“Subito, per favore.” Domenico moaned, but somehow he still managed to wink at me. “I can’t wait.”
“Oh you’ve made that fucking clear, you prick,” Tino grumbled.
I wiped my face with my hands, rage seeping from my pores. “No, no, no! How could you believe this bullshit? Tino, you got it all wrong. Nothing happened. Can’t you see he’s lying? He just wants revenge for…” I chopped off my words.
Tino crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against his desk. “Revenge for what, Nicole?”
“Yeah, baby girl.” He smirked, blood trickling down his lips. “What could such an innocent girl like you have possibly done to me so I’d have my revenge on her by honoring her and making her mine forever?”
CHAPTER 16
Nicky
My chest heaved as I realized I couldn’t tell the truth without making things even worse. It’d make the Bellomos the bad guys here, and it’d make Tino angrier, so much he’d choose not to believe me even I was telling the truth.
How did this Lanza monster screw me over like that? How could I have been so stupid? “You son of a bitch, I’m gonna kill you.” I lost it and lunged at Domenico, fingernails forward. “I’m gonna fucking kill you!”
I aimed for his face, but I scratched the air as strong arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me off the floor and pushing me away from that asshole’s face.
“Nicole, cut it off.” Tino put me down behind him, shielding the jerk from my wrath. “Everybody out.”
Enzio pushed his repugnant cousin toward the door. “You got yourself a feisty one here, Dom. Reminds me of my own. Except yours is no pixie and naturally blonde. Do you know how many fucking times Bianca tried to kill me? Good ol’days.” He chuckled on their way out.
When Tino locked the door, I dashed toward him. “You can’t force me to marry that piece of shit.”
He pushed past me and sat behind his desk. “Shut up and sit.”
“No! You’re not listening. We didn’t have sex.”
“I know.”
Taken aback, I glared at him. “Then why the hell did you take part of that charade?”
He crossed his legs and pointed at the seat across from him. “I don’t like to repeat myself.”
An angry breath blew out of me as I took the fucking seat. “Here. Now, answer me.”
“Dom won’t play that game without encouragement. Something happened between the two of you last night. Something that touches the honor of both families.”
“We just kissed. That’s all.”
“Don’t fucking lie to me.”
Like I could do anything in this bloody, fucked up world but lie. “All you need to know is that we didn’t sleep together. I didn’t break your stupid code.”
“Yes, you did. Even if it wasjust a kiss.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“When it comes to honor, I’m dead series.”
“Those stupid rules don’t apply to me. I’m not your blood, Tino. I’m not one of your soldiers, either. Whom I kiss or even fuck isn’t anybody’s business but mine.”
“Your business is my business whether you like it or not. If I turn a blind eye after what Dom said, I won’t be taken seriously about the honor of my family. Imagine how much blood will have to be spilled if that ever happens.”
“For a kiss?” I hissed.
“Allora, there’s no way we can prove you’re the one telling the truth. It’s your word against Dom’s, and he said he fucked you.” He leaned forward, his expression, his whole body menacing. “Either I kill him for it, which will start a war with the Lanzas, my strong allies that I need, especially when my own son is out there to kill me, or you’ll have to marry him to restore our honor, like you should.”
