Wedding night

“No, Mamita.” Prim protested. 

“The doctor said to take better care of your heart.” She said, smoothing her mother's hair. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I caused all this,” 

Prim finally broke into heavy sobbing, the weight of the day’s experience finally hitting her. 

Her mother shook her head, and raised her bed into a sitting position. 

She hugged Prim close. “I was shocked to see that video because you never told me. But I know you will only do such a thing because of your family.”

She pulled Prim away to look into her eyes. “That happened when I needed heart surgery, right?”

Prim nodded. “But I did not go through with it. I promise you, I didn't. Julian finally found out about the surgery and gave me the money.”

Her mother nodded. 

“Yes, I remember. He was angry you did not tell him, but never asked his mother why she threatened you not to involve her son in our problems.” She said, 

“I am relieved you did not marry him, although I wish it would have happened some other way. He never defends you against his mother. “

Prim shook her head. 

She wondered how her mother would react if she told her she had caught him making out with Aurora. 

“I should have told him about what happened.”

“And he should have listened to your side of the story before storming off,” her mother said.

Prim shook her head again. She did not want to think of this now.

“It's fine. Don't think about it for now.” Her mother said, answering her thoughts in her usual magical way. 

They stayed silent for a while. 

“I am serious, Primrose,” her mother said.

Prim looked up. “About what?” 

“I need to finally tell you about your father.” She said,

“Mamita,” Prim protested.

“No, listen.” Ms Mila placed her finger over her daughter’s lips. “You are not a bastard. Your father is possibly alive but does not know I had you.”

“You told me all this before.” Prim could not help saying. 

Her mother gave her a look and she went silent. 

“True. But I did not tell you why we separated.”

Prim shook her head.

“Your father is the head of a private army. He fancies himself the good guy of the underworld. He takes his army on mission after mission serving justice to bad guys, especially the Mafia,” Mia whispered. 

“Oh.” Prim said. 

This was news to her. 

“I did not want that life. We never stayed in one place, and had lots of enemies. We could not raise a family like that. So I left. I did not know I was pregnant with you.” Mia said.

“Do you know how I can find him? What is his name?”

“You have his last name Barlos. His name is Angelo Barlos.” her mother said with a sad smile. Then she shook her head. “But I don't know how you can find him. Like I told you, he never stays in one place for too long.”

Prim's face fell.

“But I have a feeling you will find him someday.”

***

Prim climbed in beside Egan in one of his luxury cars. 

She smiled at the guard who helped her in.

He did not smile back as he gently closed her car door. 

She glanced at Egan. He was staring straight ahead. Whether at the driver’s head, the road, or merely brooding, she could not tell.

She looked away.

There was something that did not exactly feel right about these people. 

She did not know what it was, but she had a strange feeling in her chest when she thought about the way they behaved.

Her conscience laughed at her.

Was it not a little too late to be worried about that now?

And Alexakis? He looked rich, with all those cars tailing them.

He could not be the young heir, could he? 

She shifted uncomfortably. 

Quite the imagination, Prim. Who did she think she was? The Alexakis heir marry her? Hilarious. 

He had to be a distant cousin at best. If her phone was here she would have done a quick internet search.

Perhaps she could just ask him questions directly? 

She glanced at him again. He was still staring ahead.

Then he turned. 

His eyes were like ice chips. Prim looked away quickly.

Information from the internet it is!

This man intimidated her. Sitting there like a stone statue.

She heard muttering beside her, and turned in disbelief. He was actually muttering. 

She concentrated on his lips and realized he was saying her name.

Primrose, 

Prim 

Rose..

“You have such a lovely name.” He looked at her suddenly. 

“Oh.” were the only words her brain could form as a blush spread across her cheeks. 

This sexy god liked her name? Her brain was suddenly not responsive as she tried to think of an appropriate response to the compliment.

Dammit. The man must think she was a dimwit since she had been unable to respond for two whole minutes.

She shifted in her seat. 

“Thank you.”

“What’s the meaning?” 

For the first time, she noticed how very deep his voice was and how it trembled a little beneath the surface. 

