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“And the gag?” Tiero asks, and seriously, he looks scary right now.
“She wouldn’t shut up. She kept screaming and carrying on,” Roberto sputters.
Tiero lets go of him, and he stumbles to his feet. “Never go against my orders again. This is your only warning. Wait outside,” he thunders. Roberto doesn’t need to be told twice and scurries off, picking up his jacket along the way.
Seeing Tiero didn’t know about how Rhia was mistreated goes a long way to appease my anger with him, but this shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
I shoot daggers at him as I pour Rhia a glass of water and hand it to her.
Unperturbed by my glare, Tiero steps closer and kisses the top of my head before heading to the door. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
As soon as we’re alone, I fold Rhia into my arms. She hasn’t said a word the entire time. It’s most unlike her.
Is she in shock? What’s going on?
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Ella
ItakeRhia’shandin mine. “God, are you okay?” I ask, checking her over for any injuries.
She puffs up her cheeks and lets the air out slowly. “I’ve got a hangover, but otherwise I’m fine.”
“You’re doing better than I did after sedatives. I always felt nauseous and as if someone had run over me. I’m so sorry, Rhi. This should have never happened. It’s all my fault.”
I hate that I put her and Aiden’s life in danger.
“Don’t be silly, El. How is this your fault? You can’t predict what Tiero or his guard dogs are going to do.”
I open my mouth to protest, but Rhia holds up her hand, and I close it again.
Pulling me in for another hug, she says, “I was so worried about you. What happened after they dragged me away? To be honest, I’m shocked to see you and Tiero so chummy. What’s going on?”
I mimic her earlier gesture and puff air into my cheeks, holding it there until the need for another breath becomes urgent.
How am I going to explain the last twelve hours to her? And that I’ve given Tiero another chance?
“Just tell me sweets. It’s obvious the two of you have sorted out some of your issues. Just don’t tell me you’re back together.”
Umm. Yeah…
I let out a long sigh, looking away.
“Ella?”
I scratch my neck, still avoiding Rhia’s scrutinizing gaze.
“Well… umm… we are,” I finally admit.
Rhia doesn’t say a word. The silence stretches on until I can’t stand it anymore and look at her.
“Ella Rose O’Neil. I’ve just spent a night drugged on a sofa. I wake up with a splitting headache to then be bound and gagged by some Mafiosi thug. This happened after I had to make secret plans to visit you, my best friend, in North America where you yourself have been in hiding from a man you now tell me you’re giving another chance? “What about Aiden? The last time we talked, you told me how sizzling your chemistry is. He’s your adorable, chivalrous knight in shining armor who we hope is still alive in the cabin next door. He’s been risking his life to protect you for how many weeks now? Are you listening to all this?”
My cheeks heat, and I grimace. Damn, it does sound bad when she puts it like that.
“I don’t know how it happened,” I stammer. “One moment we were arguing about the way he treated me. Well, when I say arguing, I mean I was the one yelling at him. He just listened. And then he apologized.”
Rhia’s eyes narrow. “Tiero, the head of the Sicilian Mafia, apologized?” she asks, skeptically.
