In Your Clutches

Part 21: Vile Stench Of Cheap Perfume

AMELIA

"Well, you are a born Valentino. I could hardly expect more of you."

"Excuse me?" Anger simmered in my veins, my fear gradually morphing into annoyance. He smirked, the arch of his lips momentarily distracting me.

"The sooner you forget your Valentino ways, the better. It's bad enough I have to live with Valentino blood under my roof. I'd hate to be reminded of it every day simply by watching you be... you."

I crossed my arms. Right now we were standing in my room and Asher, as usual, was being a pain in the ass. He was constantly blaming and cursing my father for God knows what. It had been four days from our wedding and I was still not able to understand him and his annoying mood swings.

"What is your problem?"

"My problem is with you and everything your family stands for." There was no mistaking the rage in his arctic glare. He laughed an evil laughter.

"Please leave." His laughing ceased, the smile vanished from his face, but I forced my courage to the forefront.

"I said leave."

But instead of turning around and walking out, he moved closer, his jaw clenched and irises hard.

"Turn around."

"What?" My eyes widened. He stalked forward, his entire demeanor threatening and dominant, like a predator consumed with blood-lust as it regarded its prey.

"I. Said. Turn. The. Fuck. Around." My heart stammered inside my chest, my mouth instantly dry. I could hardly find my voice as fear tightened its grip around my throat.

"No." I breathed out heavily, my legs hardly able to stand under the weight of terror. He snarled as he lifted his arm, throwing his glass across the room. I gasped when the loud crack of shattered glass splintered to sharp shards just as he reached out and grabbed my waist.

With the flick of his wrist, he forced me to turn, and a rush of air escaped my lungs as he pulled me against him, his arm snaked around my middle, securing me in place.

"You listen to me, and listen well because I am only going to say this once." He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear, causing chills to travel down my spine. "This is my fucking house, and if you ever disrespect me again, I will have no choice but to teach you a lesson." He jerked his hold tighter around my waist.

"It's already a goddamn embarrassment having to call a Valentino girl my wife, so believe me when I say the urge to whip some manners into you is fucking strong."

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even think as fear froze the blood in my veins, his touch cold and cruel.

"Now, say you understand." I closed my eyes, struggling to find my voice when he shoved his fingers through my hair, the bobby pins pressing into my skull as he gripped the strands in his palms.

I yelped as he pulled my hair, forcing my neck to the side. "Say you understand," he demanded with a voice laced with malicious threats.

I managed to take a breath. "I understand."

My whispered words were almost inaudible, but thank God it was good enough for him to let go of my hair, loosening his grip around my waist a little. I kept my eyes closed, his scent of black pepper and spice filling the air around me while my heart tried to break free from my chest one beat at a time.

But it was when I felt him reach for the zipper of my dress at the back of my neck that my insides turned into a vise with barbed wire piercing my flesh. My mind had already raced into the direction of any woman's worst nightmares. Panic suffocated me, and I whimpered as he brushed his nose against the skin of my neck while easing the zipper down my back.