Man Of The House Novels & Stories

he said in a serious tone as if he was lecturing a five-year-old who doesn’t understand a candy cost money and trespassed on his property. I blinked and pointed at the knob with the key. “But the key fits, I opened the door, this is my house.” He looked at me appraisingly for a moment, The man was about twenty-five and looks like a rugby player, his stature towered me so well that I can hide in his strong muscly body comfortably, it didn’t compare to my fragile little one. “Look here, Miss.” “This is my house.” He kept on staying firm with his words. Playing tough, eh?

He is immediately so nice and easy to talk to. "Oh... gotcha. Well, yeah, it's an amazing house. Is it yours?" I ask, almost forgetting how to make small talk in that moment. There is an immediate presence to this man that is inescapable. He is six-foot-three and looks like a slightly older version of the lawyer from that show JAG, all square-jawed with perfectly coiffed hair, though tinted by a recently spilled salt-and-pepper-shaker hue. He's also built. The kind of muscles I could probably develop if I paid more attention to weights and less to cardio.

She moves like someone who’s forgotten how. But she’s here. Still alive. Still breathing. Behind her, a man lingers in the doorway. He does not give a damn. There’s a smirk stretched across his face, like he’s watching a dark comedy and I’m the punchline. “I’m the best man,” he announces, like this is all some kind of twisted celebration. His grin grows wider, almost boyish. Then the door clicks shut again. Mrs. Mancini doesn’t acknowledge him. Her eyes flick to the tray of food I still haven’t touched.

"Actually, I'm pretty grateful you took her off my hands." Lily's face darkened instantly. John's expression tightened as he took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "Lily's no burden. She bought me that million-dollar house without me spending a dime! But I should thank you for being so generous, letting your wife spend money on me." His words made everyone gasp. John was Lily's boyfriend of eight years, while I was her husband even by law. Everyone present knew the complicated situation between us, and they also knew how John's house had come to be. Nonetheless, no one had dared to bring it out into the open.

I wondered who it was and thought maybe it was the property manager. I opened the door and was shocked to see Rupert. I had recently bought this apartment, and he shouldn't have known about it. I had been staying here to get away from him, so how did he find me? He was wearing a hat and a mask, covering himself completely. All I could see were his puffy eyes. I glared at him. "Rupert, have you been stalking me?" "I'm your husband, Janet," he said, his voice rough and tired. "Do you really have to treat me like this?"

I guess it’s a way to try to humanize himself to us and gain some type of sympathy so we don’t kill him. Eli takes the trembling, disheveled man and starts tying him up. We also get dressed in shorts, not bothering to put on shirts, and surround the bound man. “Where are the occupants of this house?” Eli asks the man. He shrugs and then spits out some blood. My pounce must have caused more damage than I thought. “Where are the Alpha and Luna of this household?” I rephrase the question. Again the man shrugs defiantly. Despite the fear written all over his face, this man is no Morris. He is still trying to hold on to the thin mirage of bravery he still has left.

He collapsed on the sand, convulsing, the stench of urine carried far on the wind. The party crowd that had gathered to watch earlier stood rigidly, not daring to breathe. They finally understood something. The man they had laughed at as a kept husband was the head of the Thornes, someone they weren't even qualified to approach! I held Luke close and spoke gently. "Luke, don't be scared. I'm here. No one will ever bully you again. I promise." Luke clung to my neck and nodded hard, letting out a small, muffled sound.

“She doesn’t look predictable.” Matteo’s gaze doesn’t leave him. “She’s not part of the discussion.” “Everyone’s part of the discussion,” the man replies. “Some people just don’t know it yet.” Matteo leans in slightly. Not threatening. Not loud. “You’re done here,” he says. “Tonight.” The man lifts his hands in mock surrender. “Of course. No offence intended.” “Rarely is,” Matteo replies. The man turns to me before leaving. “Enjoy your shift,” he says. “We’ll talk again.”

The man I hated more than anyone. The man I was married to. And tonight—tonight was just the beginning.

The sink was crammed with dishes, the air sour and stale. She wasn't the radiant Janet anymore. Just a lonely, unkempt old woman who couldn't manage on her own. Gray streaks took over her hair. Her clothes hadn't been washed in forever. Yesterday, the electricity shut off. That night, every other apartment glowed. Hers stayed dark. She stood there realizing she had no clue how to top up the utility card. In the pitch-black apartment, she felt her way to the bedroom and slammed into the wardrobe. Only after Harlan disappeared did it hit her—order didn't happen by magic. A clean, quiet home took work. Constant work.