Bones (Bonetti Brothers #1)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ATHENA

I didn’t sleep well last night, worse than in a cage. How can you possibly get good rest with a monster holding you tightly? His arms were wrapped around me like a damn boa constrictor threatening to squeeze the life out of me. I laid there awake most of the night, only falling into a light sleep occasionally. He slept just fine, while his enormous hard cock poked into my ass, reminding me of what he plans to do to me tonight. Things I don’t want, regardless of how hot he is. If I’m honest with myself, it’s not him having sex with me that bothers me. It’s that I know when he leaves to do whatever he needs to, I’ll be in the cage again. While I don’t trust him, I wasn’t worried that he’d do something to me in the middle of the night. It was my fear of being put back in today. As if not sleeping would prevent it. I waited for him to loosen his grip and roll over, so I might find a way out of this hell, but he never did.

He clears his throat as I finish my last bite of breakfast, and takes my plate and cleans it off before putting it in the dishwasher.

“Butterfly, please don’t fight me. I don’t want to hurt you. Not today.”

I laugh bitterly at him for acting like this day means anything to him.

“If you haven’t changed your mind, I’ll be your wife later today. Bones, this isn’t how you start married life. If you do this, I’ll never forgive you.”

He smirks at me like my misery entertains him greatly. “I know you won’t. I don’t need your forgiveness, Butterfly. That’s what my priest is for. Let’s go.”

I rise from my seat and follow him back to hell. My heart pounds furiously as we walk down the gray stairs, and I spot the cage .

“Bones, please. Can’t you just lock me in the basement and not put me in there? I’m begging you. I’ll do anything.”

Tears spring to my eyes as he turns to me. “Fuck, you really are beautiful. I could do exactly that, Butterfly, but this will help teach you to obey. This is part of breaking you.”

I drop to my knees, unsure of what else to do. “Bones, I swear, I’ll be obedient.”

He chuckles as he reaches down and strokes my hair. “I’m not sure you know the meaning of the word. Get in the cage, Athena. I won’t tell you again.”

Bones walks over and opens the cage door, and of course, there’s nothing I can do, so I crawl inside. He locks the cage and watches me, the way you would any trapped animal.

“This will be your only warning. My mother will be at our wedding later today. If you do anything to upset her, I promise you, you’ll live in this cage for the rest of your days. She believes this is consensual, that we’re in love, and she’s going to keep believing that. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” I whimper as the sobs come unwillingly.

“Don’t cry too much. It’ll make your eyes puffy, creating more work for the poor lady doing your makeup.”

I hope I get the opportunity to stab this asshole that is clearly more concerned over a woman’s workload than his future wife’s wellbeing. I didn’t even blame him when he put me in a cage after finding me trying to get onto his property, but now; planning to marry me and still doing it tells me the horrible man he is. Men don’t do this to their wives. Or future wives. I have no doubt, he’ll be as terrible to me as Manny was, or worse.

BONES

I could’ve stood staring at her all fucking day. She looked like the definition of destruction, but no less beautiful. Maybe more than she had been last night. I don’t have any intention of keeping her in the cage once it’s unnecessary. She doesn’t know that, and right now she doesn’t need to. Honestly, I didn’t want to leave her at all, but I have businesses to pop into. It’s important they see the boss, as a reminder of who they will deal with if they fuck around or fuck up.

I’m standing in my underground casino beside Domenic De Luca while he plays a hand of poker, as I watch her on my phone every few minutes. He laughs after I tell him I’m getting married.

“Bones the Unmarriable?”

I arch a brow at him. “My father insists I take a wife, so here I am.”

“Arranged then?”

Shaking my head, I admit, “No. He hasn’t met her yet.”

He chuckles lightly as he stares at his poker hand. “Does she want this?”

“Not exactly. Right now she’s in a cage.”

Domenic smirks at me before saying, “Does she own you yet?”

I flash him an ‘are you fucking crazy’ look, and he chuckles loudly. “Just wait, Bones. Your life is about to be bulldozed in the best fucking way.”

I don’t bother telling him how wrong he is, because I spot something on my phone I’ve seen before. Something I don’t like. Athena backs up in the cage, sobbing and yelling. I turn on my earpiece so I can listen privately. “Please, daddy, don’t. It hurts.”

