Page 43 of Omega's Vengeance

“It’s not terribly flattering to admit, but I’m sure he’d rather die than marry me,” I mumble.

Valentino nods. “So if he doesn’t care about his life, what does he care about? What can you use to convince him?Whodoes he care about?”

“With both his mother and father gone, I don’t think there is anyone. His men are the closest thing to family he has left. He does seem to care about his men.” I remember how upset Alessio was at the thought that Enzo had been killed.

Valentino brightens. “Then we use his men’s lives as leverage. You should tell him that if he doesn’t agree to this marriage, I’ll slaughter all his men.”

I glance up, startled. “You would do that?”

“No.” He laughs. “Why would I? If he’s stupid and he chooses death, I’ll just take over his syndicate anyway. I want his men alive. But he doesn’t need to know that. He already thinks I’m a ruthless monster. Let him believe I’d murder all his men if I don’t get my way.”

I groan. “The kid is so damn hard headed, hestillmay refuse.”

“Then that’s his choice.” Valentino’s gaze is empathetic as he watches me. “I’m sorry, Dario.”

I believe he is sorry. For me. Not for Alessio. “I’ll go talk to him,” I say gruffly.

“Good.” Valentino nods. “Let me know what he says.”

“Of course.” I leave the library, stress buzzing through me.

I have to figure out some way to convince Alessio that marriage to me is a good thing. Because, while I have no desire to get married, entering into a sham marriage will be less painful than watching him die.

I hope.

Chapter Ten

Alessio

I find a pocket knife tucked away in the bedside table. Heart racing, I pick the door lock, trying to be as quiet as possible. I keep worrying Nico will return with food, but then the lock clicks and the door is officially unlocked.

I slip the pocket knife into my jeans and slowly open the door. The house is silent. I strain my ears to hear if anyone is coming, but the coast seems clear. I squeeze out of the door, pulse speeding. I don’t know the layout of the house, but some things are universal. For example, I know the big staircase in front of me will lead down to the foyer where the front door is.

My goal is to escape. I’ll come for Valentino another time. At the moment, getting the hell away is the priority. I make my way to the stairs, still listening intently for any indication someone is coming. I practically run down the wide, curving staircase, in a panic to get outside. The double front doors loom tantalizingly in the near distance.

When I reach the ground floor, I sprint across the marble foyer. I reach the front door and hesitate. There’s a painful ache in my chest at the thought of leaving Dario. It’s mystifying to me that he’s even on my mind at the moment, but he is. The bite on my neck throbs painfully as I open the front door. Sweat breaks out on my skin, and once more, I hesitate.Dario’s damn bite is interfering with my desire to escape.

Gritting my teeth, I feel nauseous as I step out onto the big porch. I need to ignore the anxiety rippling through me at leaving Dario behind. This is my chance to escape and I’m taking it.

In the distance, I see men patrolling the perimeter of the expansive property. I don’t see anyone near the actual house though. It makes sense that Valentino has security. I figured he would. I’m hoping I can slip past them since they’re expecting people to break in, not out.

I hurry down the steps and across the circular driveway. There’s a fountain with Hibiscus growing near it, and statues dot the rolling lawns. The cobblestone drive winds toward the front road, and is lined with cypress trees, purple Bougainvillea, and white Oleander. I creep to the trees and slip into the vegetation to hide. If Nico does go up to the room to feed me, he’ll sound the alarm when he sees I’m gone. I need to hurry to the front of the property before my escape is ended before it really even begins.

It's late evening and it should be dark soon. Unfortunately, I don’t think I have time to wait. I need to get off the property as quickly as I’m able. I make my way through the trees to the front of the property. There’s a tall wall that surrounds the acreage, and wrought-iron gates adorned with intricate scrollwork guard the end of the long driveway.

As I’m crouched in the brush, the gates slowly creak open as a delivery van pulls up. I watch the white vehicle drive past, noticing it’s a florist van. The two men patrolling nearest the gates stop the van. I eye the open gates, anxiety eating away at me. If I could just get out those gates, that would be the perfect scenario. The walls are extremely high and the odds of me climbing them without being noticed is quite slim.

Eyeing the van and the guards, I decide to try and get out of the open gates while the guards are distracted by the van. I move very slowly so that I don’t catch anyone’s peripheral vision. I reach the gates and pause, watching the van and guards. My heart is pounding so hard, I’m breathless. One of the guards laughs at something the guy in the van says, and I take the chance to make my way out of the gates.

I slip around the wrought iron gates and sprint to the other side of the wall. Panting, I stay still, praying no one saw me. I think if they had seen me they’d have called out. I press close to the wall and then jump when the gates squeak closed a few feet away.

They didn’t see me.

If they had spotted me they wouldn’t have closed the gates. Feeling elated, I run down the length of the big wall. The street next to me is a private road. I know from researching Valentino that he lives off of a main highway, and you can only get to his home by leaving that busy highway and traveling down a long, private road named Prime Rose Lane. If I can make it down this lane without Valentino’s men stopping me, I’ll reach the main road. It will take me a while on foot, however, if I can make it to the main road, from there I can probably grab a ride with someone. Maybe at the very least I can use someone’s cell phone to call one of my men to pick me up.

But I need to not get captured first. With that in mind, I head across the road and slip into the trees on the other side. I move deeper into the woods, making sure I don’t lose sight of the road. I’m annoyed that each step away from Dario brings an intense uneasiness. How I can be bonded to an alpha I hardly know is beyond me. Why a simple bite wouldcreatethat bond is also mystifying. I never put much stock in the whole alpha and omega connection, but I’m forced to grudgingly admit it’s apparently real. As strong as my desire is to flee, there’s an equally nagging need to run back to Dario. It’s so powerful, I occasionally falter in my steps, fighting against the desire to turn back.

When it starts to rain, I curse at the sky. I’d noticed the dark clouds gathering, but hoped I’d be home before the rain hit. Not so much. As the big drops splatter on the ground and my head, I grit my teeth and trudge onward. I’d hoped maybe it would be a light, quick rain. Unfortunately, the rain begins to come down heavier. I slip and slide in the mud as I make my way through the trees. At one point, I see two black SUVs race by, traveling toward the main road.

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