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No, you’re not.I’d caught a brief glimpse of another man inside, one that was tender and caring, someone I could almost like. That scared me even more. “I’m not hungry right now. Maybe later.”
“While we’re on the road. We need to leave soon.”
“This is insane. You can’t do this,” I insisted.
“It’s already done. We have chemistry, Sierra, so this doesn’t have to be difficult, but the choice as I’ve told you before is up to you.”
“Difficult? Do you even understand the concept? You’ve likely never had a difficult day in your life. You stalked me, seduced me then kidnapped me for your vile game of revenge. You’re going to parade me around as your loving fiancée for the world to see in hopes that the man I thought I knew and cared about will slither from his hole so you can kill him, spreading his blood on the streets of New York. If I know you at all, I’d say that would enable you to send a nice warning to all your enemies not tofuckwith you in the future. Am I close to being right?”
His expression shifted from amusement to irritation. But I wasn’t finished yet. He’d taken the upper hand the day before; it was time to lay down my own set of rules if I was to follow this charade any longer.
“You have no understanding of responsibilities or friendship. While I imagine you live in a gilded condo worth millions, your morning routine including attempting to figure out which expensive Italian sports car you’re planning on driving for the day or perhaps given you have business to attend to, you decide it would be better to call one of your… men to serve as your butler for the day or well into the night. Then you’ll polish up your weapons, sliding not just one but at least two into your pockets to ensure you won’t be killed while you partake in your morning Starbucks. Perhaps at the end of the day you’ll order another suit from Italy while you indulge in a glass of the finest cognac, smoking a Cuban cigar while also determining the torturous method you plan on using the next day to kill your latest enemy. Am I coming close to how you’ll spend your life?”
I was shocked that he continued to remain quiet, studying me as if I was a tiny insect he was ready to squash under his foot.
Something inside of me allowed the boldness of my words, even though I had a strong feeling that I’d regret my actions soon enough. “You see, some of us need to work for a living, refusing to accept blood money in exchange for being a part of ending someone’s life. Some of us enjoy a cabin just like this one, with cutesy furniture and pictures of our family and a beloved furry creature on the walls. And we enjoy the simple things like an ice cream cone on a hot day or a scary movie with a huge tin of popcorn. I know that likely repulses you, but that’s the kind of woman I am. Take it or leave it.” Could I fall in love with him if he offered those types of things, or was he right that the thought of danger added to my excitement, creating a heightened level of passion?
What I wanted was a little of both.
He took a deep breath, expelling it over a long ten seconds. “I like you, Sierra, just the way you are. This isn’t about changing you, at least not in the way you’re thinking. However, there are protocols that need to be followed. I won’t lie to you about that.”
“Just. Like. Rules.”
“Yes,” he said as he nodded. “But if you obey them, you’ll enjoy many freedoms of your own.”
“Is that before or after I watch you put a bullet in Tristen’s head?”
“Do you know what I craved when I was sitting in a six-by-six-foot concrete cell day after excruciating day?”
I wanted to say I didn’t care, but that was a lie. “What?”
“It wasn’t a cigar or a fine cognac. It wasn’t a blood-rare steak, although I admit that it was the first thing that I ate the night after my release. I craved silence. Pure silence. Not the clanging of bars or the screeching of guards as they commanded we follow their bullshit orders. There was nothing like hearing the wretched screams of another prisoner who was being beaten to a pulp because he looked at some other asshole the wrong way. Just silence.”
“Nothing else?”
His smile was strange, as if he was holding a secret. “The touch of another human and not in anger. What we shared last night was special and whether you believe me or not, that was exactly what I’d been craving for over one thousand days and nights. You were my salvation during my incarceration, the only bright light in a sea of piss and shit, blood and gore. Maybe I did deserve to be in that hellhole, but not because of betrayal and lies.”
Everything about his vehement voice troubled me, although his conviction was genuine. And I wanted so much to believe that there was goodness left inside of him.
A lump formed in my throat, the bile difficult to swallow. Maybe he was slightly human after all.
“Where are we?” I asked, struggling with how to handle this.
He sighed, looking away briefly. “An hour and half away from Raleigh.”
I nodded several times. I had to make a decision regarding the deal, and even though the terms were laughable, why not gain from this… insanity? “I’ll accept your deal on one condition. I need to return to Raleigh for a couple hours. I can’t leave my business unattended. While my full-time employee can handle the store, she needs to be told I’ll be out of town for a few days.” I waited to see if he’d correct me, knowing that he expected me to be by his side for much longer. “Plus, I need clothes. I can’t pretend to be your fiancée in a ripped dress and no panties. Although somehow, I doubt you’d like my wardrobe.”
Alessandro finally chuckled as he walked closer, his heavy boots following the rhythm of my heart. “I’ll buy you anything you’d like in this world, my lovely bride to be.” When he touched my chin, I expected to jerk away, but something had changed between the two of us the night before. I savored his touch as well as the tingling sensations coursing through me.
“I have two questions that I need truthful answers to.”
He took his time sliding my hair from my face, toying with my locks as his chest rose and fell. It was obvious he wasn’t used to being challenged by anyone, especially a woman. “I’ll do my best.”
His best. That wouldn’t be good enough, but I think I’d know if he was telling me the truth. “Were the intimate conversations we shared real, something you felt deep inside or just a game?”
When he took a deep breath, I was prepared for his usual pontificating bullshit. What I received was something that touched my very soul. “As I said, Sierra, you became my salvation, allowing me a few moments of the joy you seem to think I’ve never experienced. When you answered the phone, it was as if my entire world had changed for the better. Perhaps you’ve already saved me, and you just don’t know it yet.”
I looked away, the ache in my heart as troubling as what he’d put me through. “Can I trust you?”
