AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His tone dripped with remorse, his cool gray eyes on fire. “But I would’ve found my way back to you. I didn’t tell you the other night because I let my pride and fear get in the way, but I’d already forgiven you.”
His forgiveness meant so much. So did the fact that he’d been downstairs every night battling his demons. Although I wasn’t totally convinced that Simu wasn’t a big part of his reasonings, my chest cracked open with sorrow because this changed nothing. It was too late. I had already promised Simu, and with Cristo’s and Luca’s lives on the line, I was powerless.
Fighting down the sobs, I pushed his hand away. “Hearing that means a lot, but even if I wanted to, it’s not possible to get out of the marriage.”
His eyes darkened like a brewing storm. “Why the fuck not?”
“Because I gave him my vow, Luca, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Shit, I didn’t mean to let that slip out.
His brows gathered ominously. “What does your promise have to do with anything happening to me?”
“Never mind, just forget I said anything,” I hurried to answer.
No good would come of him knowing about my pact with Simu. Luca would only get offended. And I didn’t want to stir anything up, what with the high level of animosity brewing between them.
“Tell me.”
The low rasp of his demand sent a shiver down my spine, but I pursed my lips and held strong.
Frustrated, he dragged me to the bed and forced me down. I struggled to shove him off, but he easily maneuvered me onto my back. Straddling me, he pinned me by the throat and demanded, “Fucking tell me. I’m not leaving here until you do.”
Dammit, he knew what that commanding move did to me. I shimmied to distribute the bulk of his weight between my hips, but it did nothing to relieve the tension building between my thighs.
I huffed and puffed and snapped my teeth, but he didn’t rise to my bait.
“Out with it,” he ordered.
“God, you’re so bossy, you know that?” I sniffed.
“Yes, I’m aware.” He hardened his tone. “Now talk.”
I breathed out heavily and replied, “I extracted a promise from Simu that I’d marry him if he didn’t kill you and if he’d help fix things for Cristo with his uncle. Although his reason for marrying me is to become the Popescu sef, I’ll deal with that problem once I cross that bridge. So, you see, blood bond or not, we can’t be together and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
A strange look came over his face, and then he threw his head back and laughed.
I bucked my hips to throw him off, but he didn’t budge an inch. Once he was done laughing, he looked down at me with a soft twinkle in the cool silver of his eyes. I scowled at him in return.
“I don’t see how this is a laughing matter,” I snapped indignantly.
His forehead creased as if he was pondering something important. One of his hands dropped on my breast and swiped at my nipple until I was squirming beneath him.
“Stop it,” I breathed out, although the protest died on my lips when he tweaked it. Dammit, his power over my body was ungodly.
“Jesus, I thought it was something serious. Simu and I have been at each other’s throats for ages. I appreciate the gesture, but I can take care of myself. As for Cristo, Simu’s not the only one with influence. As you know from the files you found, we have a relationship with the Hagi clan, and I will use the Lupu name when I negotiate with them. Honestly, though, it’s a bit naïve of you to think you could hold him to a promise of not hurting me.”
My scowl turned deeper.
“I’ll have you know that Simu and I have history. If he touched you…well, let’s just say that it’s not something I would forgive,” I bluffed. I held little power over Simu, but Luca’s argument irritated me.
“And once you were married to him, how much weight do you think your lack of forgiveness would hold, especially if it pitted him against a direct order from his sef? If your father ordered the kill, you couldn’t stop him. You wouldn’t be able to leave him for it, either,” he stated nonchalantly.
“Okay, fine, you’re probably right,” I replied, throwing up my hands. I gave up disputing him and trying to defend the indefensible. It’s not like I didn’t know what Simu was really like. The man’s ambitions resided in darkness. No, the real reason behind my snippiness was that I didn’t trust Luca’s motives for returning.
He’d turned to me for comfort, but afterward, he’d stayed away for days, only showing up once he’d heard about my engagement. Sure, he said he’d forgiven me, that he’d struggled and wanted to take me back, but what broke him was my engagement to Simu. That wasn’t the behavior of a man who really wanted me.
I gritted my teeth. I was no better than a fuck doll being fought over by two snot-nosed boys, and I was done with it. Done with being volleyed back and forth between men like a disposable toy. First Alex, next Luca, and then Nicu. Luca again. Now Simu and maybe Luca yet again? They were impossible, and I’d had it.
