AngerArrogance Read online

  She realized she was being rude as she took in her husband fighting to maintain his patience. He had the nerve to scoot her to a quiet corner, her heels scrapping along the sidewalk as she fought to absorb his gentle shove.

  Furious, Alana’s eyes shot fiery darts as Devin. Between clenched teeth, she asked, “Who in the hell do you think you are?”

  His forced smile was obvious. “We are supposed to look happy. Can you put aside your irritation long enough to fake a few smiles? Then, you will be free to go off and do whatever it is you like to do. I didn’t want this situation any more than you, but we both agreed to it, so deal with it.”

  Accepting that he was right, Alana didn’t answer. Looking at her husband, she forged a smile while nodding defiantly. How tall is this damn man? Her eyes swept the expanse of his tall frame. Her heels only boosted her eye-level to his shoulder.

  Before she could find something else to dislike, Devin’s eyes raked her seductively. “If you don’t have anything to do later, you can come and see me. You look like you need to relax. I know some techniques that will help and I promise; you will have a good time.”

  Alana wanted to slap the taste from Devin’s mouth for being so forthright and arrogant. The sharp turn of her neck as she rolled her eyes drove her words. “Please, the thought of you touching me in any way makes me gag.” Walking away before causing a scene, she loved the shocked expression she left on his arrogant face.

  The couple spent the next few hours taking pictures and mingling with guests Alana had never seen before—she wondered if Devin had.

  Of all the things she had done this evening, she was happy to have spent a few moments with her new in-laws, Joseph and Susan Nazari. Maggie had been right as she immediately sensed a sincere and positive vibe from them, completely unlike their son.

  She managed a few moments to talk to her own father. Giving him a good-bye hug, Alana kissed him on the cheek and reminded, “I’ll call you tomorrow?” Inclining his head, he reassured, “I’m glad you went through with this. You don’t see it now, but you’ll be glad you did this.”

  Alana wasn’t as sure as her father, but she promised him that she would give it a shot. As much as she hated to admit it, this may be the therapy she’d never had.

  Chapter 3

  Bullet Proof Vest

  Time in the Nazari Mansion for Alana was passing along without incident. Her hour-long commute to work five days a week was relatively peaceful. She delighted in the fact that she didn’t have to quit her job as a Physical Therapist.

  Staying busy kept her mind off the fact that she had gone through with an arranged marriage. She maintained boring and non-productive phone chats with her father, but it had been their standard.

  Enjoying breakfast most mornings with her new in-laws, she found her father-in-law desired to upgrade his political status. Apparently, her and Devin’s marriage was a big first step in the process.

  Although she had gone through with it, she was still trying to sort through concerns she had towards her marriage. The knowledge that it wasn’t permanent was comforting. As long as she and her husband kept avoiding each other, six months under the same roof as him was manageable.

  Most times he seemed content ignoring her and freely carried on a relationship with his girlfriend. Alana told herself she didn’t mind because it saved her from a marriage bed she wasn’t interested in.

  However, she wasn’t naïve about their situation. Eventually, she and Devin would have to exist cohesively to become public figures.

  Resting comfortably atop her bed, she was reading Indigo by one of her favorite authors, Beverly Jenkins, when a knock turned her eyes to her door.

  ***

  At the insistence of his father and a long boring lecture from both his parents, Devin knocked on Alana’s door. He had been urged to engage his wife in some type of mutually productive relationship.

  Reluctantly, Devin agreed and promised to make an effort. There were times when he had forgotten about being married, his memory jarred when periodically seeing his wife throughout the house.

  The noise of Alana’s television flowed, spurring Devin to casually enter her room. Book in hand, he found her lying on her stomach at the foot of her bed. His gaze lingered, taking in her baby blue fitted shirt and shorts that showed toned sexy legs. Damn she got a nice ass.

  The look she presented over the spine of her book wasn’t a friendly one. An automatic frown etched her face and intensified when he failed to pull his eyes away from her ass fast enough.

