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I opened my arms wide and gave him an ‘are you crazy’ look. “Didn’t kidnap me? What the hell do you call this then?”
“Protecting you,” he replied quickly and immediately looked surprised that the words had come out of his mouth. He wasn’t the only one. I puffed out a breath loudly, running my hand through my hair.
“And how is this protecting me, Alessio? You have got one hell of a twisted mind!”
“Maybe,” he shrugged. “But no one will touch you here. You don’t have to be afraid. Just don’t do anything stupid, be a good girl and you will be back with your family once this is all over.”
“Meaning what?” I snapped, forgetting the distance I was trying to maintain and storming around the side of the bed towards him. “What are you going to do to Giovanni?”
“Nothing as long as he complies.”
“And if he doesn’t?” I screamed. My brother was a stubborn man. I knew he would do everything in his power to find me, but he also wouldn’t back down without a fight.
“Then maybe his head would look better on a platter,” Alessio chuckled.
My eyes widened and rage took control. I threw my fists up, punching him in the chest and screaming, “I will never forgive you if you hurt my brother! I hate you!”
With very little effort, he grabbed my wrists and twisted them behind my waist as he walked me backwards until I connected with the hard wall with a thump. His body caged mine and his grip on my arms behind me grew tighter causing my chest to push against his. Those sparkling blue eyes glared into mine as his lips parted.
“Keep telling yourself that, Princess. That you hate me. We both know it’s a lie,” he husked, his breath tickling my cheek.
“I do hate you! You are my enemy!”
He leaned into my ear, his stubbled cheek caressing mine and my breath hitched in the back of my throat. “No, it’s not hate you feel. I can see it written all over your face. You are trying so damn hard to hate me, it’s cute. But it won’t work. Sooner or later, you will give into that feeling.”
“What feeling?” I hissed, trying to push him off me with no success.
“The one that tells you that you will never feel pleasure like what I can offer you. The one that begs you to give into my touch. My kiss…” He placed a light kiss on my throat and I gulped. “Tell me you never forgot that kiss, Princess.”
“Why? It was nothing special, right?” I choked, remembering those words that nearly crushed my fourteen-year-old self.
His head pulled back from my neck and he stared down into my eyes with a smile that made my knees weak. There he was. That arrogant, cheeky, irresistible—teenage Alessio.
“Yet it still haunts us both every day.”
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t argue with that fact. It was true. And hearing how much it affected him was not good for my soul. I had to be stronger than this. Stronger than my attraction for him.
“Maybe it haunts you. But it meant nothing to me,” I lied and his eyes flashed with knowing. He knew I was bluffing. He released my arms and stepped back, digging his hands into his trousers again.
“There are clothes in the wardrobe. Have a shower or bath if you want. Two guards will be outside your room all night so don’t try to run. I’ll see you in the morning, Princess.” He took long strides towards the door and I stayed glued to the wall until he shut it behind him and I heard the lock turn. I exhaled a shaky breath and tried to calm my overexcited heart.
I looked around my surroundings. This wasn’t his room. But he put me on his floor. A buzz of adrenaline pushed me forwards as I raced to the window and tried to open it. Fuck. It was nailed shut. I turned on my heels and took in the pretty, quaint bedroom with its open stone walls and the lovely iron double bed frame. I started to ransack the place, looking for anything I could use as a weapon or any way out of here. I checked the empty drawers, the bathroom cabinet but there was nothing except necessities. Shower gel. A toothbrush and toothpaste. Shampoo. Storming back into the bedroom, I scanned the room for anything sharp or pointy. But I couldn’t find anything. He had thought about all of this. Someone had made this room safe enough for a toddler to be left alone in. I glanced at the mirror on the wall. I could smash it. Use the shards of mirror as a weapon. But he would notice a broken mirror immediately.
Falling backwards onto the bed, I felt defeated and my body was exhausted. Sleep tugged at the corners of my mind, but the adrenaline rushing through my body wouldn’t let my mind switch off. How was I supposed to sleep in this room with two scary men I didn’t know standing outside my door? He said he brought me here to protect me. That I was safe under his roof. What did that even mean? How could I trust this man? He was out to hurt my family and tear down my brother. I needed to find a way to contact Gio. To get out of here. I had to. Not just for my family’s sake but for mine. Because deep down, I knew everything he said tonight was right. If I stayed, I would eventually give in to that feeling. And it would ruin me. He would ruin me.
Make A Choice
Giovanni
It was starting to get dark and I knew I had to head home. I’d been at this for hours. Driving around the North, threatening and taking any hostages that I came across on the streets to interrogate for information. Every single one of my men were scouring the North for leads on who might have Elenora, but I already knew who was responsible. I just needed the proof.
Once Max and I got home, I stormed up the stairs to my bedroom, needing to see the one person that could calm me down. Flinging open the door, my eyes landed on her curled up on our four-poster bed with the TV blaring. She had tear stains on her face so I knew she had been crying. Guilt twisted my gut. I felt so torn. I had wanted to stay with her to make sure she was okay after that traumatic experience, but I needed to be out there, looking for Elle. I wouldn’t rest until I knew she was safe. Until I had her home.
Liv sat up in the bed with hope in her eyes, but I shook my head, pulling off my top and kicking off my shoes before pulling the covers back and sliding in next to her. I wrapped my arms around her small body, my hand instinctively falling to her slightly raised belly and smiled into her shoulder. A miracle. Our baby. If Elle hadn’t done what she did, if they had taken Olivia and my baby… I couldn’t even bear to think of it.
“You’ll find her,” Liv muttered more to herself than to me, but I moved her onto her back and kept my hand on her stomach, looking into her sad, green eyes.
“Yes. I will find her.”
