Bride by Initiation: Secret Society Mafia Marriage Pact (The Underworld Book 1)
Bride by Initiation: Chapter 18

Neither Sean nor I speak during the ride in the SUV. It’s only a short time before we arrive at a private airport.

The sun shines brighter, and the driver rolls down the divider window. He announces, ‘There’s a pair of sunglasses in the side door for each of you.’

I glance down to replace a designer case. Sean picks his up.

The driver suggests, ‘You might want to put them on. It gets pretty bright around here once you don’t have the protection of the tinted windows.’

Sean and I don’t argue. We put our glasses on, and the SUV stops beside a plane. There’s a huge body of sparkling turquoise water on the other side of the runway.

Sean doesn’t open the door. As soon as the driver gets out, he says, ‘Do you know where we’re at?’

I shake my head. ‘No idea. You don’t either?’

‘No,’ he admits uneasily.

‘Do we need to worry?‘

He grabs my hand and kisses it. ‘No. At least, I don’t think so.’

Anxiety fills me.

The driver opens the door and motions toward the plane, adding, ‘Have a safe flight home.’

‘Thank you,’ Sean says. He gets out and reaches in for me.

I take his hand, and he leads me up the steps and inside the private plane.

The same flight attendant that brought me here beams, chirping, ‘Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. O’Malley. I assume you had a fabulous evening?’

Sean furrows his eyebrows.

I bite on my smile and nod. ‘That’s one way to describe it.’

Her lips twitch, then she steps back and adds, ‘I heard you gave quite the performance.’

My cheeks heat.

Sean snarls, ‘Don’t say things to embarrass my wife.’

The flight attendant’s eyes widen. She holds her hands in the air. ‘I didn’t know it would embarrass her. I heard she owned the moment.’

Sean’s eyes darken. He glares down at her.

‘You’re fine,’ I tell her, then add, ‘Let’s go, Sean.’ I pull him toward the back of the plane.

He mutters, ‘She better watch her mouth.’

‘Sit down,’ I demand, pointing at the seat beside mine.

He huffs and plops down.

I add, ‘You told me to ensure it was a good performance. Why are you mad at her?‘

‘You’re my wife,’ he snaps.

‘And?’ I say, my stomach flipping, realizing we’re going back to reality and I’m now married.

He stares at me.

I lean close to his ear. ‘Did you not want me to do what you told me?’

He sighs and closes his eyes. ‘No, you were amazing, actually.’ He opens them and locks his gaze with mine.

My stomach flutters. ‘I was?’

He glances down at my body, then back up. Even though we’re still in robes, he claims, ‘Yeah. And sexy as hell just like now.’

I put my hand on his thigh, stroking close to his balls but not touching them. I whisper, ‘We could do it again just for practice.’

He slides his hand around my throat and lifts my chin. His grip isn’t tight, but it’s possessive and forceful.

I gasp as my desire spikes.

He moves his face closer. His hot breath merges with mine, teasing my lips. He sternly declares, ‘No one will ever see you in that position again.’

‘I didn’t mean it like that,’ I say.

‘No?’

I scoff and roll my eyes. ‘No. I meant you and me. Home in my bed.’

Relief and cockiness mingle across his features. ‘Okay, good. In that case, I’ll take you up on that.’ He winks and sits back.

I release my breath and shift in my seat, wondering what our new normal will be now that we’ve crossed the point of no return. I try to lift the window shade, but it’s locked shut. I mutter, ‘What is with these people and all the secrecy? I thought we were part of The Underworld now. Why is everything still hidden from us?’

‘Who knows?’ he says and leans his seat back. ‘But I’m tired. Aren’t you?’

I yawn, affirming, ‘Yeah. I am.’

He grabs my hand. ‘Okay, let’s go to sleep. If memory serves me right, this place is far away from home.’

I don’t argue. It only takes a short time until we’re asleep. When I wake up, he’s still passed out and holding my hand.

The flight attendant stares at us.

I sit up straight. ‘Do you need something?’

She smiles. ‘I just want to let you know that the back closet has clothes for you. We’re going to be landing in a half hour. You might want to change unless you want to wear the robes,’ she says with an amused expression.