  Standing at the foot of her bed, Devin composed himself and held a firm stance.

  Obviously frustrated, her eyes raked into him deeply. “I didn’t invite you in. What in the hell do you want?”

  Devin stilled for a moment, surprised by her round of unpleasant words. It was unusual for him to be greeted in such an irritated and dismissive tone. Folding his arms, his stance should have implied his demand for respect. “My, my, my, aren’t you rude? You didn’t answer your door. You are obviously here, so...” His shoulders shot up nonchalantly.

  Alana rolled her eyes and boy did she look mean. “Usually, when someone doesn’t answer the door, it means they don’t want to be bothered. Sorry, I guess the concept was lost on you. It must be like rocket science for someone as dense as you.”

  Speechless, his words were caught somewhere between his brain and vocal chords. Before now, he hadn’t known his new wife could speak more than a few rude words at a time. It didn’t take him long to decide he didn’t like what was spewing from her mouth.

  Ignoring her smart comments, he flopped on the bed with a thump, making her body bounce atop the mattress. Not in the mood to waste time and energy on a fake relationship, he released a sigh.

  Alana snapped her book closed so hard and fast it made him jump. Although her actions surprised him, he stood his ground while watching her shoot him a look that would have killed five normal men instantly. He refused to be a pushover. He’d hope she would be like the rest of his women and comply with his demands, but he was starting to think she needed a little extra finesse.

  He ignored her hostile look. “We’re going out to dinner tomorrow night. We may as well start getting out so people can see us together. And please, fix your hair and wear something nice. I refuse to go out with you looking like anything.”

  Devin drew away a bit as Alana rose from her position. If her eyes had been gun barrels, she would have shot him with no remorse. From the looks of her, she was not about to bite her tongue. His demands seemed to have sparked her frustration and ignited her anger. “You did not waltz your ass in here to tell me what I am going to do, did you? If you would have asked nicely, I would have politely said ‘hell no’. But since you didn’t ask, my answers are ‘fuck no’, ‘go fuck yourself’, and ‘fuck off’.”

  Taking in a gulp of air, Devin’s chest heaved in dismay. Alana had transformed into the devil. She hadn’t even raised her voice, but the look on her face was implicit. She was going to kill him with her bare hands if he said one more word. He realized he could be a bit bossy at times, maybe even a little arrogant, but he didn’t deserve this.

  The pleased look on her face said she knew she’d knocked the wind out of his chest with her vicious tongue. Devin jumped from Alana’s bed and stormed towards her door, too stunned to respond to her statements.

  ***

  Smiling deviously, Alana relaxed and prepared to continue her reading. She figured her little stunt should keep Devin away for at least another month.

  Moments later, she dropped her head in defeat. The sharp rumble of her husband’s feet echoing down the hall alerted his return. When he stormed back through her door, she cursed under her breath. “Damn it. Shit. The jolly green giant is back and he looks pissed.”

  Devin’s words rushed out in one big jumble. “Where do you get off talking to me that way? I was trying to be cordial. You didn’t have to be such a…… bitch.” The B-word slipped from his mouth before he could sto
p it. He could never recall any woman making him angry enough to call her the b-word. His anger quickly subsided when he looked into his wife’s face. He saw hell’s fury in her eyes and wished he’d stayed in his room.

  He watch her close her book for a second time. This time softly. Rising from her bed, she may as well have been a lion stalking prey. She approached and his first instinct was to take a step back. Although a small woman, she gave off enough raw energy that he was smart enough to beware. Standing less than a foot away, she started pushing him towards the door— fingers poking into his chest.

  Shock made him loose his words. Staring between her forceful fingers and the demon traps she called eyes, Devin demand she stop. “Woman. What are you doing? Are you crazy? Take your hands off of me. Don’t you know who I am?”

  Shoving his shoulders now, Alana pressed harder. “You will see how crazy I am if you don’t get the hell out of my room and leave me the hell alone. I don’t know who died and made you king, but you’re not going to tell me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. You asshole. I suggest you find someone who’ll give a shit about who you are because you’ve got the wrong one tonight.”