Instantly, I see fucking red, and know I have to get her out. I nod to Domenic. “I have to go. Try not to win too much of my money. ”

I nearly run out of the casino, which is really a mansion, and go to the valet and demand my car immediately. Luckily for Ryan, our newest valet, he’s quick with it, and I climb in and speed off to get to Athena.

The entire drive home, I hear her crying in my mind. And why the hell it bothers me like it does, I don’t fucking understand. She was huddled in the corner and fear isn’t new to me, but this was different. It was pure terror.

Racing into the house, I fly down the basement stairs to find her still sobbing in the corner, so I quickly open the cage, but she doesn’t respond to me.

“Butterfly.”

She glances at me and covers her mouth, a strangled sob escaping, and she quickly crawls to me and throws herself in my arms, causing me massive amounts of confusion. She hates me, doesn’t she? Athena sobs into my chest, as I return her embrace and hold her close to me. Did her own father do this to her? I promise you, if he did, he’s a dead man. Or am I wrong? Did she call Manny ‘daddy’?

Athena pulls her head back as she calms herself. Her lashes flutter as she lifts her gaze to mine and she whispers, “I don’t like the cage.”

People call me an asshole even though it pisses me off, because it’s true, I am one. Yet, I know after seeing this, the cage is no longer an option, but I will find something she doesn’t like to use to punish her. I won’t have a disobedient wife. In our world, it’s not unknown for our women to be tortured. I’ve seen a woman having a flashback more than once, and I won’t be the cause of it. Not for my own wife. I enjoy her tears, but this was in a way I don’t like. Shit. I care. That was not part of the plan, and I’ll need to be careful to not make Domenic’s prediction come true. I’ll maintain complete control of her, minus the cage.

Lifting her into my arms, she wraps her arms around my neck as I walk her upstairs to my bedroom, so she can rest before tonight. After laying her on the bed, I go to walk away but she grabs my hand, pulling me to her, so I sit beside her. “Please don’t put me in there anymore.”

I nod. “I’m not going to. We’ll figure out another way to get you to behave.”

Athena smiles softly. “Thank you.”

Arching an eyebrow at her, I ignore how good it feels as she strokes the skull tattoo on my hand. “Don’t thank me. I don’t think you’ll like being chained to the wall either, but I’m guessing you’ve been in a cage before.”

She sighs audibly. “I have. Too many times to count.”

“You need to get some rest, Butterfly. My staff will be here in a few hours to help you get ready for tonight.”

I watch her as she closes her eyes but continues talking. “How many people will be here?”

“Mostly family. My parents, my brothers, and my grandmother. And my sister.”

Her lips part as she falls asleep, and I watch her for far longer than I’d care to admit. She sleeps in the black tank top and shorts I gave her. Long dark hair splayed around her on the pillow, and not a speck of makeup on her face, yet she somehow looks gorgeous. Maybe other women need a made up face but she’s stunning as she is.

I take a seat in the chair while she sleeps, and take care of some messages I need to return because my future wife is gorgeous, but I don’t trust her. There’s very little doubt at some point she’s going to try to get away from me.

I fight the laughter when I spot a text message from my two crazy brothers, Reaper and Psycho, with two pretty blondes. Apparently, these are their dates for the evening. At least one of them won’t survive the night. Psycho is as unhinged as my other brother, but he’s not nearly as predictable.

My buddy Sin texts me about an ongoing issue with an employee I’ve asked about. We own seven casinos in Vegas. Well, I kind of own them, but not really. On paper, Sin owns everything, but it’s my money we’ve used to make the purchases. If they were in the Bonetti name, we’d have feds breathing down our neck pretty quickly. The employees are never allowed to gamble in our casinos, so this asshole entering one in a disguise and then, on top of it, counting cards, won’t be tolerated.

After texting my brother Kage to be sure he’s picking up the rings, I lean back in my chair and watch Athena sleep. She kicks the blankets off, giving me a beautiful view. My gaze travels up and down the length of her body, appreciating every curve. I’m so hard for her but the wait is almost over. Tonight, Butterfly.