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I hold my breath because this is alien to me. I don’t say please. I don’t request. I take and demand, but I am caught up in the purest moment of my life and it’s as if an angel sits before me and I am pleading for forgiveness. I’m mesmerized as she slowly smiles, transforming her features like the sun chasing away a shadow and revealing the beauty within. This time my breath hitches as I gaze at the power of a woman and my heart beats a little faster as I fall under Flora’s spell.
“Yes.” Her shy whisper wafts toward me, hitting me hard in the heart, and I have an overpowering urge to chain her by my side forever.
However, I don’t want to take this time. Not after hearing her tragic story and I must earn my right to be by her side, so I raise my hand and cup her face, marveling in the fact she leans into it and sighs with contentment and I whisper, “I’ll ask you again. Who are you?”
She glances up in surprise, but I mean every word because there is something telling me Flora Corlietti is the most important person in my life right now and was sent here for a reason. Is she part of this? Is she the best actress I’ve ever met, and will she ultimately bring me down? I don’t have the answers to that, but I know one thing. I want this woman and I want to keep her safe. To protect her from this fucked up life we lead and wrestle her demons away from her.
“I’m nobody and I never have been.” Her soft response to my question angers me and I grip her face tighter and growl, “You are everything and don’t forget that. You are strong and brave, and I won’t hear otherwise.”
“It doesn’t feel that way right now.” Her low laugh reminds me of her situation and so I nod and say huskily, “Then let me rectify the situation.”
As my hand closes around hers, I tug her up with me and without another word, I set about making Flora feel at home because one thing’s certain, this is now her home and I’ll fight anyone to the death who tries to take her away from me.
CHAPTER13
FLORA
I’m not sure what’s happening here, but something has changed. When Domenico stood by the bed stripped to the waist with another man’s blood streaked across his chest, I thought my time was up.
However, after our conversation, my feelings changed toward him because even I know how my sister can drive a saint to crime. Whatever has happened is down to her, and he is probably right to doubt my involvement in this.
As I walk beside him, I have many questions, but one is burning brighter than the rest and I say fearfully, “Diana knows I’m here.”
More than anything that scares the shit out of me because it wasn’t only Domenico’s sister who ran from that monster. I did, too.
He turns and looks surprised that I spoke, and I say falteringly, “I am hiding, much like your sister was. When the nuns sent me away, they gave me enough money for a bus ticket and a place to rent. I came to Vegas hoping the bright lights would shield me from view and when I took the job at the art gallery, I thought it would be the last place they would find me.
“What makes you think that?” He obviously considers me a fool, judging by his expression, and I say tightly, “Diana hates art. She hates anything to do with beauty and she always has. Her preference is gothic imagery and horror films. If I know my sister, she’d have thought I’d headed off to San Francisco because I always spoke of it as a child. For some reason, I always looked on it as Utopia, probably because our mother was born there and loved telling us tales of how amazing it was.”
I say nervously, “I came here because this is the last place Diana would expect me to go. The trouble is, she knows I’m here, which means she’s watching me.”
I shiver as it hits me hard and I am so worried she will appear and drag me back to her disgusting life.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Dom’s voice is gruff and dismissive, and I bite back.
“It matters to me—a lot, actually.”
He stops suddenly and I wonder if I’ve angered him again, but I’m surprised when he says fiercely, “Nobody will harm you. They will have to come through me first and I don’t rate their chances much.”
“Why are you helping me?”
I’m so confused and then my heart flutters when he stops and stares into my eyes with an expression of yearning that catches me off-guard. “Because something is telling me it was always meant to be you, Flora.”
“I don’t understand.”
He pulls my face gently to his and as his lips hover close to mine, he whispers, “I fell in love with perfection, at least I thought I had, but I didn’t realize perfection comes from inside. You are perfect inside and out, which in my book equals everything I ever wanted in life.”
My heart bangs like a base drum as he hovers against my lips, and I’m surprised when I lean a little closer with an overwhelming urge to know what love tastes like. I have been kissed before, but not with love. Desire, dominance, and possession but never love.
He breaks away and snarls, “Come. You need to clean up.”
I’m not sure why I’m disappointed that he’s interrupted what could have been an interesting experience, but I’m guessing I should be grateful for it.
As I follow him silently, it strikes me how fascinated I am by this man. He scares me more than anyone I’ve ever met, even my own sister and I’m wondering if it’s because from the moment I sensed him behind me at the party, he had the ability to steal my breath away.
Even when he chained me up like an animal, it just piqued my interest further, and I doubt it’s because he’s the most magnificent man I’ve ever met.