I grin. ‘No, I think we’ll change. Thanks.’

‘Sure. Did you want anything to drink or eat?’

I shake my head. ‘I’m okay.’

She stares at me for another moment.

My heartbeat picks up. I ask, ‘Is there anything else?’

She hesitates, then asks, ‘Will you and your husband participate in the Triangle of Souls?’

Confusion fills me. I admit, ‘I don’t know what that is, but it sounds intriguing.’

She licks her lips, glances back at Sean, then informs, ‘The wife gets to choose the third eye.’

I question, ‘As in the invisible eye of Hinduism?‘

She licks her lips again. ‘Yes. So you can experience true enlightenment.’

I don’t know what she means by that, and I feel like I’m missing something.

She opens her mouth and then shuts it.

I confess, ‘I’m lost. Can you explain what you mean?’

She nervously glances at Sean, then kneels in the chair in front of me and leans her elbows on the back. She lowers her voice, declaring, ‘You get to pick who leads you and your husband to full enlightenment. I would love to be your chosen one.’

My chosen one?

I blurt out, ‘You want to sleep with us?’

She furrows her eyebrows. ‘The Triangle of Souls will bring you closer. You’ll both have full enlightenment after our ceremony together.’

She wants to sleep with us.

‘Is this mandatory for members?’ I question.

‘No. Of course not. It’s a gift you give each other.’

I hold in my laughter and try to keep a straight face. ‘Thank you for telling me. I don’t know if we’ll participate in that ceremony, but if we do, you’ll be at the top of our list.’

‘Really?’ she breathes.

I hold in my laughter. There’s no way I’m sleeping with this woman or letting her touch my husband. But I want to get out of the conversation and don’t want to insult her. So I answer, ‘Yes.’

‘Thank you!’ she replies excitedly.

‘Sure,’ I reply back.

She gets up and points at Sean. ‘Do you want to wake him up, or do you think I should?’

‘You better let me handle that job.’

She softly laughs. ‘Okay. By the way, I did mean it as a compliment back there.’

A mix of pride and uncomfortableness fills me. ‘Thanks.’

‘You’re absolutely fascinating,’ she gushes, then spins and disappears behind the curtain.

A strange feeling comes over me. I decide it might be best to not tell Sean about my conversation with her.

I stroke his head. ‘Babe, you need to wake up.’

He stirs.

‘Babe,’ I say a bit louder.

He blinks a few times and stares at me.

‘Babe, you have to get up. We need to change. We’re going to be landing in a half hour.’

He doesn’t say anything for a minute, as if trying to remember where he’s at and everything that’s happened, and then it hits him. He gives me a funny look. He blurts out, ‘We’re married.’

My heart races faster. ‘Yeah.’

‘You’re going to get bored of me,’ he teases.

I reply, ‘Maybe you’ll get bored of me first?’

He shrugs. ‘Guess we’ll replace out.’ He rises and goes to the back of the plane.

A new fear hits me.

What are we going to do when we’re bored of each other?

Please let him get bored of me before I get bored of him.

I get up and meet him in the back of the plane.

There’s a summer dress, bra, and sandals for me. There’s a pair of khaki shorts, a polo shirt, and slip-on shoes for him.

It doesn’t take long to get dressed, and we return to our seats.

The pilot announces, ‘We’ll be landing soon. Please put your seat belts on.’

We do as instructed, and before I know it, we’re landing. An SUV is waiting,

and after we deplane, we get into the vehicle. I stare out the window, watching the passing buildings and the Chicago skyline, wondering what’s next.

The driver pulls up to Sean’s place.

I turn toward him. ‘I guess I’ll see you later.’

His eyes turn to slits. ‘What are you talking about?’

I point out, ‘The driver’s dropping you off first.’

‘Zara, we’re married.’

‘Right. Well, let’s go to my place,’ I say.

The driver puts the divider window down, as if he’s been listening to us. He interjects, ‘You’ll both go up to Sean’s.’

‘I’m tired. I want to go home and get some rest,’ I object.

