Chapter 4

ETHAN

I couldn't believe Lila called the police behind my back. I had a police captain in my home. If the news got out, it would look bad on Ryan. He would never forgive me if his reputation got ruined because of this. Ryan can never know about this incident.

I threw out Doyle's business card, but not before I saved it on my phone. It would be good to have in case of emergency. I had no plans to use it, but it wouldn't hurt to keep it if something went wrong.

I spent the last five years with Ryan. I knew how to handle him and didn't need anyone's help. My life is better than it has ever been, so why would I want to leave just because of a bit of pain? No one would ever understand. I knew what Ryan was ever since the night we first met. I didn't walk away then, so why would I walk away now?

I put the past hour's events out of my head and focused on preparing dinner. Ryan would be getting home soon, and I needed to finish. Ryan had been in a sour mood lately, and if I could make him happy, then hopefully, he wouldn't take it out on me.

I prepared Ryan's favorite meal, beef stew. It's been a while since we've had it. This night had to be perfect. Ryan's temper had been almost too much for me the past few nights. The bruises he left on me were proof enough of that.

I had just finished the dinner when the front door opened. Ryan was home. Turning off the stove, I greeted him in the living room.

"Ryan, sweaty," I cautiously approached him. He seemed in a good mood, if a bit annoyed. I could work with that.

"My mother called," Ryan bluntly stated; if it had to do with Margret Adams, I knew it would be a long night.

"She wants the family over for dinner tonight. And we're going, so make sure you dress appropriately," he informed me.

"Tonight?" I can't believe this asshole; after all the work I put in this dinner, he pulls this Shit on me.

"Yes, tonight, Ethan. That won't be a problem, will it?" He was getting upset, so I needed to choose my next words carefully.

" Of course not. I just spent all day making your favorite food. I was hoping for a quiet date night for us. I just hoped you would have given me a heads-up." I tried to calmly reason with him.

Ryan was quiet, and when he was quiet, I knew I fucked up. He walked towards me, but I didn't try to run; I just knew it would be a lot worse if I did. He reached forward, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and yanked back. It wasn't very painful, but it did its job to keep me in place, right where Ryan loved.

"Did I ask you to do that" Ryan gripped the spot where he left the bruise, right below my rib cage. I winced in pain; that bruise still hurt to the touch.

"Answer me, Ethan." Ryan began pressing harder, and the pain intensified.

"No, I just thought I'd surprise you," I said, ignoring the pain.

"Well, you thought wrong. If I wanted you to do something, I would tell you." Ryan removed his hand from the bruise, and for a second, I thought I would get off light.

"I'm sorry, sweaty. " My apology fell on deaf ears. Ryan grabbed my throat with his hand, not gripping my hair, and I couldn't breathe. His hand was big enough to almost fit around my neck.

"You should know by now that if I wanted you to make dinner, I would tell you. I would tell you if I wanted to go to my parents' house. If I wanted you to be on your knees waiting for me, I would tell you," Ryan reminded me in the calm but dangerous tone he always used when he wanted to punish me.

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"I work all day to support us while you just sit at home working on your stupid writing hobby. Now you're going to put this food away, get dressed, and behave yourself. Are we clear?" Ryan finally let me go, and I took a minute to regain my breath.

"Yes, Ryan," I told him, fear gripping my voice. I needed to calm him down. If I could do that, maybe I could salvage this night.

"Just to be sure you behave, let's make a deal: If you are good, I'll be extra gentle at night, but if you don't behave and embarrass me, I will make you cry while I treat you like the hole you are. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," I bit my lip, fuck he's really in a bad mood, I just hope nothing happens. But with my luck, Margret is going to make this a very long night.

Ryan and I arrived at the Adams mansion just after 7 pm; it was one of the biggest mansions in the state. The mansion has been in Ryan's family since the 19th century; generations of Adams have lived here. The mansion was more like a small castle, with over 100 rooms and at least 50 staff members employed. There was even a freaking tower left over when it was first built.

The only Adams family members living there were Ryan’s grandparents, Cedric and Miriam, and his parents, Victor and Margaret. Ryan and his siblings each lived with their own partners; Cedric, the actual owner of the estate, thought that they should all live on their own and show that they could make it on their own. Cedric paid for all of their college expenses; he took care of everything until they got their degree and passed the Bar exam. He made a deal that he would only put them in his Will if they could prove they could make it as great lawyers.

Cedric Adams wanted to make his own legacy of lawyers. Everyone in this family became some kind of lawyer, bar Miriam. Cedric himself was a patent lawyer, which is how he almost doubled the Adams Fortune when he was in his prime. He represented small-time businesses that eventually became the most prominent companies on earth: restaurants, banks, hospitals, you name it; he helped secure a patent for it.

His son Victor and his wife, Ryan’s parents, are very successful lawyers in their own fields. Victor was a highly sought-after corporate lawyer; companies would pay top dollar to hire him. You would think that Victor would think less of the lower class, but he was one of the few Adams family members I actually liked. He always liked me more than the other family members and never looked down on me.

