Page 247 of Kissing the Villain

“That’s not true. A lot has happened.”

A tear fell from her eye, and I wiped it away with my finger. “Why did you hide my brother from me?”

A few topless strippers appeared with plates of food for Alex. They set them on the table beside us and left the room. Damon had a thing for strippers, creating his harem with the girls who worked for him.

“You need to eat.” I fisted the burger and held it in front of her mouth. “Open up.”

“So that’s how it’s going to go, huh? You still won’t tell me why you and Aiden deceived me?”

“C’mon, baby,” I groaned. “Eat, and I will tell you everything when we get home.”

She sank her teeth into the burger like a good girl.

91

ALEX

It was all a dream.That was what I told myself repeatedly, hoping I would believe the lie. I stared at the wall as Pops examined my cuts and bruises. I didn’t want him to see me like this, a battered and abused shell of the woman I was before my kidnapping.

After everything I’d endured, I was numb. It was as if the past few days’ events were an alternate version of reality. I couldn’t even comprehend his words as Luca removed my shirt so that Pops could stitch the wounds on my arms and stomach.

“Those animals,” Pops groaned as he studied my wounds. “You better make them suffer.”

Luca grinned like an evil mastermind. “Cruelty is my specialty.”

Stripped down to my bra and panties, which were filthy, I sat in complete silence. I just stared at the damn wall and let them tend to my wounds.

With each thread of the stitch, I didn’t even wince. I could no longer feel the pain as Pops sewed me back together, like a broken doll who’d lost her stuffing. Broken—that was the only word to describe me. No one could understand what I’d been through in the past week. Every time I opened my mouth tospeak, nothing came out. I had the conversation in my head on repeat.

I wanted to tell Luca that I was sorry for running away. But I also wanted to punch him for not telling me the truth about my brother. If he hadn’t lied, I never would have left the estate. I wouldn’t have more cuts and bruises than I could count. My skin wouldn’t look like a corpse used by medical students for practice.

“What’s wrong with her?” Luca asked Pops.

“Alex is in shock,” Pops said as he wrapped a bandage around me to heal my bruised ribs. “This is normal for what she’s been through.”

Luca shoved a hand through his dark hair and tugged at the ends. “Will she go back to normal?”

Pops glanced up at him. “She’s never had a normal life. Not with her parents and certainly not with you.”

“You know what I mean,” Luca insisted. “Will she return to how she was before the kidnapping?”

My grandfather’s eyes narrowed. “She chose you, Luca. You better take care of her.”

“Of course.” Luca blew out a deep breath. “I just…”

“Alex will never be normal. She’s gone through too much trauma in her life to bounce back from this as if nothing happened. If Alex’s mental illness is too much for you,” Pops said in a menacing tone, “maybe you should let her go. Marcello knows how to handle her better than you.”

They spoke as if I were not in the room with them. Sure, I was shocked, but I could still process their words. However, talking seemed to require a skill set I didn’t possess.

Simple actions like breathing hurt. In and out, I tried not to cry with each breath I took. I felt like a truck had run me over, then backed over me ten more times. Every part of my body ached, from sore bones to tired muscles.

Luca hovered over my grandfather. “If you knew your granddaughter like I do, you would know she doesn’t need to be handled.”

Pops glared at him. “This is your fault.”

“And I will spend the rest of my life regretting my decision to keep Aiden from her.”

Pops gave him a satisfied nod.

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