He locks eyes with me in the rearview mirror, sternly asserting, ‘As I stated, you’ll both go up to Sean’s apartment.’

Sean says, ‘Zara, let’s go.’ He opens the door and gets out. He reaches in for me, and I don’t fight him. I take his hand, and he leads me into his building, up in the elevator, and down the hall to his door.

When we enter his apartment, we freeze. The table next to the door has a lit candle, pink roses petals scattered all over the wood, and our blood marriage pact sits next to it.

Sean picks it up, reads it, and mutters, ‘I can’t believe you kept this all these years.’

‘Thank God, or I would’ve had to marry that other guy,’ I declare.

‘Is he the one you wanted from the binder?’

My chest tightens. I lie, ‘No, I didn’t want any of them.’

‘Are you sure about that?’

‘Are we going to fight about this?’

He sighs and puts the blood pact down. ‘No, there’s no point. Come on.’ We step into the family room, where I freeze again.

There are boxes everywhere. I question, ‘Why do you have boxes all over?’

‘How would I know?’ He walks into the kitchen, grabs a knife off the counter, returns, and rips a box open. He pulls out one of my sweaters. ‘I think this is all your stuff.’

‘What? How the hell would they get all my property here?’

He meets my eye. ‘How do they do anything, Zara?’

It’s a good question. One I don’t know how to answer. But I love my place. I’m not moving into Sean’s man cave.

I walk over to another box and hold my hand out. ‘Give me the knife.’

He obeys.

I rip open a box, and my gut dives. More of my clothes are in it. I close the box and put the knife down. I spin, declaring, ‘I’m not moving out of my place.’

‘You are. We’re married,’ he grumbles.

‘So? What does that have to do with anything? My place is way better. I put a lot of time and energy into it, and it’s beautiful.’

He declares, ‘I’m not living under your father’s thumb.’

‘Don’t be silly.’

‘You know damn well it’s not silly. Now that you’re married to me, you’re not having your father’s surveillance on you 24/7. Besides, they’re not very good, are they?’

I put my hand on my hip. ‘Oh, like your surveillance is any better. How did all these boxes get in here with nobody noticing?’

He crosses his arms. ‘The Omni want us to live here, or they wouldn’t have packed up your stuff and brought it here. I’m not about to start disobeying them.’

‘This isn’t fair. I spent a lot of time making my place nice,’ I whine.

‘What’s wrong with my place?’

I glance around the apartment. The couches are brown leather, there’s a video game console, and there’s barely anything on the tan walls.

I point around, claiming, ‘This is blah! No woman wants to live in this.’

‘This place is awesome,’ he declares.

‘You can’t be serious.’

‘It is, and we’re staying,’ he says, brushing past me, pulling his shirt off and going to the bedroom.

‘What are you doing?’ I question, following him.

‘I’m tired. I’m taking a shower and getting something to eat.’

‘Sean, this conversation’s not over. I mean it. I don’t want to live here.’

He spins to face me, and I run into him. He slides his hands through my hair, yanks my head back, and leans over me.

I inhale sharply, holding my breath and squeezing my thighs.

He hisses, ‘You know what I do to little brats?’

I don’t say anything. My butterflies go crazy.

He continues, ‘I think it’s time I show my wife what happens when she provokes me.’

‘Please do! You think you’re the only one in charge, and you aren’t!’ I hurl.

‘That’s it.’ He releases my hair, scoops me up, and tosses me over his shoulder.

‘Let me down, Sean!’

He grunts as he carries me to the bed. He sits and maneuvers me so I’m lying across his knees and then he yanks my dress up.

‘What are you doing?’ I say, gripping the bedspread and squeezing my thighs tighter, but I don’t fight him. My body pulses with a new ache.

He rubs his hand on my ass cheeks, and my breath turns ragged. He claims, ‘I’m teaching my wife who’s in charge and reminding her of her vows to obey her husband.’

‘That’s a shitty part of the vows,’ I blurt out.

He raises his hand and then smacks it on my ass cheek.

‘Oh shit!’ I cry out as a new type of excitement explodes in my core.

