Page 87 of Trapped

Kill smiled. “You wanna trade it for something fancier? Maybe duchess?”

Violet rolled her eyes.

Santino dragged me away from them, his voice dropping. “Is that really what you were talking about?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You seem rattled.”

“I’m just nervous. Your family is different from mine.” I licked my lips as his eyes bored into mine. “They’re very nice.”

“You’ll fit in.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You seem pretty confident about that.”

“That comes with knowing what you want.”

“Which is what?” I whispered.

He smirked, his hand moving to my belly.

My heart pounded. “You really have a one-track mind, don’t you?”

“My little brother’s already got a leg up on me with a four-year-old and another on the way.”

“So it’s a competition?”

His grip on me tightened. “I want my own with you.”

“Are you that eager to start a family?”

“Damn right, I am. I’m always thinking about filling you up.”

My face flushed. “Jesus, Santino. Say that a bit louder.”

“I don’t care what anyone thinks.”

I pulled back slightly, trying to gauge if he was serious or caught up in the moment. I didn’t know what to do with him anymore. He had me constantly questioning my own sanity. Fighting him felt pointless. I couldn’t win against this maniac. All I could do was keep my eyes on the future. Build my business.

Santino’s arms trapped me in a cage of heat. Over his shoulder, I glimpsed Violet staring at us. She smiled and exchanged looks with her husband. We’d never be like her and Kill.

It bothered me.

I couldn’t build a life with a man who threw dollar bills in my face. Something deep inside me craved more. Ideserveda man who loved me. Could I find that with Santino? Could I trust him to see me as more than a transaction? The fear of being used gnawed at me.

He didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth. How could we ever raise a child? He threw out my birth control pills. And I was still fighting off the urge to drown myself in alcohol.

“I need a drink,” I muttered.

“It’s normal to have cravings.”

“I know, but what if I just had one?”

“You won’t stop at one. You know that.” Santino pulled back from our embrace, cupping my face. “Remember what the doctor said?”

“He said a lot of things.”

Warmth sparkled in his eyes. “You just have to make one decision—not to have that first drink. After that, it’s out of your control. It’s like handing your car keys to a lunatic.”

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