Page 25 of Violent Delights

I have to be strong.

At eighteen, I have to a woman, a strong warrior who will fight off the dragon herself. I don’t need a hero, and I certainly don’t need a white knight to ride in and save me. As the night wears on, I smile and talk to those who offer kind words. Even though every happy expression I offer is a lie. There’s nothing celebratory about this party.

“We’re leaving,” Ignacio tells me suddenly as he comes up behind me. He drags me through the party. The onlookers do nothing to help. He’s not exactly hurting me, but he is using force to make me walk out of the only home I’ve ever come to know.

“Where are we going?” I question as I stumble behind him. “Dad.”

“Please, Lelia,” my father says as he follows us, my mother hot on his heels as they watch. He doesn’t come to save me. Neither does Cassio. “You’ll be happy.” Dad’s words ring in my ears, the sound like scraping nails on a chalkboard as they disappear from sight and I’m shoved into the back of a blacked-out SUV.

The doors are shut, and I hear the ominous sound of a click. Looking out of the window, I see my parents at the door. My father does nothing to rescue me. He barely even waves. My mother is dabbing at her eyes, but she can only offer a quick flick of her hand before we’re pulling out of the gates.

“Fuck,” I bite out, my voice cracking under the strain of what is happening to me. My chest is tight, my heart clenching, and my lungs no longer work as a panic attack hits me full force andI have to drop my head back against the seat to focus on the darkness of the interior of the car.

“Such a vulgar mouth for a sweet girl,” the deep, yet familiar voice comes from the front of the car, causing me to snap my gaze up. The panic I felt moments ago slowly dissipates.

“What?”

“I think you need to calm down,” Domenico says calmly, as if him being here is normal. My mouth pops open, shock racing through me. My focus is no longer on the reason I’m leaving my childhood home, but more on the fact that Domenico is here.

“What are you doing?” I glance over my shoulder at the cars behind us. There are three SUVs all traveling in line with each other. A convoy toward the Mosca mansion. “They’re going to find you. They’ll kill you.”

“Not when I’m working for them,” he throws out.

“I don’t understand.” I scoot forward and his cologne hits my senses, instantly calming my nervous energy. “Why are you here?”

“I needed to see that you’re safe,” he tells me earnestly as he makes the way to the house. “I couldn’t see him with you and not know where you are or what was happening to you.”

“But what happens when they find out you’re a Montesano?”

“He won’t. At least, not anytime soon.” Domenico sounds like he’s got this all mapped out. “I’m your new bodyguard. I’ll be watching you all day, every day.”

“You’re coming to Italy?” I squeak, realizing that he’s giving up his whole life to do this. “Why would you do that?”

“I had two choices, but I gave my father a third,” he informs me. “He wanted me to kill you or your mother.”

The breath from my lungs is knocked out as I flop back in the seat. The soft leather does nothing to comfort me. They really want to hurt the Vitale family. I know the hate spans years, hundreds of years, but this is insane.

I’m still in shock. Nothing makes sense. Least of all having Domenico here. But I can’t deny I’m thankful that he’s close. The thought of being alone with the Moscas had set me on edge. “So, you’re here?”

“I am undercover. I’m Diego Guzzi, and I’m your bodyguard. You don’t know me, other than the fact that I’m now driving you home, and tomorrow, we leave for Italy.”

My mind tries to wrap itself around what he’s saying.

“But what are we going to do there?”

I don’t know what I was expecting Domenico to tell me. My heart wanted a happy, romantic ending, but that’s not what we have in store for us. Our star-crossed fate has already been written, and I doubt it ends with smiles and walks into the sunset.

But then he says, “We are going to take down the Mosca clan.”

And that’s when I realize we can still be together.

We just have to be very fucking careful.

Part Two

Bitter Ends

Chapter 13

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