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"This is the last thing I need," Signore hisses. "A pregnant girl in my house, with the fucking father on her trail. I don't want this, Aurora."
"I'm sorry," I hiss back, finally unable to stop my animosity. "I didn't choose to be kidnapped."
"Poor thing," he mocks me. "Except now you're much worse off. Because now, you've become a burden. And I need to get rid of you."
It's as if his outlook has changed the instant he realized I was pregnant. I'm no longer a kneeling toy, I'm now something disposable and of no interest to him. And now, I'm really fucking afraid.
"What's going to happen to me?" I whisper, trying not to let the fear seep through my voice.
"You're going to become more useful than you've ever been," he finally mutters. "One way or another, I'll get my worth out of you..."
His words make my blood run cold, but his eyes are what makes my heart stop.
This man wants to hurt me.
Ryder needs to save me, and fast...
28
Ryder
The need to find Aurora is consuming me.
I can't think of anything else, and despite my best efforts to forget about her, Aurora is constantly on my mind, threatening to make me go mad unless I find her.
With a groan, I push the half-naked woman gyrating on me off my lap, muttering, "I can't do this, sorry."
"For fuck's sake." Julian lets out a groan too, clicking his hands to stop the music. The lights come on as he shoos the two women giving us lap dances out of the room. All I feel is relief. Relief this is finally over and I don't have to feel a body next to mine that isn't Aurora. Because she's all I want, and I've started to come to terms with the fact that's not going to change anytime soon.
Once the girls are gone, Julian prepares two glasses of Marzia's family's grappa and carries them over. I drink mine like a shot, making my brother raise his eyebrows at me.
"Don't even say anything," I bark. "My head is a fucking mess. I need this to calm down."
"Of course," he nods. "Wasn't about to argue with you there. You really can't focus on anything but her, can you?"
"I need her back, Julian." I set the glass down and run my hands through my dark mop of hair. "I can't think of anything but Aurora."
"That's her real name, then?" I nod and he sighs. "You really just going to forgive her for all the shit she pulled with her father?"
"I wish I couldn't," I mutter. "But I... I feel something for the girl, fratello. I can't let her go. And Dio knows I've tried."
Our rendezvous with the two strippers is only one of the attempts my family and I have made to try and get me to focus on something other than Aurora. But they all failed miserably. I can't get my mind off her – sweet, innocent Aurora who turned out to be a filthy little liar.
I want to punish her, of course – but for that I have to get her back. And the knowledge that another man might be laying his hands on her right now is driving me fucking insane.
"You need to get your mind off the girl," Julian keeps talking. "You can't obsess like this, you're driving yourself mad."
"I've never felt anything like it," I admit begrudgingly. "She has a hold on my heart, Julian. I can't think or do anything else."
"Then we need to get her back."
"But Father said he won't help," I grunt. "He doesn't want her here, doesn't trust her."
"So?" Julian raises his eyebrows at me. "You're a smart man, Ryder. You can get her back yourself."
I know he's right, but I also know this would mean going against Father's wishes. And I've let him down so much in my life, I don't know if I can openly oppose him yet again. Except it seems like I don't have a choice... The phantom image of Aurora in my head pushes me to go forward and bring her back here, where she belongs.
"You're right," I finally say with resolution. "I need to get her back and I don't give a damn who stands in my way. She's mine and mine alone."
"That's the spirit." Julian claps my back and we exchange smiles. "And you've still got me. I want to help you get Aurora back. I can tell you're passionate about her. I've never seen you act this way about a woman before."
Begrudgingly, I admit to myself my brother is right. I've developed an addiction for Aurora. The need to possess her fuels and fills me. I can't lie to myself any longer.
"We need to start with Livia," I mutter. "She knows more than she’s letting on. Can you think of an excuse to bring her here? I want her questioned."
