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The realization had tormented me all morning, ever since I’d woken up in Massimo’s arms.
“Don’t ask me to let you go,” he said, a low warning. He slung his arm over me, pulling me closer. “You’re staying with me. I thought we agreed last night. You’re mine.”
Mine.
My heart squeezed as I remembered the way he’d made me feel last night, when he’d tied me to his bed and marked me as his. No one had ever wanted me so desperately, not even George. With him, I’d constantly sought his affection and approval. Massimo lavished me with affection, even when I protested. And he was so generous with his praise that I didn’t know how to handle all of the positive affirmations and compliments.
“I don’t want…” I stopped myself before I could say that I didn’t want him to let me go. That was insane. A mafioso was about to take me to meet with a cartel boss in Colombia, and I didn’t want to leave him.
It might be insane, but I couldn’t deny my conflicted feelings for him.
“I know you’ll keep me safe,” I said instead. “But I don’t want to go to Colombia. I don’t want anything to do with the cartels.”
He shrugged. “It’s just business, dolcezza. You don’t need to worry about any of that. I’ll make sure you enjoy yourself.”
Before I could formulate another protest, he cupped my breast in a brazen caress.
“Massimo!” I tried to squirm away, mortified. We were in the backseat of the SUV, and the driver would be able to see him touching me if he glanced in the rearview mirror.
“You don’t need to worry about anything, Evelyn. I’ll take care?—”
“Massimo!” I screamed his name in the moment before the van smashed into the side of our SUV.
Tires screeched, glass shattered, and pain exploded through my skull.
The world wavered around me, and my head ached. I shook it to clear away the ringing in my ears, but it didn’t quite work. I blinked, willing everything to stop spinning.
I cried his name again when I saw the blood covering Massimo’s beautiful face. His stunning eyes were closed, his powerful body slumped in the seat. The impact had been on his side of the SUV, and he’d taken the worst of the collision.
Before I could reach for him, the car door was wrenched open beside me, and rough hands grabbed me. Strange men dragged me out of the ruined SUV, away from Massimo, who was terribly still. Was he breathing?
He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t be.
I screamed for him and twisted against the iron hold of the men who were taking me away from the wreck.
“Calm down, you dumb bitch,” one of them barked.
“Let me go,” I insisted, struggling to get back to Massimo. We neared another unmarked white van—not an emergency response vehicle. “Who are you?” I demanded, a fresh burst of fear punching my chest.
“We’re friends of your fiancé. He asked us to get you back for him. He didn’t say in what condition.”
My blood ran cold, and I began fighting like a wildcat, mindless with terror. George had sent these men. They would take me back to him, and he would kill me. He’d almost let me be gunned down right in front of him, all to keep his corruption secret.
But I wasn’t strong enough to resist my captors, not powerful like my dark protector.
Massimo.
All that blood on his beautiful face…
I screamed and kicked, fighting to get back to him.
One of my assailants cursed, and my world went white with a burst of pain across my cheek. My vision darkened, and my body sagged. My last thought as the door of the van closed behind me was of Massimo, wondering if my savior was alive.
Fear for him followed me down into oblivion.
