THE CONTROL: An Arranged Marriage Romance by Elena Monroe (ebook reader android .txt) 📕

hands, I bent down until our eye levels matched, hoping she’d be weak enough to just whisper it to me. “I need you to tell me or I can’t help you heal.”

The way her face pouted made an ache in my chest feel a mile wide, pitch black and hopeless. I was going to use how terrible it felt and get rid of her problems all together. I was already planning the ways Elias could end up dead.

Trying to swallow the torment she felt, she barely whispered the words. “It’s as bad as you think, Bowey.”

Those words might have well been gasoline, she just set a match to the burning pits of hell and Elias was the first person I was dragging under with me.

Grabbing her wrist, I yanked her upright in a way I would regret later and dragged her behind me. Opening my office door, the other horsemen stood there, each with a different expression of curiosity for the moans and objects breaking they probably just heard.

“What? Is this not my office?” I waited to be challenged about it.

Vic simply clapped slowly while Grimm looked shocked with an eyebrow popped, and Khaos had no expression that seemed to match theirs. His wasn’t his typical happy-go-lucky bullshit he forced on everyone. This expression was much gloomier.

Vic broke the tension and silence first. “My man, I knew you were normal under all that black.” Squeezing my shoulder in his grip, I pushed him off me with a shove. I just found out Elias raped my wife and paid her a visit without me there. As much as I suspected foul play, I never wanted her shit to match mine.

“I’m taking vacation, effective immediately. Deal with it.” Eve slipped her hand into mine to avoid me holding her wrist so tightly.

Everyone’s expression turned to confusion except for Khaos. I could spot one of his games a mile away, and withholding information that can change your life? His most popular game.

Stepping up to Khaos as he sat on Chevy’s desk, I grilled him in place, pinning him there. “If I find out you knew any of this and made this a part of one of your games… I will bash your face in until there’s nothing left of that useless fucking head of yours.” Biting out my words, I stared at Khaos who looked guiltier than Elias ever did.

I hadn’t felt this angry since Braeden died.

Since Eve got dragged away from me.

I was angry enough to light it all on fire to see what was left once the flames died down.

Every time I caught a glimpse of Eve in the shiny reflections all over the Clave offices, I felt myself get angrier. She could have told me, given me a warning that the guy who raped her was the same guy at our wedding passed out on our couch.

Could of, should have, would have.

It was Braeden’s favorite saying when he was stupid drunk and borderline incoherent.

I dragged her all the way to the elevator and to my car like she was incapable of keeping up. She wasn’t even in heels that looked like stilts today.

“Get in the car.” I finally let her wrist go and noticed her face was covered in a slight fear—same as everyone else.

Climbing in the car myself, I dropped the folders to her lap and texted Chevy a to do list that was going to include cleaning up my mess I left behind.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be driving,” her voice sounded small and worried.

Ignoring her, I kept adding to my to-do list when she spoke again, “Who are you texting? And why does that girl look like me?” Void of worry now—only jealousy and insecurities.

She dropped a bomb, and I was refusing to acknowledge it. It was driving her mad.

Dropping my phone in my lap, I was waiting for Donte to call me back. I needed a plan for Elias, his body, his bullshit. Donte was the person whose hands were so soaked in blood that even his soul was red.

Taking off, I was really testing the stats of my car and it was living up to all the selling points.

The way home was quiet, too quiet, when I saw Eve out of the corner of my eye testing all my patience with the folder peeking open enough for her to read.

“Why do you have a folder on Elias?” Twisting towards me, she opened the folder instead of peering in from a corner.

My hands gripped the steering wheel even tighter. I wanted it to break, to crumble in my hands, because destruction feels comforting when everything else is a mess.

“He freaks everyone out. Guess I know why. He’s a fucking predator. He’s been kicked out of thirteen schools for assault, Eve. Not worth mentioning to me?” That’s what I did this morning, drop down behind my desk and get answers on her stepbrother moving to LA when he’s the new king of a country far, far away.

“You want me to be honest when you’re not being honest with me either.”

“No, you want me to spit out answers you already know. You want me to say all the things you won’t.” I didn’t want to argue with her, but I was.

Pulling into my driveway, I snatched my files back before leaving her sitting there. It didn’t take her long to get out of the car and shout loud enough for my neighbors to hear. “I found your folders! With all those girls who look like me. Be honest and I’ll be honest, Bowen, it’s that easy.”

Fuck.

Khaos.

Killing Elias was turning into a damn list of people making my life more difficult.

Still ignoring her questions, I B-lined it to the Hennessy. All I wanted was to drown my demons… and hers for a while.