  Devin’s mouth was slightly open as puffs of air escaped, words bypassing his vocal system. Caught off guard, his breaths got away from him. He huffed and puffed a few time before he spoke again. “You are my wife dammit. If I tell you something, you are supposed to listen. If I say move, you should ask, where? If I say come, you should be running.”

  Alana burst into a fit of laughter that only infuriated him more. She was laughing so hard her shoulders quaked and her head was thrown up like a little she-wolf.

  Devin had no idea what to say to this wicked woman. He pointed a finger at her but before he said a word; she shoved him further towards the door.

  Outraged, he yelled. “Stop that. How dare you push me? You can’t put me out of here. This is my house and as my wife, I demand you listen to me and do what I say.”

  He fought to compose himself as his wife continued to push him towards the door.

  Her speech was sarcastic, her gestures dramatic. “I hate to burst your bubble Ole Masterful King, but this is your parents’ house. If you tell me what to do one more time, I’ll make you sorry you ever came into this room. I don’t care who the hell you think you are; you’re barking up the wrong damn tree.”

  He was livid, so angry he was shaking. “Don’t you threaten me woman. You need to take some freaking Prozac because you’re nuts. I mean, fresh out the nut house kind of crazy.”

  Refusing to listen to his words, Alana gave him one last jab that sent him completely out of her room. She slammed the door in his face.

  Devin had to jump a few times to maintain balance. Kicking the closed door with his bare feet wasn’t a good idea. Instantly sorry, he yelped in pain.

  Alana laughed loud enough for Devin to hear. Her words sliced through the closed door and found his ears. “Serves you right for calling me a bitch. You bossy bastard. I hope you broke your toe.”

  Devin could imagine her smiling about his dismay. She was such a wicked women, he could picture her brainstorming ways to torture him.

  Limping back to his room, Devin let his curse words fly free. He couldn’t remember the last time he had cursed so much. He slammed his bedroom door so hard the walls rattled and something on his desk fell to the floor. Furious, he talked to himself. “I can’t believe her. She is the rudest woman I have ever encountered. How dare she put her hands on me? And that mouth. Good God, that mouth. How dare she talk to me that way? I can’t believe I let my parents talk me into marrying the devil’s daughter; the damn spawn of Satan.”

  Devin showered, hoping to calm his nerves and relax. He couldn’t sleep thinking about his insolent wife. Could he possibly be cracking up? Smiling now, he thought back on the crazy situation. He had been too furious at the time to be certain he had seen the rest of the house’s residence standing at the top of the stars. This was the most action the crew had seen in the otherwise quiet house. After the dust settled, they had all dispersed probably wondering if this was going to be the start of an on-going battle. Devin wondered the same.

  The more he thought about the situation, the funnier it became. Lying in the dark comfort of his room, he continued to laugh at the shocking and dramatic encounter he’d had with his wife. His big toe was a hurtful reminder of her rudeness. She was a short-fused firecracker.

  Shaking his head, he was definitely going to wear a bulletproof vest the next time he decided to approach her.

  Chapter 4

  The Devil’s Daughter

  Devin updated his father about his encounter with his wife, but there was no need. The entire house had already bore witness to his and Alana’s fireworks. His father didn’t find the incident as amusing as he now seemed to find it.

  His tone was serious. “I don’t care what you have to do son. You have to make this marriage look legit. I don’t care if you and she take acting classes. This family falls under a public microscope. The public wants to see a couple, not two WWE wrestlers. You’re a smart man. I am sure you can figure out something.”

  The frustrated look on his father’s face worried Devin. His father was never easily upset so this thing with his wife was more serious than he thought.

  Devin loved his parents with all his heart, but this had to be the dumbest thing they’d asked him to do. How am I supposed to convince the devil’s daughter to be cordial and appear happy in this world versus her underworld?

