The Mafia’s Wanted Desires

ASHLEY

I kicked the door open with my legs, sauntering into the room. I shut it with my legs again and spun around to see him striding out of his closet with his phone in his hands. He was aggressively punching letters on the keypads and the sound it made was irritating as fuck. But then, I found my eyes glazing over his frame. I didn’t care if I was checking him out unabashedly.

The man was hot and I was damn sure he knew it too. He looked like a fucking snack. I couldn’t wait to devour his crisp white shirt that clung to his leanly muscular frame, sinfully. His shirt was neatly tucked in his slacks which he paired with black shoes I was sure would cost a fortune. He had his blazer draped over his forearm that flexed a little as he typed on his phone muttering a curse word that sounded sexy as hell. I found myself tucking my lip between my teeth, gulping.

He looked up from his phone and stopped typing, his lips twitching in a smirk as he took in my frame, but that smirk was quick to morph into a frown when his eyes settled on my outfit. I found myself rolling my eyes at him and that seemed to tick him off, even more.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, Peach, and what the hell are you wearing?” He demanded sternly and I scoffed, stalking over to the nightstand and dropping the tray.

“Dhur, I went out to jog,” I stated the obvious, shrugging casually at how dumb he sounded, but that seemed to piss him off as I watched his face contort in a deep frown and then, he strode forward, glaring at me and I arched a brow at him, throwing my hoodie on the bed with my hands planted on my hips.

“I told you to stop wearing revealing outfits! You didn’t even stay indoors! You went out like this!” He growled possessively and I exhaled, palming my forehead. His possessiveness was so annoying. This was my body for goodness sake, but I couldn’t say that to his face because I needed him sane for the conversation I was about to have with him, so I just clasped my hands together, taking a deep breath to control my anger.

“Arden, please…” I trailed off, shutting my eyes.

“I don’t want to do this right now. I want to talk to you about something more important, so stop being a possessive ass and listen to me.” I shunned him with a stern look and then, the frown on his face dissipated, morphing into a more relaxed look and he tucked his hands in his pocket, throwing his blazers on the bed.

“I’m listening,” He urged me.

Okay, here goes.

“Arden, I am tired of staying here all day. It’s suffocating and before you tell me there are many things to do indoors, I will have your ass know that I have tried everything. I had dreams of my own before you came along and took me out of the life I used to know. You can’t be doing what you love while I am stuck here, playing housewife. My dreams are valid too,” I paused, examining his features, observing for any slight change in his demeanor that seemed blank, but I didn’t allow that to deter me, I continued.

“Way before you happened, I have always wanted a publishing company of my own and that was the reason I was stuck with Genevieve, working my ass off for that lying bitch because I wanted to save up for what I wanted to do, not because I loved working for her. It was just a job for me, not what I loved doing.” I breathed, taking a step forward.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“The writing world is my place and I swear to you, I can feel it in my bones. I want to make a difference with my firm, Arden. I want to change lives through it. I want to allow writers to put their work out there. I don’t want to stay in this big ass mansion all alone. It’s holding me back from doing what I love. I can’t do this. I would lose my mind without pursuing what I love.” I concluded, taking a deep breath, and running my fingers through my hair while I waited for him to say something.

“No,” he deadpanned and I veered backwards without being shoved by anything, feeling the weight of his words hit me hard. I squinted my eyes at him in disbelief, staring at him as though he had grown two heads and was running out of his mind. I knew he was a domineering bastard, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I studied his rigid features, his green eyes boring into mine, beholding a brewing storm in them. They grew hard with each look he gave me, eliciting a scoff from me. I honestly couldn’t believe the nerve of this man at times.

“What do you mean no? I don’t understand.” I arched a brow at him, filled with the need for him to expatiate on what he said. My voice was calm, but I was far from being calm. I was boiling on the inside.

“You heard me, Peach. I just said no. I don’t want you to work. You will stay in here like the good girl you are supposed to be. You don’t need to work. I can give you everything you want. All you have to do is to ask. Cars? Money? Houses? Shares? Name it. I would do it for you, but not this.” His voice was thick with determination as he picked up his blazer from the bed, shrugging it on and buttoning it up.