This was the most words he had said since he offered to marry her.

“First rose. The first rose that blooms,” she replied.

Yes! That came quickly. Good start to showing him she was not actually a dimwit.

“It suits you.” 

Then he turned away and lapsed back into silence. 

Wow. That was it? She thought they were getting familiar here?

She turned to the window with a disappointed pout.

The cars slowed down before the largest mansion Prim had ever seen. 

Against the dark of the night, the mansion looked like it was wrapped in ribbons of gold-colored light.

Their convoy ran on the long stretch of cobblestone flooring that led up to the front of the mansion. 

The reflection of warm lights from the mansion danced in the huge water fountain in front of the house. 

“Come. You will meet grandma in the morning.” Egan said, getting out of the car.

Ok, dictator.

She nodded and walked beside him, his fierce-looking goons falling behind them.

Egan did not go directly into the mansion. He moved around the building and led her through a remote door.

She knew she was an accidental bride, but she could not help feeling like some stolen goods being smuggled in.

Was this not his house then? Was this the Alexakis mansion, and he was scared of offending the heir?

They went up a flight of stairs, as a small group of maids abandoned their tasks to gape at her in her wedding dress.

She smiled nervously at them. 

Yay! Your boss’s cousin married a bride on a whim.

Egan stopped suddenly on the stairs, and she almost ran into him. He turned to the gaping maids, and they hastily flurried away.

He reached back, and took her hand.

She felt tingles shoot up her arms at his touch.

Wow Prim. Forgotten your finance so easily, Her conscience nagged her.

But she remembered him munching on Aurora’s lips and squeezing her, and she felt fury envelop her.

She hoped they got hit by a bus.

Egan finally let go of her hand when they arrived at a luxuriously furnished suite. 

She stood in the large living room and watched him go in. 

She remained standing, unsure what to do next. 

Five minutes passed. 

Did he forget she was here? Knowing the ice god for less than six hours, that was not a very ridiculous idea.

Should she go in? Would that be invading his privacy? But they were married, privacy went out the window as soon as they exchanged those vows.

Then she remembered this was no ordinary marriage.

Oh. Dammit.

She gathered courage and went in. She needed to find her suitcase and call Sol.

She found the master’s bedroom and slowly walked in. 

Egan was typing away at his laptop on a table, still dressed in his suit. He did not even glance up at her. 

She had guessed right. He really did forget about her.

She spotted her suitcase and walked towards it. 

“Take a bath, and change out of that dress. Your siblings are fine.” He said.

She gasped and turned to him. 

He was still typing away like he was not the one who had just spoken.

She walked anxiously to the bathroom. 

Was he that impatient to get in bed with her? 

Dammit. This was the part she had not really thought of.

This was a stranger. Yes. She had looked forward to making love with her husband tonight, but not this husband.

She finally stepped out of the bathroom in one of the white bathrobes she found there, and stood awkwardly. 

He slowly closed his laptop, looking at her. 

Prim stood still as he walked towards her, still staring. Everything about this man was silent. Even the way he walked.

She felt like she was watching a cheetah paw up to her.

He stopped and opened her suitcase. 

He pulled out a silk, silver-colored sleepwear set.

This was the outfit she had planned for her first night with Julian. That was the reason it was sitting on the top of her suitcase. She was certain Egan knew this too.

She violently pushed the thoughts out of her mind. 

She took the clothes from him and headed to change in the bathroom, hoping he would not stop her. 

He didn't. 

When she stepped out, he was already undressing. 

She kept her eyes on the carpeted floor, nervous, waiting.

Then she heard the shower running in the bathroom. 

Wait. What?

She looked up to see he was no longer standing there.

Wow!

She slowly sat at the edge of the bed, waiting. 

He came out with just a towel around his waist. 

His body was exactly as she had imagined; muscled abs and a firm chest. 

What patched bruise was that on his shoulder though?

He disappeared into the walk-in closet and returned, clothed in just a pair of pajama pants, muscles still wet and rippling.

Prim stood up.