AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Love him. He will be defenseless against your love.”
With that, I felt her body disconnecting from mine, and she retreated to the glass doors, the vast mansion swallowing her figure. I took a deep breath.
The man had just destroyed a building in which my father processed drugs. And half-admitted it to me. That was more information than my father ever offered or admitted to.
He also let me go to school. He also allowed me to leave whenever I pleased.
I glanced at my wrist watch. It was two in the morning. Somehow, I’d spent two hours in the garden. Two hours Wolfe must’ve spent reading through every message I’d ever received.
The late-night chill was seeping into my bones. Dejected, I turned to head back into the house.
When I’d made my way back inside, I spotted Wolfe standing on the threshold of the open door. He had one arm propped against its frame, blocking me from getting in.
I took measured steps toward him.
I stopped when I was a foot away.
“Give me my phone back,” I said.
To my surprise, he reached into his back pocket and tossed it into my hands. I clutched it in my fist, still reeling from our latest fight but also oddly touched by the fact he stayed awake and waited for me.
He started his days at five in the morning, after all.
“You’re in my way.” I rustled, trying to keep my teeth from chattering.
He stared at me blankly.
“Push me away. Fight for what you want, Francesca.”
“I thought that’s what made us enemies.” A vicious smile found my lips. “Because I want to break free from you.”
It was his turn to smirk.
“Wanting and fighting are two different things. One is passive, the other active. Are we enemies, Nemesis?”
“What else can we be?”
“Allies. I’ll scratch your back. You’ll scratch mine.”
“I’m all for not touching you ever again after last night.”
He shrugged. “You might’ve been more believable if you hadn’t grinded on me before I kicked you out of my bedroom. At any rate, you’re welcome to come in. But I won’t be making it easy for you, unless you give me your word Bandini is deleted from your phone and your life.”
I got why he did that.
He could have done it himself, but he wanted it to come from me. He didn’t want another battle—he wanted my complete surrender.
“Angelo will always be in my life. We grew up together, and just because you bought me doesn’t mean you own me,” I said evenly even though really, I had no intention of responding to Angelo’s texts. More so since I’d heard that he was going on a second date with the vile Emily.
“Then I’m afraid you’ll have to show some of your temper and fight me.”
“Can I ask you something?” I rubbed my forehead tiredly.
“Certainly. Whether I’ll answer or not is a completely different story.” His smirk grew more smug and mocking.
“What’s your leverage over my father? He obviously hates your guts, yet he won’t claim me back, even after I told him I’m going to college. That’d put a huge strain on his reputation as people will know that I am going against his wish. It must be quite substantial, then, if he’d rather have me in your bed than have you dish out the goods on him.”
I scanned his face, expecting him to rebuke and belittle me as my father had done earlier that day.