He slides his other hand between my thighs, sticking his fingers into my dampness and then rolling them around.

I moan. ‘Sean, what the⁠—’

A loud smack rings out, and a sting flares across my ass.

‘Little brats get my palm stained on their ass,’ he roars, and spanks me again.

I inhale sharply, my pussy throbbing.

He slaps me over and over until I’m so damp I’m sure the bed’s stained.

I grip the comforter tighter, whimpering.

He questions, ‘Do you still have a problem with my place?’

‘We aren’t living here,’ I grit out.

He rolls his finger inside me and smacks me once again.

I cry out, ‘Oh God!’

‘Fuck, you’re wet, my little brat. Why are you so wet?’ he taunts.

‘I’m not,’ I blurt out.

‘Don’t lie to your husband!’ He smacks my numb cheek, and another round of pulsations erupts, mixing with the sting.

And for some reason, I want his handprint on my ass cheek. I don’t know why. It’s just like the skull. There was no way I wouldn’t get branded with it.

He flicks his finger inside me and smacks me again, and a rush of endorphins flows through me, pushing me over the edge.

‘Oh fuck!’ I yell out, my eyes rolling, my back arching.

‘That’s my little brat. Come for me again.’ His palm lands another sting on me, and the orgasm bursts into a more intense throbbing.

‘Sean,’ I cry out.

He thrusts his fingers and smacks me twice more, and I’m so dizzy all I see is white. He does it over and over until my arousal covers his lap. Then he tugs me up so I’m on my knees. He puts his arm around my waist and pushes my head to the mattress. He barks, ‘You want to come some more, you little brat?’

‘No. Yes. No!’ I cry out, delirious with pleasure.

‘Which one is it?’ he says, pushing his dick just a little bit inside me.

‘Yes!’ I shout.

He enters me in one thrust, and I moan. He grits, ‘You want to be a brat? Then I’m going to have to tame you.’ He slowly thrusts inside me.

But I’m already on the O-Train. I’m seeing stars, and I’d be unable to hold my body up if it wasn’t for his arm around my waist. The high is so intense, I’m almost nauseous.

He grunts. ‘Fuck. You wanted to know what it would be like after resisting me all these years, my little brat? Well, this is what it’s like being mine.’

I whimper, my body convulsing and unable to stop.

He adds, ‘All those men and women stared at you…wanting you…needing you…craving you. Well, so do I. Except I’m the only one who’s going to get you. You’re mine. You understand me? Mine,’ he growls and then pushes deeper, his erection swelling inside me.

I hit another high, and his guttural groan fills the air.

‘Fucking little brat,’ he spouts, his warmth filling me. He continues to thrust through it until his release drips down my legs.

When it’s over, he collapses on top of me, then slides his arm under me and rolls onto his back, pulling me with him.

Both of us try to catch our breath and slow our heartbeats.

I glance up at him and, in a soft voice, say, ‘Sean, I mean it. I want to live in my place. You know how much time and effort I put into decorating it.’

He sighs. ‘Zara, I don’t care where we live, but I’m not doing shit without talking to the Omni first.’

I huff. ‘So they rule everything now?‘

Something passes over his expression.

Fear hits me. ‘Sean, don’t tell me that that’s what you mean. Don’t tell me they get to control every single move we make.’

He sighs and shakes his head. ‘No, I don’t think they control every move, but they moved your stuff here for a reason. So until we can speak with them and tell them what we want, you’ll have to deal with my place.’

I shimmy out of his grasp, sit up, and groan, staring around his bedroom.

He tugs me back into him. ‘Is my place that bad?’

I glance at the bare walls and admit, ‘No, but can I at least put my stuff on the wall? It’s so boring.’

He smiles. ‘Yeah, I don’t give a shit. Do what you want.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah, I don’t care. If that’s going to make you happy, then do it.’

‘Yay,’ I say, clapping, then lean in to kiss him.

It’s meant to be quick, but he rolls me onto my back and kisses me deeply until he’s hard again.

His greens twinkle. He rolls over, pulls me on top of him so I’m situated over his cock, and states, ‘I think you need more of a punishment.’