REIGN (A REVERSE HAREM)

34. Asher

"If you make yourself known to her i'm going to hang you." Roman says to Juliana, taking me by surprise.

"So scared." Juliana sighs, "I'll be watching her from my window."

"Good." He turns and walks away.

Juliana grabs my hand, "She's different." She looks out to Arabella with a piglet in her arms. "What's going on with her?"

"Shes struggling, with... Roman. I mean, nothing new there." I look at the smile on her face, she really does love animals.

Juliana sighs, "He's making her guess her worth, isn't he?"

"Yeah." I won't even try and justify his actions. The amount of times i've wanted to smack the shit out of him.

"But she is okay with you and Luca?"

"Fine, just... she's not herself. I mean look at her, she's wearing pants."

Juliana smiles, "I'll get her there again."

I dismiss myself, making my way from her living room and into the car with Roman, "Luca is gonna meet us at the hotel." He starts driving.

"Why are you such a dick to Arabella?" I ask. I don't know why i'm asking. He's never honest.

He looks at me for a second, "I'm scared." He says.

I don't freak out. Merely for the fact because i know if i do, he won't open up.

"Of what?"

"I can't protect her from everything. The more i get attached, the more she becomes a weakness. I can't afford that." He grips the steering wheel, "I am in love with her and it's scaring me."

Fuck.

"Have you tired talking to her."

He shakes his head, "I want her to hate me."

"Dude, why the fuck?"

"The more she hates me the more i won't love her." He clears his throat.

"Are you fucking stupid?" I look at him in disbelief.

"Asher you can't sit there and even pretend to know what i am feeling at the moment. I haven't felt shit my entire life. I do with her. I don't know how to deal with it."

I mean, that's a fair point as well.

"Doesn't mens you can be a dick to her. The girl isn't herself. She broke down in my arms about it, Roman." I shake my head. "God, all she wants is for you to love her."

"I do love her." He chokes on his words and then stops talking. He just stops, his emotions leaving him again.

I don't push him. But regret i didn't whenever he didn't say an entire word as we arrived at the hotel. We get out, meet Luca at the casino.

It was full of people but we find him playing a game of cards and just watched him as he cheated his way through winning a thousand dollars.

We spend the day doing business, Roman kills about fifteen people who he thought was a threat to us, or better of, to Arabella.

After spending an unnecessary amount of time disposing of the bodies, Luca knew something was up but didn't mention it until we got to the car. "So.."

"I got a dog." Roman says.

"What?" Luca and i say together.

"For Arabella, a puppy but she can train it to be a guard dog. A husky." He grips the steering wheel again.