  ***

  It took Devin two days to knock on Alana’s door again. She didn’t answer his first knock and seemed intent to not answer any others. Getting pissed standing outside her door, Devin continued to knock. The knocks grew harder as his anger grew stronger.

  Shouting, he called, “Alana. I know you’re in there. You need to open this door. I know you hear me. Open this door at once.”

  She didn’t answer his tenth, eleventh, or twentieth knock.

  He screamed at the top of his lungs. “Alana. Open this damn door!”

  The rest of the house’s residences had once again gathered in the hallway near the top of the stairs.

  Noticing the crowd, Devin shooed them away with one hand while continuing to knock with the other. They stared at him as if he were crazy, likely wondering what he was yelling about because his wife wasn’t answering. The crowd was smart enough to remain far enough away in case they had to run from the sparks that were going to fly if Alana decided to open the door.

  Turning the knob, he discovered she had locked the door. Leaning against the door, Devin continued to demand that he be let in. Air flooded his lungs in a rushed gasp as his body lurched forward. Alana had swung the door open. Fighting to regain his balance, he straightened himself in time to see her heading back towards her bed.

  Kneeling in the center of her bed with her eyes closed, she positioned her hands for prayer. His anger dispelled a bit wondering why she felt the need to seek prayer in the middle of their argument.

  “Dear God, please give me the strength to control my strong impulse to knock the hell out of Devin Nazari. It’s taking everything within me at the moment not to go over there and drop-kick him in the throat. I only have so much patience, Lord. Please give me the strength to hold my peace, Jesus. I need all three of you to rain patience on me: God, Jesus, and Lord. Amen.” Crossing herself, she let her sarcastic gaze meet his unamused stare.

  Devin couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so blatantly disrespected. Trying to figure out what to do about his crazy-ass wife was going to be tougher than the thought. His hand absently brushed his throat as he cast away thoughts of her drop-kicking him.

  Stunned, he watched her for a moment with his hands folded across his chest. It didn’t take him long to figure that his authoritative posture had no effect on her.

  Calming his nerves as best he could, he walked over and sat on the foot of her bed. He didn’t miss the mean scowl she ladled him with or the roll o
f her eyes as she released a long exhausting breath.

  Keeping his face stern, he managed a calm tone. “Would you be willing to have dinner with me tomorrow?” As if talking to an unstable person, he slowed his words. “I apologize for demanding and not asking like I should have in the first place.”

  He watched her assess his question and words. Her lips stretched into two deep-pink glossy slits. “Okay. What time and where are we going?”

  His eyebrows leapt up in surprise, he hadn’t expected her compliance. “Tomorrow night at seven. You can pick the place.”

  She didn’t want him around any longer than he had to be. He could literally see her running through a registry of restaurants in the head. “We can go to Vulgar.”

  He was not going to give her the satisfaction of knowing she’d chosen one of his favorite restaurants. Never having been so humbled, Devin left Alana’s room. There was one thing he was sure of; he would have to use his reserved nerves if he were to survive this relationship.

  Chapter 5

  Rusty Spoon

  Devin knocked at Alana’s door at six the following evening and to his surprise, she shouted for him to enter. Seeing her in something other than hospital scrubs and a pony tail, his eyes feasted on how beautiful looked.

  The form fitting black and red dress played up her beautiful features brilliantly. A glimpse of cleavage peeked from her dress, enticing his eyes to travel in the wrong direction. Her long and thick dark curls hung past her shoulders. Usually keeping her hair pulled back, Devin had no idea she had such a beautiful head of thick curly hair. Surprised, he suddenly craved to get his hands into all of those wild, fluffy and free flowing curls.

  If she were wearing make-up, he couldn’t tell because she had a skin tone so naturally beautiful and smooth she didn’t need any. Since the moment he laid eyes on her, he’d thought she had a unique and distinct set of features. Seeing her like this reinforced the fact that he had been attracted to her the moment they’d met at the altar.