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Her words bolster my resolve, reminding me of the woman I am beyond Alessandro’s shadow. “I can do this,” I reply, more to myself than to her.
With a deep breath, I resume my walk, each step echoing louder. I see hunger in his eyes, the same hunger I saw last night. I cringe to think how I agreed to this in exchange for an orgasm.
Who was that woman last night? It wasn’t me. I don’t let men blindfold me, tie me down, flog my ass, make me beg to come. What is he doing to me?
I’m no longer the woman who walked naively into his life. “Alessandro,” I say when I reach him, “I need to know I can still be me in all of this. That I’m not your puppet.”
He studies me for a moment, the intensity in his gaze intensifying. “I swear on everything I am, you’re not a pawn. You’re my queen.”
His words are meant to comfort, to reassure, but they also remind me of the power he wields, the control I’m both drawn to and afraid of.
He notices my hesitation, stepping forward to gently grasp my hand. His touch is both a reassurance and a reminder of his control over this situation.
“I’ve spoken to your father,” he continues. “Your hand settles his debts.” The words are a cold splash of reality, reinforcing the power dynamics that have defined our relationship from the start. “Out of respect for your wishes, I let him live but he will never hurt you again, I swear.”
The priest begins, his words formal and foreign to my ears, as if we’re characters in a play I’ve not rehearsed. Alessandro’s gaze never leaves mine.
“Do you, Jessica Hennimore, take Alessandro Rossi to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in marriage, to love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”
The question hangs in the air, heavy with the weight of a life I’m still struggling to understand. “I do,” I manage to say, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. It’s a commitment made more to the moment than to the future, a surrender to the inevitable.
Alessandro takes my hand. “And do you, Alessandro Rossi, take Jessica Hennimore to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in marriage, to love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”
His answer is immediate, “I do,” spoken with a conviction that sends shivers down my spine. As the cold metal ring encircles my finger, I’m acutely aware of the finality of it all—I am his, by vow, by law, all because of a debt I never owed.
I can’t help but think about my past. The family that never really felt like one, the loneliness that cloaked my childhood. Can Alessandro fill that void? I ponder, even as I fear the answer. Or will I just swap one form of loneliness for another?
He looks hungrily at me. “Every piece of you, from the heart that beats to the body that trembles, is mine now. Not just by law, but by a bond far deeper.”
The room spins, and for a moment, I’m lost in a whirlwind of emotions—fear, resignation, and a sliver of hope that Alessandro’s promise of protection might be real.
There’s a whistle from the door of the church. Alessandro looks that way. One of his men is giving him some kind of hand signal.
“We need to move out,” Alessandro says. “We done here?”
The priest nods frantically. “I can do the paperwork. You’re married in the eyes of God.”
“Good. There a back door to this place?”
“Through there.”
“This way,” Alessandro says, taking me by arm, leading me swiftly out into a parking lot where a black sedan is waiting.
He glances at me, eyebrows furrowed. “You always wanted to go to France, right?” he asks, breaking the silence.
“Yeah, why?”
“Because we need to be out of the country for a while.” For a moment, despite everything, I allow myself to feel a flicker of excitement. France, a dream long held but never expected to fulfill, especially not like this, bound to a man I’m still trying to understand.
“What about Emma?” I ask. “Will she be in danger?”
“She’ll be fine with Tony. He’ll keep her safe. It’s us he’s after.”
Another whistle from the church steps. “Get in,” Alessandro says, pulling open the car door. “Now.”
TWELVE
Alessandro
