The Throne of Fear: The Romano's Read online

  Drew slips the ring on the third finger of my left hand and I feel the burn. The stones are weighing heavily on my professionally manicured finger and my heart is beating so fast I pray for it to give out on me and save me from a nightmare.

  Drew kisses my hand and I try hard to look as if this is a dream come true and hold my ring up to the light and admire how it sparkles.

  “It’s beautiful.” That at least is true because it is. Who doesn’t love a diamond and I can appreciate the beauty of something that was made to provide pleasure?

  Drew nods with appreciation and hands the assistant his credit card. She heads off to finalize the transaction, and he pulls me close and lowers his lips to mine. I try so hard not to gag because his lips are soft and wet and any kiss shared with Drew is an unpleasant experience. I almost want to bring a towel with me because the man obviously doesn’t believe in swallowing.

  Pulling back as if embarrassed, I giggle. “Thank you Drew, it’s beautiful.”

  “Anything for you my little rabbit.”

  I shiver because even his pet name makes me want to hurl. This man couldn’t be any more unattractive if he tried?

  Despite my aversion to him, Drew Warner is an attractive man. Tall, fair hair that is well maintained and an all year-round tan. He has dark green eyes that are unusual and a chiseled jaw that demands respect. His clothes are well made, and he wears them well. He oozes wealth, and that’s because he stands to inherit millions. His family owns the largest oil refinery in Texas and by rights he should be heading back there to take up his rightful position in the family business. However, he was sent to college here in Miami and never left. A political career was more desirable to him and his family because he has three brothers who could step in and take care of the family business. They consider it beneficial to have a family member in government, protecting their interests and securing their future in an ever-changing world.

  “We should celebrate.”

  His words bring me back into the room and I smile. “What did you have in mind?”

  Leaning down, he growls with an impatience that’s becoming more frequent and says huskily, “Come back to my apartment, I think it’s time, Ivy.”

  “Time for what?”

  I play the innocent card but we both know what he means and a spark of impatience flares in his eyes as he says somewhat irritably, “Don’t play me for a fool, we both know what I mean. We are a couple; it’s what couples do.”

  Luckily, the assistant returns and his attention is diverted, giving me a moment to think.

  By the time the deal is done, I have my excuse and as he takes my hand, I shake my head. “I’m sorry Drew, I can’t be late. Daddy has some visitors over this evening and I’m expected to be there.”

  “Since when?”

  Drew looks annoyed and I say quickly, “I know, it’s inconvenient but you know my father, always entertaining. I suppose that will be our life soon.”

  Drew nods as I bring him back to the reason we are doing this because I’m in no doubt this is as much a business arrangement for him as it is for me. He looks at his impossibly expensive Rolex and says with resignation. “Ok, I’ll drop you home. I have somewhere I need to be later, anyway.”

  Then he stops and pulls me close, and his grip is hard and possessive. Leaning down, he growls ominously, “Tomorrow we will spend the evening together—alone. Prepare yourself for that.”

  What the…? I look at him through wide eyes and he strokes the side of my face and whispers, “Tell your parents you have been invited to spend the evening with friends. You will be late and may stay over. They will understand, after all, I expect they think we’re screwing most days, anyway. It’s time we did what every other couple does and I’m impatient. I’m a man with needs after all and as my fiancée it’s your duty to take care of them. You don’t want me having to take care of things myself, do you?”

  Yes, I do. My inner voice is screaming at the asshole, calling him every name under the sun because I’m under no illusions he’s not taking care of things himself at all. I’m guessing he has a string of women queuing up to do the dirty deed, and yet I think better of prodding the beast and just smile demurely.

  “I’m sorry, Drew, but daddy made me promise to keep myself for my wedding night. It’s not long now, surely I’m worth the wait.”

  I bat my lashes at him and force promise into my eyes as I gaze at him with what I hope is a lustful look. It seems to do the trick because he laughs softly and whispers, “Then it will be all the sweeter. I will wager you won’t be able to wait though. Give us a night in alone and you will be begging me. Trust me little rabbit, I’m a master at what I do and you will not be disappointed.”

  As we walk out into the sunshine, I thank God for this small reprieve. Sleep with Drew, I would rather pull out my own hair and my need to escape is burning deep inside.

  But how?

  Drew drops me home and after the usual drinks and polite conversation, he leaves, no doubt to hook up with a convenient booty call. I know what guys like him are like and from the first moment I met him, I knew he was a player. Just from the way his eyes lingered too long on any attractive woman in the room and the way he looked at me when we first met. Well, they are welcome to him and all I want is to change into something scruffy and go for a jog to rid my mind of him.

  Mom has other ideas though and as I turn to head to my room, says sharply, “A word please, Ivy.”

  My heart sinks as I nod meekly and follow her to her preferred point of lecture. The garden room.

  I know the drill and take a seat opposite her favorite chair and sit with my hands clasped in my lap as I sit straight backed, leaning slightly forward as I have been taught to do and wait for the lecture that usually follows.

