The reaction was instantaneous, my fingers like conduits of current, white-hot heat electrifying every inch of skin, every molecule. How could I have such a strong connection to a man when I didn’t know his name?
After taking a deep breath, the stranger slowly lowered his head, his eyes searching mine. He could feel the chemistry as well, his breathing even more labored than before.
Woof. Woof. Woof.
Golden Angel was beside herself, jumping on the stranger as if trying to protect him. I’d never seen her this way, although she wasn’t fond of Marco either. “Enough,” I told her, dragging her back and attaching the leash.
The moment was surreal.
“Bud’te ostorozhny. On opasen.” My whisper was harsh, hopefully hidden by Marco’s intense sounds of agony.
The look of surprise on the man’s face brought a smile that I tried to hide. My father didn’t control every aspect of my life, including what courses I took at school. I’d decided to take both French and Russian, although I’d only had a few semesters of the Slavic language and hoped I didn’t butcher the few words in trying to tell him to be careful, Marco was dangerous.
He nodded once and let go of Marco’s hand, making a grand gesture of doing so.
Marco continued howling while crouching over and rubbing his wrist.
Taking purposeful steps, I backed away, fearful of what would happen.
Marco threw me another hateful look, but I sensed he knew better than to take out his aggressions while I was present.
The situation was one I wouldn’t win so I turned in the opposite direction, briskly walking away. My heart was heavy, everymuscle tense. When I was certain I was out of the line of sight, I moved behind a huge olive tree and peered around the side.
Seeing the barrel of Marco’s weapon placed under the stranger’s chin made me furious, so angry I couldn’t breathe and I almost rushed back, but something told me if I did, the handsome stranger would suffer even worse consequences.
I remained where I was, stroking Golden until Marco’s anger seemed to subside, the weapon put back in a hidden location.
Finally able to focus without spots swirling in front of my eyes, I leaned against the tree, still tingling all over. “Who is he, baby?” Whoever he was, the man was considered a prisoner, not a worker.
I was determined to discover the story.
And to see him again.
Maybe I was merely falling into a fantasy, but something told me the sexy, dark, and dangerous stranger was my destiny.
CHAPTER 4
Rafaela
Marco hadn’t ratted on me.
If he had, my father would have made my life miserable. After a couple of days, I dared risk trying to locate where the stranger was being kept. I’d needed to plan how best to avoid getting caught, including paying attention to what was happening in the fields.
I was no fool. Even though my father and mother had attempted to keep his business from interfering with our family life, I knew who and what my father was. Until recently, he’d been an enforcer for the mafia, a man everyone feared. Even in school, the kids had always shied away from me.
I’d finally begun asking questions, learning he was vicious in how he handled enemies of the Cosa Nostra. He was a violent man on any given day so I could only imagine the horrors he inflicted on those given to him for punishment.
Thoughts of the stranger suffering after he’d been so brave as to try to protect my fur baby had left me inconsolable.
And determined.
Fuck the rules.
There went the side of me my father couldn’t stand, rebellious and unappreciative. His words as he challenged me used to sting like the strike of his belt against my bottom when I’d been a child, but I’d endured his horrific acts of punishment, becoming stronger with every passing year.
Only I didn’t show my resolve to anyone. It was my secret to keep and my ability to have some sense of control over my life.
When dusk fell across the horizon, I knelt by Golden, rubbing her face as I coached her. She listened to me and I knew for certain she understood every word. “We’re going on an adventure, baby. Okay? You must be good and you can’t make a sound. Can you do that for Mommy?”
