Married Into The Mafia *Undergoing Re-editing*

My Happiness

--Eloise--

After I had internalized the situation I was in, the floodgates to an entire dam full of fear and dread flushed through my system. King's gaze grew sharper, his stare relentlessly brutal as I scrambled to detach myself from Jake. 

He was here. King was here and had seen us. Of all the people that could have found us, it was the worst possible person. Dread trickled in my chest as I watched helplessly in anticipation of his outburst. To hear the venom and thunderous anger in his voice like never before. 

I would have warranted it though it was unfair and unjust. Regardless of this being a sham marriage, King seemed like the type of man to have a firm grasp on whatever fell under his name. His pride and image seemed to depend heavily on this possession. And, I had just smeared the dirty of infidelity on it.

The backs of my knees hit the edge of the couch and my heart hammered from the short distance between us. 

I should be terrified of what's to come, and I was, but not as much as I should have been. For I knew what I was doing was wrong this entire time. I knew that I was not guiltless or smart for doing this. Every second I spent with Jake only enhanced that uncertain and unstable tension within my chest. 

However, I didn't care and had gone through with it regardless of the consequences. Because, why should I continuously comply like this to this man who was guilty of so much more? Why should I share pleasantries with any of these people and go along with his plan like this? I was a hostage! That's all I am to this man, a means to an end. 

So, was I not even allowed this one thing that made me feel good? 

I breathed in with a shaky disposition, eyes moistening in preparation for whatever was to come. I didn't care. This man could do the worst to me and my opinion of him could not change. It was already irreparable. And, with Jake's and the Truven's help, I will leave him behind.

"Eloise," he finally spoke with a rumbling baritone to his voice. It shared the lethality of his character and froze me stiff in trepidation. What would it be then? What would he do to me? "Come." That demand was chilling, like the beckon of the Reaper himself. 

I swallowed, hard, and hesitated, experiencing a flash of my life before my eyes. The impending doom of my fate approached quickly.

This was it.

I had done it.

He could very well kill me now if he wanted. 

He's going to strangle me until my windpipe's crushed.

He's going to feed me to a pack of dogs.

He's going to cut me up into little pieces and bury me where no one will ever find me.

Though I knew he wouldn't, that electrifying gaze almost promised that he would. I found that I couldn't move, and certainly not towards him. Despite knowing this was coming, I still didn't want to just accept it so easily. 

Luckily, Nicki seemed to have overcome her shock and swiftly intervened. "Calm down, Ashie. Perhaps if you let them explain-" 

Her attempt to lay a comforting touch on his arm was shunned with a jerk to shove her off. My eyes rounded, not expecting him to be so rough with his sister and instinctively cast a glance over to Jake to see his reaction to all of this as well. 

Surprisingly, Jake stayed relatively poised but aware of King's fury as they locked eyes with a ferocious intensity. "Do you enjoy this, Truven?" He accused lowly but with a bladed edge to his tone. King looked as if he wanted its sharpness to slit Jake's throat. His opponent, on the other hand, sat still and composed, unaffected by the interrogation. "Playing with her feelings whilst she's vulnerable? Lying about your gracious intentions towards her?"