  Mary Thompson is what you would expect from a politician’s wife. Groomed to perfection with an autocratic elegance that just gets fixed as time alters a body for the worse. She has been under more surgeon’s knives than most and subsequently has no emotion left in her expression. Nothing moves and an imperious look is set in stone as she stares blankly and I’m just amazed her lips can move at all she’s had so much filler pumped into them.

  “I want to talk to you about your relationship with Drew.”

  “Ok.”

  I wonder what she’s about to say, and she appears irritated if nothing else.

  “Now you are engaged we can relax the rules a little. You have been sheltered for your own protection up until now, and you need to experience something that will cement your union.”

  My stomach is churning as what I suspect she is about to say fills me with horror.

  “You need to have sex with Drew, before the wedding, preferably sooner rather than later.”

  I can feel my face burn as she stares at me with a resigned expression. “It’s what’s expected and would seem strange if you didn’t reach a more intimate level. The last thing we need is a scandal at this point, and men like Drew have needs. If he pursues those needs elsewhere, it could become a problem for us.”

  “For us?” I am genuinely confused, and she taps her fingers irritably on her knee, a sign of her impatience and says with a slight hiss, “Yes, for us, you see this marriage is not just between you and Drew, it’s a merging of families. A union of the most powerful kind and one that has been orchestrated for a reason. Drew is not an unattractive man and will be open to temptation. It’s your duty to keep him in line and you have one thing at your disposal he wants above everything.”

  I feel sick and stare at her with wide eyes because I can’t believe we are even having this conversation. “But…”

  “No buts, Ivy. It’s time you became a woman, and who better than your future husband? Next time the opportunity presents itself, you take it and no excuses. Do I make myself clear?”

  I nod and she says somewhat irritably, “Don’t look so miserable. Most girls would jump for joy at being with such a man. Consider yourself lucky and just learn to be the best wif
e possible and you may stand a chance at some happiness in all this.”

  I’m not sure why, but her words cause the beast inside me to stir and spring forward. “I don’t want to.”

  “Excuse me.”

  I can feel the tears bubbling up and suddenly I want my mom back. The one who protected me, not sacrificed me to a loveless marriage. “I don’t want to marry Drew; I don’t love him.”

  “Love.” She almost spits the word.

  “Do you think this marriage is about love? You stupid girl, have you learned nothing about how people like us live? We don’t love, we tolerate. We learn to exist for the greater good. All of this…” She waves her hand around dismissively and says with a slight edge to her voice, “This is the reason we do it. For a life others can only dream of. Love doesn’t come into it. If you’re lucky you may grow to like him, but love, it’s not an option.”

  I jump as my father’s voice bellows out, “What’s the problem?”

  I think we both jump in our seats as we see my father standing by the open doorway with a look I definitely don’t want to see in his eyes.

  Mom says quickly, “It’s ok, I was just informing Ivy of the next step in her relationship.”

  “And she’s upset about that?”

  He advances like a panther ready to strike, and I see my own fear reflected in my mother’s eyes. She maintains her expression and says firmly, “She understands and will do what’s right.”

  He stops and looks down at me and sneers. “Have you got a problem with pleasing your man now, girl? Do you think you can continue to take without giving?”

  “No sir.” I begin to shake inside as I sense the storm building and almost dare not look as he towers above me. It’s as if the storm clouds have filled the room with the promise of destruction and I know what happens next. He strikes quickly as always and grips my hair, pulling me to my feet and pulling sharply down so my neck almost snaps. Mom just sits silent as always as he growls, “You ungrateful spoiled little bitch. You will not ruin this for us. It’s taken a lot of negotiation between our two families to get to this point and you will play your part.”

  I feel the tears leaking from my eyes as he continues to hold me and snarls, “Do you want me to remind you what happens to girls who speak out of turn?”

  “No, sir. I’m sorry.”

  My voice shakes as I plead with a monster and my heart sinks when he hisses, “Leave us.”

  Mom doesn’t even object. Silently, she stands and heads out of the room without looking back and closes the door softly behind her.

  My heart hammers in my chest and I just pray it gives out on me before he punishes me as only he can.

  As soon as the door closes, he releases me and says tightly, “On your knees.”

  Feeling the shame wash over me, I know better than to argue and sink to my knees and bow my head. I hear him cross the room and hear the lock click in place and my heart almost gives out on me. Why is he so angry? It doesn’t make sense.

  The soft tread of his feet on the carpet, stop before me and then he sits on the chair my mother occupied not a few seconds ago. He says ominously, “You have a choice, Ivy. Either take your punishment and agree to play by my rules, or suffer a more humiliating punishment if you don’t. It’s your choice.”

  “I’m sorry, sir, I’ll do as you say.”

  “Will you though?”

  I feel the sweat drip down my spine as I wonder how far he will take this.

  “You see, Ivy, the game is changing. Soon you will be another man’s responsibility, and it’s my duty to shape you into a woman he will be proud of. Do you think I enjoy punishing you?”

  I know he does but think better of saying it and instead shake my head, and say in a whisper, “No, sir.”

  “Then what do you choose?”

  “To please my husband, sir.”

  “Good girl.”

