He nods slowly, a smile tipping his lips. “I wished for you. To see you tonight.”
“Why?” I can’t help my wobbling voice as he regards me unblinkingly before standing and moving closer. My feet are stuck to the ground, I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.
“Why do you think we keep finding one another,Stellina?”
He’s close enough to reach out a hand to cup my cheek with his warm palm. I can feel the tension evaporate from my entire body at the single touch, and I turn my face toward the warmth.
“I think it’s because fate put you in my path.” With his eyes fixed on mine, he holds me his willing prisoner. “You see, I wasn’t supposed to be here this weekend. In fact, I wanted to be anywherebuthere. And now…”
He trails off, seemingly in awe as he searches my face before meeting my gaze once more.
“Now, I can’t shake the feeling that meeting you has always been written in the stars.”
My entire body feels electrified, having soared to life from the sincerity in his eyes, and he moves closer, his cool breath skating across my lips as he closes the gap between us.
“Baciami, Stellina.”
My eyes hold his as our mouths inch closer together until Nico’s booming voice splinters the moment into pieces.
“There you are, baby girl.” I immediately move away from Rafe, confusion covering his face as I plaster a fake smile onto my lips before turning to Nico.
His eyes tell me nothing, but his jaw clenches just like his fists as he moves closer, nodding to Rafe. “Caruso. Glad you could make it, even if it’s mostly pointless as the spare.”
Without waiting for a reply, he bends down and scoops me up bridal style before shooting a wink at Rafe. “You’ll need to excuse us. Seeing my baby girl all prettied up makes me harder than a steel fucking pipe.”
Embarrassment rises in my cheeks while a soul-deep sadness permeates my bones as Nico’s words remind me, in no uncertain terms, of exactly what my station is.
And precisely who has autonomy over my body, because that person isn’t me.
Knowing what’s expected of me, I loop my arms around Nico’s neck, chancing a look back at Rafe just before Nico steps over the threshold and back inside the house. My chest feelstight when he’s nowhere to be seen, and I glance up at the sky full of stars, fleetingly wishing things could be different.
Nico takes the stairs two at a time, whispering in my ear all the ways he’s going to make me come until we get to his room. Then he dumps me onto the bed and pins me down with his knees on either side of my body.
“Have I been too lenient with you, baby girl?
Uneasy nerves tingle along my veins as I open my mouth to answer, but he presses his palm over it, silencing me. I’m instantly transported back to the last time another man did the same thing.
My body freezes when he leans closer, rage slashed across his hard features. “I think you’ve had a little too much freedom. I think you forget that your family’s wealth, position – hell, their damnliveshinge on you making me a very fucking happy man.”
His hand presses harder over my mouth, and I whimper at the back of my throat. “And seeingmia piccola puttanathrowing herself at a filthy Caruso doesn’t make me happy in the least. In fact, I’m downrightunhappy here, Elodie.”
My breathing comes faster and faster when Nico’s face transforms. His rage-filled features of moments before morph into a crazed grin that makes his eyes look wild, and more than a little deranged.
Suddenly, he lets me go, stepping off the bed to walk into the ensuite. He starts running a bath while I lie in the middle of his bed, utterly torn as to what to do.
If I try to leave, he’ll hurt Skye. If I stay, he’ll hurt me.
Well, there’s your answer, Rivers.
I take thirty seconds to compose myself as best as I can before following him to the bathroom. His fist meets my face as I reach the doorframe, and I stumble back, holding my bloodied cheek as the pain ricochets.
The momentum of the blow puts me on my back, as Nico descends on me, his face mottled with a fury like I’ve never seen before. I flip over and desperately attempt to scramble away, but he grips my ankle, yanking me closer.
I cry out for him to stop, tears blurring my eyes, panic filling my chest as he spins me onto my back. His face is contorted when he climbs over me to straddle my waist, and his depraved smile fills my vision as he wraps his hands around my neck, squeezing tight. My mouth is wide open in a silent scream while tears stream unchecked down along my face, and I can’t breathe.
I can’t breathe.
I can’t breathe.
