The Mafia's Stolen Bride

Chapter5

Lexi POV

“I’m sorry, sir. We have searched all the places he frequents, but he is nowhere to be found.”

The words swirled around in my mind, barely making sense. It almost seemed as if I were dreaming, but my throbbing shoulder brought me back to painful reality.

“Look again. And don’t come back until you have him in your grasp.”

Ryker’s voice was hard and unyielding, sounding just as cold as his heart was.

“Yes sir,” came the response, followed by footsteps and door closing.

The room was filled with silence, but I knew that Ryker remained. I can’t really explain it, but it was like I could sense him, even when he wasn’t making a sound.

“You can open your eyes, Cupcake,” he said, closer to me than I had thought he would be. “I know that you are awake.”

I found my lip twitching at his words, my eyes opening to meet his as I tried to sit up. The sharp stab of pain in my shoulder made me immediately regret my movement, and I slumped back against the pillows in defeat.

“What gave me away?” I asked, curious.

Ryker reached out and cupped my face, the pad of his thumb running lightly along my bottom lip. If he were anyone else, I would have relished the attention… but it was Ryker.

“You simply cannot fool me, Alexandra.”

That was it. No explanation, just some pompous commentary which amounted to nothing. It was such a Ryker move that I couldn’t stop my eyes from rolling as I pulled my face away from his grasp.

“Sure, whatever you say,” I responded sarcastically.

I glanced around, taking in what little I could see of the dimly lit bedroom. I was lying in a gigantic four-poster bed which probably cost more than everything I owned. In fact, everything in the room screamed wealth - from the velvet loveseat which was strategically placed in front of the fireplace, to the thick, white carpet and the works of art on the wall.

This was a room decorated to be admired.

And it was certainly not a hospital.

“You didn’t take me to hospital?” I heard myself ask in a near-whisper.

Ryker shrugged nonchalantly and leaned against the bottom post of the bed. “Why should I have? Your wound wasn’t serious, and I have a better doctor on my payroll than you would ever find in one of the emergency rooms in the hospital.”

Suuuure…

I frowned and forced myself to sit up again, inspecting the neatly placed dressing over where the bullet had entered my shoulder.

“It was a clean shot, easy to remove. You have a couple of stitches but Doc said you’ll be fine within a few weeks so there’s no need to try and play on my sympathies.”

It was official. Ryker had as much emotional capacity as a flea.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare assume that you had any ability to be sympathetic,” I snapped at him, pulling the button-up shirt I wore back into place.

It wasn’t my shirt. That realisation made me realise other things… like how I wasn’t wearing that awful lingerie from Harriet. How I was actually entirely naked underneath the shirt.

My eyes widened at the thought of Ryker undressing me, and my eyes flew to where he lazily stood.

“Did you take my clothes off?”

He stood silent for longer than I liked, prolonging my torture.

“If you mean that hideous wedding dress, then yes… but you knew that. I plan to throw it into a fire at the first chance I get. Maybe we can turn it into a bonfire and roast marshmallows on the flames.”

Again, silence and sarcasm, as if that were enough of an explanation.

“Valentos!” I shouted, my fists clenching at my sides.

He sighed loudly. “Relax, Cupcake. After you passed out, I carried you to my car, drove you here and left you in the capable hands of my housekeeper and Doc. I presume Mrs. Martins changed you into my shirt.”

Phew.

“Your father has refused to release any of your personal items, however one of my men managed to sneak into your room and grab a few things. You’ll find your phone on the table beside you, although he didn’t bother finding you a charger. You can give Mrs Martins a list of what you need when she comes to meet you in the morning.”

I nodded, glancing at my phone which was sure to have a thousand missed calls from my pissed-off father. I could already hear the shouting and accusations. He would have made up a story in his head where I had probably orchestrated the whole wedding fiasco just to embarrass him.

“Is Ivan still alive?” I asked Ryker who was still watching every move I made.

Something unreadable flashed across his face as his eyes seemed to darken.

“Why do you want to know? Did you actually have feelings for him?” the corner of his lips twitched as he spoke and he pushed away from the bedpost, moving toward me like a tiger stalking its prey.

I shook my head, slightly dazed. “No, I didn’t like Ivan in any way.”

The slow smile which spread across Ryker’s lips made him look even more predatory as he knelt on the mattress beside me, his fist grabbing the headboard as he moved even closer. His face was mere inches away from mine. I could feel his breath on my cheek, captivated by the grey swirls in his eyes and surrounded by his scent.

“That’s good, Cupcake, because you are my wife now,” he declared in a growl. “And you should remember one thing from when we were kids - I don’t like to share.”