  For a moment, I almost think I’ve pulled it off and he says softly, “You’re a good girl, Ivy, I’ll miss you when you’ve gone. Always remember a woman’s job is to please her man, it keeps the marriage a happy one.”

  For who? Words that will never pass my lips spring to mind as I picture my mom’s life. I know she’s unhappy and has been since my earliest memory. Why did she do this? I will never understand, and the thought my future will be the same, is a difficult thing to accept.

  “Drew will give you a good life. He will be successful and you will be the force behind the man. Don’t underestimate your role in this because he needs you as much as you need him. Sometimes a man has to bring his woman in line and you will thank him for it, do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Then I will make this easy on you Ivy. Do whatever you’re told and I mean anything he asks. What goes on behind closed doors in a marriage stays there. We have protected you from the harsh realities of life for too long, and it’s now up to Drew to educate you in the ways of the world. Don’t fight him on this, he will make it easy on you.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I keep my head bowed so he can’t see the hate in my eyes, and he sighs heavily. “Thirty minutes should give you time to think.”

  Inside, I start to scream. Please God, not that. I start to plead, “I’m sorry…”

  “Save your pathetic pleas, take your punishment and learn from it.”

  He stands and takes hold of my wrist, and I fight the urge to strike out and make a run for it. From his pocket, he removes a plastic tie that he always keeps there and pulls my hands roughly behind my back and snaps it in place. I feel the bite of the plastic as it cuts into my skin and then begin to shake as he ties a silken scarf around my eyes. Then he pushes me forcefully toward my prison, a secret room that lies behind the wood paneling and I start to plead. “Please sir, I promise to do what you ask.”

  “Enough talking, girl, you know this is for your own good.”

  I know what’s coming next as he gags me with another silk scarf, and I almost can’t breathe as he pushes me into the confined space that allows me enough room to stand. As the door slams, I hear the key turn in the lock and the wood of the door is almost touching my face. The only air in the room comes from a series of holes cut into the wood to stop me from a certain death, and I know all I can do is stand for the next thirty minutes to ‘learn from my mistake.’

  This isn’t the first time I’ve stood in this cupboard and probably won’t be the last. I think I was six years old when I first experienced this cruel torture, and it was because I dared answer him back over the dinner table. As punishments go, this is one of many, and at least the spanking stopped when I hit puberty. They were the most humiliating kind of torture because I was forced to lie across his knee with my ass exposed while he thrashed me with his belt until he drew blood. The room I’m in was his preferred form of torture, although he also loved to strip me naked and force me into a bath of ice-cold water until I turned blue.

  Mom never stopped him and didn’t seem to care. She has always gone along with whatever he said, and that’s exactly what they are conditioning me to do. Walk from one private hell to another, and yet I’m not that frightened girl anymore. I’m better than that because rather than think about what I’ve done, I’m now very much thinking of what I’m going to do, just as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

  Chapter 5

  Romeo

  Richie heads into my office and smiles. It has no humor in it because the sick bastard loves playing games almost as much as me.

  “He’s here.”

  “Is he alone?”

  “Of course.”

  The relief hits me hard. At least he’s not with Ivy, she’s safe for now.

  I flick the screen to the CCTV and zoom in on the club. It doesn’t take me long to pick him out among the crowd and watch as he pulls one of my dancers onto his lap and smirks as she thrusts against him. He runs his hands over her bare ass and I know where this will lead.

  Thinking of the goddess he is expect
ed to marry, I feel the anger clawing at me inside. She deserves so much better than him, than me in fact. There’s not a man alive that deserves Ivy Thompson and definitely not the bastard with his hands all over my staff.

  “Maybe we should greet our guest personally.”

  Richie nods and laughs softly as I reach for my jacket.

  Gone are the leathers and in their place is my usual black suit with a black shirt. Black to match my mood and my heart. It’s always black. I surround myself in darkness because that’s where I feel at home. Occasionally I step out from the shadows to take something I shouldn’t and this is one of those times.

  We head to the club, which is filling up nicely. Powerful men flock here to sample the delights on offer, and Drew is here more than most. At least if he’s screwing my staff, he’s not anywhere near Ivy, which makes me a little happier.

  The music is loud as we make our way into the club and I take a deep breath. I can almost taste the deprivation in the room, a mirror image of my soul, and I cut through the crowd with purpose, not stopping for anyone who thinks they can command my attention. My men surround me and keep the customers away because I have only one man in my sights, Drew Warner.

  It doesn’t take me long to reach him and as we approach, I snap, “Leave.”

  The girl on his lap needs no further invitation and heads off quickly with her eyes lowered.

  I stare at a man I hate with a passion but keep my feelings in check as I force a smile on my face.

  “I hear congratulations are in order.”

  “They are.”

  His self-satisfied smirk prods the beast inside me, but I keep control and take the seat beside him.

  “Then why are you here, surely you have better things to do, like your future wife?”

  The words taste bitter on my tongue, but he would expect to hear them. It’s how we speak, how we operate, and how we live our lives. Women are objects to us and not worthy of consideration, and he laughs. “Tomorrow will be another story, but tonight I’m here to party.”