My Sinful Desire

A close call

“Archie, seriously, let go of me.”

I shoved both palms against his chest, trying to push him away.

I heard footsteps downstairs.

Oh God.

Matthew was back.

He was already walking into the mansion with a group of armed guards.

“He’s going to kill us,” I whispered, panic creeping into my voice. “Archie, please. Let me go. I need to get inside.”

Archie chuckled. He leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear.

“My dad won’t touch me, sweetheart,” he murmured. “He can’t do anything to me. Stay right here.”

“Are you insane?” I hissed, tears of fright stinging my eyes.

I twisted my body, trying to yank myself out of his grip, but Archie’s fingers only dug harder into my hips. He stared at my face for a few seconds.

Then, just as the heavy tread of boots reached the top of the stairs, he let go of my waist.

“Go,” he whispered, stepping backward toward the stone railing. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. “Be a good wife, Mom. I’ll see you at dinner.”

I didn’t bother replying to him. I turned and sprinted toward the back door.

I was already scared to death. Matthew would make my life a living hell if he even suspected a single thing.

“Why is he back so soon?” I muttered, breathing heavily.

I got into my room and lay on the bed as if I’d been there all along.

“Elena!”

Matthew’s voice called from the stairs. It was filled with anger.

I brushed down my hair, took one deep breath, and stepped out of my room.

I looked downstairs, and my stomach tightened.

Matthew stood in the middle of the entrance hall, surrounded by six-armed security guards. They followed him inside, bringing with them the smell of sweat and engine fumes.

He took off his sunglasses. There was a small stain of dried blood on the cuff of his white shirt. Then he looked up and our eyes met.

Archie was already downstairs, leaning against the sun room door. He slipped his hands into his pockets and watched his father without a trace of fear. He didn’t look like a son waiting for his father’s orders. He stood tall, fearless, and unwavering.

Matthew looked at Archie, his jaw tight, but he didn’t say a word. He knew better than to challenge his best man when everything was already falling apart.

“We have a problem,” Matthew said, looking from Archie to me. “My studies. Now.”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked toward the study.

I followed, taking the stairs one step at a time, trying to stay calm. Archie followed behind me, still smiling, until we reached the study.

We entered the study, and the door clicked shut behind us, cutting off the voices of the men outside. Matthew didn’t sit down. He threw his ring of keys onto the desk, the metal clattering against the polished wood.

“The northern transport was hit,” Matthew said.

He leaned over the desk with both hands. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

“We lost two trucks. The feds are getting bolder, and Lozano thinks we’re weak because I’ve been spending too much time at home.”

Archie didn’t move. He stood against the bookshelf, his head slightly tilted.

“The northern routes are clear,” he said. “If those trucks were hit, it wasn’t the feds or Lozano. Someone leaked the departure times.”

Matthew’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. This wasn’t the time.

“We lost the drivers,” he said. “The product made it to the backup warehouse, but that’s not the problem. Our partners think I’m losing control. They think I’ve gone soft because I married this good-for-nothing wife of mine.”

His eyes settled on me.

A chill ran through me. I wondered if he could still see the marks Archie’s fingers had left on my skin.

“What do you need me to do?” I asked.

My voice was level. I gave him the quiet, cooperative look he paid for.

Matthew straightened, a slight, deadly smile on his face.

“Tomorrow night, I’ll host a dinner. It’s mandatory. Every regional captain, every distributor, and the buyers from the coast will be in this house.”

“Tomorrow?”

The word slipped out before I could stop it.

“Matthew, a dinner this big takes weeks. The security sweeps alone—”

“It will be managed. And who asked for your opinion? Shut your mouth and sit your ass down. A woman has no voice in business like this. I decide everything. I only called you here to listen.”

The interruption was flat and final.

“This house needs to look like an impenetrable fortress. You will be a good homemaker. You will stand by my side, look beautiful, and show them that this family is exactly what it has always been.”

He walked around the desk and stopped right in front of me. He smelled of bitter espresso and stale tobacco.

His calloused thumb caught my chin, squeezing hard enough to press my teeth against the inside of my lip. He tilted my head back.

“Every eye will be on you, Elena. The captains are looking for a crack in the foundation. If you look afraid, they’ll notice. I expect perfection. You’ll smile, you’ll look like you worship me, and you’ll remind them who owns this territory. Do you understand?”

My chin ached from his grip.

“I understand.”

Archie stood silently, watching everything. He didn’t step forward, but his eyes never left his father’s hand on my face.

I could see the anger burning in his eyes. In my heart, I begged him not to interfere.

“I think the meeting is over,” Archie said, looking at his father. “I’ve heard everything you said, and I’ll prepare for tomorrow night’s dinner.”

He pushed himself away from the wall.

“I have better things to do than stand here and watch a grown man bully a young woman.”

With that, he turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Matthew slowly let go of my face.

“Leave,” he ordered.

I looked at him for a second, then turned and walked out of the study.