Indebted - Piper Stone Page 0,81

she cut a huge portion, shoving it into her mouth. Her expression was one of glee.

There was no reason for her aggravated actions to cause frustration, but my skin tingled as I watched her, finally easing another bite into my mouth. I reached for the wine, realizing my hand was shaking. Between Liam’s calls and the threats, a part of me had come unhinged. What the fuck did my brother want? If he honestly thought we were going to be friends, he was freaking out of his mind.

My father had accommodated all four brothers in the will, leaving them a part of the business. For that, I could kill the asshole all over again, but in time, I would force them out.

“You can cook,” she muttered while still chewing. “I wondered if your expertise was merely in destroying those around you.”

Was she purposely attempting to piss me off? I knew how badly she wanted to learn about my family, and my damn scar, but she didn’t need to know anything. “Chew your food, Alessandra. I certainly don’t want you to choke.”

“You don’t?” She slathered another bite with juice then shoved it into her mouth, allowing the liquid to trickle down both sides of her face.

I leaned back in my seat, pushing the plate away, my pulse racing. “Why would you ask that?”

She shrugged instead of answering, grabbing her wineglass and glugging almost half the glass. The combination of wine and blood oozing down both sides of her face was an odd aphrodisiac, although I was floored at her behavior, the audacity.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I demanded, dumping my knife and fork onto the plate.

“What you told me to do.” The muffled sounds were ridiculous, only adding to my confusion. She finally placed her hand against her lips, giggling as she wiped away the remnants of food.

My head ached like a son of a bitch. The entire day hadn’t gone as I’d planned. “You’re going to eat like a lady or you’re not going to be allowed to finish your dinner. Is that clear?”

“Uh-huh. I mean, yes, sir.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin, smiling at me demurely.

What in the hell did she think she was doing?

When she cut a tiny piece, I took a deep breath, dragging the plate back in front of me. I wasn’t good at small talk and we certainly had nothing in common. As I continued cutting, concentrating on what I was doing, I finally glanced in her direction.

I remained furious at her defiance, the harsh look she was giving me. I’d had enough.

I jerked up from the seat, yanking her by the arm as I grabbed her plate, pulling it away. I’d never felt so ridiculous. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

As she spit out the half-consumed bite, her damn eyes twinkled. “Just trying to enjoy dinner with my fiancé. Nothing more.”

I closed my eyes as I pulled her closer. “Whatever you think you’re doing is going to stop. Either sit down and act like a lady or this privilege as well as every other one will be removed from you.”

A different look crossed her face and she nodded, her cheeks flushing from embarrassment. I let her go, no longer certain I gave a damn about food. I knew exactly why she was acting out in this manner. She knew by getting me riled that I’d talk. I huffed, moving toward the chair and sitting down with a hard thud. A moment of utter exhaustion settled in, the weight of the last few years more crushing than normal.

“What the fuck do you want from me, Alessandra? What? Do you want to know all the dirty little secrets that I have swimming around in my life? Will that make you happy?”

“Yes!” she hissed. “You act like you give a damn about me, even make love with me but you refuse to tell me anything. I will be your wife!”

The words and her vehemence seemed to reverberate in the air, dragging out another round of arrogance. I glared at her, half laughing before I answered. Why the hell not?

“I’m estranged from my family. I haven’t talked to them in years. They tossed me away. They said I was a disgrace to the entire family. Why the fuck should I want to bother with a single one of them after all this time? Is that what you want to know and why you’re acting like a spiteful child?”

She studied me, very carefully wrapping her