REIGN (A REVERSE HAREM)

21. Arabella

The guys are holding a 'very inportant meeting' with their men. Obviously, i'm curious.

I tiptoe outside of the library room, pushing my ear against the door.

"Fuck that's a lot." Luca says, "What are we gonna do?"

"Kill them." Roman replies.

That's such a him answer. I don't even know what they're talking about but obviously he would say that.

"We can't kill them all." Luca says.

"Watch me." Roman says, that's also such a him answer.

The room quietens down, "Arabella, come in here." Roman calls, his voice loud.

Fuck, how did he even know? I swear he has a sixth sense.

I go to tiptoe away but the door opens and i turn around, smiling at my husband, "Hi, i was... wanted a book."

He manhandles me into the library. I wave at Vincent who waves back. "So..."

"You can't go to Nevada."

"Why not?" I frown. Wasn't expecting that. We've been planning this for ages.

"Because there's a hundred a fifty men placed around the states looking to fuck you." He says calmly, though the tick in his jaw made me think he wasn't calm.

"Why so many?"

"Because your father is a dick and for some reasoned promised these men a night with you in return for a huge sum of money." He sighs.

I can't say i'm not surprised that my father would do something like that. But it's shocking, and hard to hear. I really meant so little to him.

"So no Nevada."

"You can't keep me on lockdown, Roman." I rub my eyes.

"I'm going to Italy for a couple of days while you're away and i won't be there to protect you." He stops looking at me, "Everyone get back to your duties, Asher and Luca stay."

He doesn't look back at me until everyone but those three have left the room. I shake my head, sighing. "Fine." I try and move away from him but he pulls me back. "Stop."

"You always do this-"

"No, you always do this Roman. You only protect me when you want to. And you clearly don't want to, just say that instead of lying-"

"What makes you think that, Arabella?" He frowns, a confused frown.

"You pass me onto those two when something more important than me comes along, you could easily do that while you're in Italy and i go to Nevada but you won't." I pull my hand away from him, "I'll fucking stay here, just don't lie to me next time."

He sighs, "God, Arabella, can you not see that i am trying?"

"Uh, we'll go." Luca stands up.

"No bro i wanna-"

"Asher lets go." Luca pulls his friend up. "See y'all later."

They scurry away and Roman sits on the couch, head in his hands.

"What?" I cross my arm over my chest.

"I put you under their protection and you complain that i'm not being a good husband, i put you under my protection and you complain. It's fucking impossible to meet your standards, Arabella. I have been trying." He looks up at me.

"Impossible to meet my standards, Roman?" I scoff. "It's the bare fucking minimum. You pass me on to them when you want to go out and do shit, you only use me when we're in public and you need people to know that i'm off limits. You use me as your fucking show piece. The rest of the time you throw me to them because i'm not worth that much to you."