Margaret, on the other hand, is the textbook definition of an in-law from hell. She hated me from the start. She saw me as a poor gold digger who wanted Ryan only for the money. She hated the idea that her youngest child would marry someone uneducated and low-class. Margret, a defense lawyer, wanted each of her kids to marry the best possible person, and I would never make the cut in her eyes.

Margret was the one who greeted us; it was just my luck. “Ryan, it's so nice to see you.” Margret hugged her youngest child.

“You too, Mom. It's been too long.” Ryan smiled,

“Oh Ethan, you here too? How are you doing? Still sitting at home, are you.” Margret always had to make a comment about how i work from home.

“Yes, Margret,” I gave a forced smile, “I'm still working from home. I'm sure Ryan has often told you I work from home.”

Ryan shot me a warning look; I was getting too close to pissing Ryan off.

“Oh yes, silly me,” she gave me a fake smile, trying to play it off. “I must of forgot, you do freelance writing, how could i forget? I guess it’s just not important enough to remember.”

“Well, they do say memory is the first to go with age; hopefully, it's nothing serious.” Margret isn’t the only one with jokes tonight.

“Ethan,” Ryan shot another warning glare at me.

Margret gave a small huff and led us to the dining room. I won this battle, and hopefully, she won't start anything; I didn’t trust myself not to say anything. If this night went south, Ryan just might put me in the hospital, and I wasn’t ready for that yet.

We were led through the dining room, where the rest of the family was. All of Ryan’s siblings were here dressed like they just left court, and knowing this family, that’s probably true. Rebecca, Ryan’s oldest sibling, was the first to notice us. She greeted her youngest brother with a hug, her husband Walter was kind of enough to acknowledge me.

“Ethan, how’re you.” Walter smiled, holding his hand out, which I shook. “It's been a while. Hows work? Did that news station get back to you?

Walter was a news anchor for Fox News; he was the one who gave me my current gig. It was for a local news station that asked for help writing a few articles, and Walter gave them my info. I was grateful for the work but i had to keep it from Ryan, he hated when spent more time working then i did cleaning and cooking.

“They did, and I start next week. Thank you, Walter, it means so much.” I could feel Ryan stare at me; the only thing he hated more than not having control was not knowing something.

“Ethan, why didn’t you tell me about this?”Ryan began, sounding hurt, but I knew that was an act, “don’t you think I should know where my husband is working.”

Shit, why does the universe love to screw me over, honestly, I got the job this morning, but with Doyle and making dinner, it slipped my mind to tell him.

“Ryan baby, i just got the job today and i guess i guess i forgot to tell you.” i truthfully told him, i knew he believe me but would still be mad.

Ryan grabbed my hand and led me out of the dining room. “I'm sorry, everyone. Please, can I have a few minutes to talk to my husband,” Ryan asked his family.

“Of course, dear, you can use my study down the hall,” Margaret offered with a sweet smile as if she didn’t realize the tension in the room.

Ryan threw me into his mother’s study, locking us both in there. I'm fucked, and by the look on Ryan’s face, it's going to be painful. Ryan pushed me against the wall, trapping me in between the wall and himself. Ryan slapped the bruise he ever so loves to torture and grinned to himself when I gasped for air.

“You’re a major fuck up, you know that” Ryan's voice was calm and to the point. “First, you gave me an attitude about family dinner. Then the first thing you do when we get here is get into it with my mother.

“Now you’re keeping secrets from me; why am I the last to know that my husband has a new job?”

“Ryan, I'm sorry.” I have to be careful here, and I can get him to calm down; I’ve been through this hundreds of times. “I got the job this morning, and I was going to tell you at dinner. After our fight, it just slipped my mind,” Gotta go for the logical response, Ryan is a very logical person, and that was the best way to calm him down.

“OK, fair enough.” he believed me; I just might make it out of this intact. “But that’s strike one for you” Shit he’s playing one of his sick games with me, and when he plays those games it never ends well for me.

“I'll let the incident with Mother go. I know how she gets it.” Ryan leaned in close as if to kiss me but instead grabbed the waistband of my pants. He reached and grabbed my cock and twisted it. I almost fell over from the pain, but Ryan held me up.

“This is how the rest of the night is going to go; you already have one strike, so when we get home, you’re getting flogged till I see blood.” OK, I can handle that. It's not as bad as it sounds.

“Strike two and im going to handcuff you to our bed all night and all day tomorrow, you wont be able to move till i say you can.” his grip on my cock grew and i wanted to cry but i wouldn’t it would only make things worse.

“And strike three, I'm going to hang you from the ceiling and use you as my punching bag. I'm going to leave you bloody and bruised, hanging by your arms until you beg me. I will break you in half when I fuck the shit out of you, dry,” Ryan let go of my cock and kissed me on my forehead. I’ve never been so scared in my life. Ryan was going to kill me one of these days, and there was only one way this ended. I knew I had to act soon, just not tonight.