And I took that responsibility seriously.
* * *
My family finally left when the sun set.
Thank fucking god.
My mother kissed me on the cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
She squeezed me hard around the waist. “I really like Sapphire. She’s lovely.”
I forced a smile. “I’m glad. She’s very sweet.”
“I knew it was only a matter of time before you found the right woman.” She kissed me on the cheek again before she walked to the car with Vanessa.
My father kissed Sapphire on the cheek. “It was very nice meeting you. I look forward to seeing you more often.”
“You too,” she said. “Conway has a very nice family.”
“My son treats you well?”
Why did my father have to ask that?
Sapphire’s smile didn’t falter, but her eyes definitely did. “Yes. Your son is a good man.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” He turned to me next, his eyes examining me like two X-rays. “You should bring Sapphire down to Tuscany. Give her a tour of your childhood home and the winery.”
“I’m sure I will.”
He hugged me. “Love you, son.”
I hugged him back. “Love you too, Father.”
He cupped the back of my head and kissed me on the forehead before he walked away. They piled into the car and rolled down their windows so they could wave as they drove off.
Sapphire came to my side and wrapped her arm around my waist as she waved at my family.
The second their car was out of sight, I dropped my hand and turned my hostile stare on her.
Her smile was long gone, and her arm was no longer around my waist. She placed her hands on her hips and stared at me with the same menace.
“You have no idea what you’re doing.”
“I think I do,” she said confidently. “Things are going to be different around here. Cross me, and I’ll tell your family who you really are.”
“You’re crossing a line.”
“Like you haven’t crossed the line a million times over.”
I’d done a lot of things I wasn’t proud of, but I’d never cared about my image before. People could think whatever they wanted about me. But my family was a different story. Their approval meant a lot to me. I couldn’t stand my parents’ disappointment. If my father knew I was keeping Muse against her will, he’d beat me to the brink of death. “What do you want?”
“New rules.”
I couldn’t believe I was negotiating with a woman I bought for a hundred million dollars. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“I want to be an equal in this house.”
My name was on the deed to the property, so she would never be equal.
“No bossing me around. I do what I want, and I have every right to refuse you.”
Why didn’t I just tell my parents I was out of town? I never should have let them come over here unless Muse was locked away behind soundproof walls. “Be careful, Muse.”
“Be careful?” she asked. “You’re the one who should be careful.”
“If you want free will, then just walk out,” I threatened. “Leave. I’ll tell everyone that I’ve let you go. I’m sure Knuckles will find that information most useful.” Perhaps I needed to remind her what I saved her from. She had me by the nuts, but I had her by the tits.
Her anger died away slightly. “You’re right. I don’t want to leave because I have nowhere to go. Outside these four walls and your protection, I’m absolutely nothing. I get it.” Her voice broke, and she swallowed. “But I want to be treated differently in here. I want rights and respect.”
If I didn’t respect her, she wouldn’t have any rights at all.
“First of all, you knock on my door. I decide whether I want to let you in or not.”
I didn’t like that one bit.
“I decide if we have sex or not.”
I actually growled. “You forget how much I paid to save your life.”
“And you forget I’m a human being and shouldn’t have been sold like cattle in the first place.”
“Not my problem,” I snapped. “You got yourself into that situation in the first place.”
“Whatever.” She held up her hand. “Thirdly, I do what I want when I want. If I want to work in the stables all day, I will. If I don’t want to eat with you, I won’t.”
“So you’re basically just some woman that I completely support and from whom I get nothing in return?” I asked incredulously. “Because if you’re completely useless to me, then I may as well just kick you out.”
“No, I won’t be useless to you. But you’re going to treat me like a human being from now on. Consider it a compromise. I work so I have a place to live. You treat me with respect so you keep your glowing reputation to your parents. That’s fair if you ask me.”