty work; picking up drugs, distribution of them. You name it. Someone else is doing it. We’ve caught many of his men, and not a single one of those fuckers will talk. It’s like they would rather get the shit beat out of them, lose a limb, or worse, die before they betray that animal.”