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“No one that doesn’t want to wring my neck.”
“Right,” I laugh. “Like someone could wring your neck.” I hold my hands up. “I don’t think I could even fully wrap my hands around your neck.” Fernando grabs one of my hands.
“Your hands aren’t made for that.” He strokes it with his thumb. The roughness of his touch makes my body light up. I’ve noticed the scars that cover parts of his arms and the one that cuts through his eyebrow. There’s also one under his ear on his neck where I’m guessing someone made the mistake of trying to slit his throat.
“What if my hands were made for you?”
The car suddenly jerks, but Fernando quickly rights it. “Bianca, you have no idea what you’re saying.”
“Just an idea.” I shrug. “I could be your wife.”
Honestly, it sounds perfect to me. I don’t want to marry into the Frangione family. What if I was married to someone else? A special someone that could keep me safe? Also, someone that I like. Fernando intrigues me. He also does things to my body no one else has ever done. I crave his touch. I want to touch him too. To see how many scars are hidden under his shirt.
If I were already married, then the Frangiones wouldn’t have any claim to me.
“We’re here.” Fernando pulls into the parking lot of a pet store while not answering my question.
I don’t think I’m as much of a siren as my sister thinks I am.
5
BUTCHER
Itry to keep my mind from spinning as I walk her around the pet shop.
She hands me cat toys, treats, litter, and several other things that I easily balance in my arms–but what’s completely out of balance is my head. She mentioned marriage.Marriage! And that’s not the part that’s truly knocked me on my ass. No, it’s the feeling it gave me when she said the words.
I should’ve wanted to run far away from this situation. I mean, I’m not the marrying type. Never have been. But whenshesaid it … It felt … It feltright.
Fuck. I’m in too deep. Way too fucking deep. I stole her when I should have left her the hell alone, and now she thinks I’m going to ransom her to her father. Abso-fucking-lutely not. I’ll never let her go back to Constantine Larone, not when he intends to marry her off to the dickhead Frangiones.
“I’d pay, but I seem to have left my wallet at home.” She smiles up at me, and I realize we’re standing at the register.
“Shit.” I reach for my wallet and pay, the clerk staring up at me with obvious fear in his eyes as he bags all the toys and treats.
“They are going to love all this!” Bianca grabs one of the sticks with a feather attached and waves it around. “I wouldn’t mind chasing this myself. Look how fun.”
I grab the rest of the purchases and return to the car, stowing them in the trunk.
When I get back in the driver’s seat, Bianca is chattering happily about the kittens and how we were so lucky that the mama cat wandered up to my house.
She’s so caring and warm, her whole demeanor lighting up as she talks about how she wants to take care of the kittens.
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to take care of anyone or anything in my entire life. Not until I saw her. That was all it took. Hell, Gilly always told me I was nuts. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I’m off my fucking rocker.
“You okay?” She reaches out and touches my forearm.
“Hmm?”
She shrugs. “You just got really quiet.”
“I’m always quiet.”
“Sort of, but you don’t always do this–” She makes a face that puts wrinkles between her eyes and a grimace on her lips.
A laugh tries to claw its way from my lungs. “What’s that supposed to be?”
“You,” she says in a lower, gruffer voice. “All frowny and serious.”