“I don’t want your money! I am very buoyant enough to start up a company!” I snapped, struggling to keep my temper in check. I was trying so hard to be reasonable with him, but he didn’t look like he wanted to listen to me. He has always had his way with everything and this one thing I ask of him, he doesn’t want me to have it.

The thought of it had tears pooling in my eyes as I stared at him.

“You are not working, Evaline. I have said all there is to say about it.”

The words that left his lips did nothing but rile me up further than I was. I glared at him defiantly. I didn’t care if I was going to go to war with him because of this, but I wasn’t going to sit here like some trophy wife.

“Oh, you are kidding,” I chuckled, wiping my tears.

“You are kidding, Arden, because I don’t understand what your problem is. I don’t understand your excessive need to control everything! I am not a mannequin! For fucks sake, you should have gone for one instead! I don’t even care about that, but all I know is that I am not going to sit in here and have you treat me like a damn trophy!” I yelled at him, my voice thick with so many emotions and audaciousness. I couldn’t stop the tears that were streaming down my face.

He let out a scoff, taking a step forward with a challenging stare resting upon his face. His eyes were cold and hard, brimming with lasers and brimstones, but I couldn’t care less. I didn’t give a fuck if he was the devil himself! He was going to listen to me. It has always been him calling the shots, but today, that changes! He was going to shove his fucking god complex down his throat!

With every step he took, I couldn’t help the erratic beating of my heart. It pummelled loudly against my chest, a shaky breath leaving me when I felt his alluring scent slap my nostrils, invading my senses as he stopped right in front of me, towering above me like a fucking pillar. He had this cold smirk on his lips, breathing softly on my face, and I felt myself take in some spit.

“Peach,” He called.

I breathed shakily.

“What part of my expression tells you that I am kidding, huh?” He asked me, chuckling darkly like the devil himself, and I felt tears spill from my eyes as I struggled to rein them in.

“You want to work?” He scoffed and I whimpered.

“The only job you have is to stay by my side and let me provide every damn thing you want. The only job you have is to be my fucking wife!” His voice came out so harsh, filled with unnerving fury that had my breath seizing, causing me to take a step backwards.

The tears I was struggling to hold back spilled, my veins shimmering and burning with indecipherable hatred for this man that stood in front of me. He stared at me, unflinchingly, cocking his head to the side and wanting his words to sink into my brain, but it was far from that. I meant it when I said I was going to go to war with him if I had to. He spun on his heels, heading out of the room.

“GET THE FUCK BACK HERE, RIGHT NOW, ARDEN GRAY!” I bellowed audaciously, my loud voice reverberating across the walls of my ears, filled with a chilling coldness that could freeze up an entire ocean. His body grew still and he halted in his tracks.

I didn’t allow that to deter me, instead, I continued.

“You can leave now and I can assure you, there will be no home to come back to because I will burn this house to the ground with everyone in it and it’s going to be on YOU! I don’t want to get mad, Arden but you are pushing me past my limit…” I trailed off, my voice holding a hint of dare.

“It’s your call,” I uttered with a sadistic smirk crawling up my lips. He turned to me and scoffed, taking long strides over to where I was. I stood rooted to my spot unflinchingly, sporting a defiant look on my face.

“You think you can order me around?” He queried coldly and I chuckled mirthlessly, tilting my head to the side with a daring look on my face. He opened his mouth to speak but I beat him to it, yanking him to myself by his tie and pushing him to sit on the bed.

“You will sit the fuck down and listen to every damn thing I say,” I instructed, getting on his lap and straddling him.

“Got it?” I questioned and he watched me, nodding his head.

I knew I had him at my mercy now and I could do whatever I wanted with him. It was so good. It felt so fulfilling to have the big bad mafia boss wrapped around my fingers when I could make or mar him. I knew I had power over him right now.

And that power?

I was going to fucking use it.