Page 16 of Stealing Her Heart
“It all belongs to me. Stop being a princess. Show me what is mine!”
Crossing my arms over my bare chest, I shake my head. He can strike me again. Batter my body if he wants to. He has done enough damage to the rest of me, a few bruises won’t matter. It horrifies me that this is just the start. This is going to be my life for as long as he wants to toy with me.
“Show it to me, little girl. Spread your thighs, I want to see the virgin treasure you kept under those pretty babydoll dresses.”
Trembling with shame, with disgust, with terror, I refuse. Santino chuckles and grips my thighs roughly in his hands, yanking them open. I almost throw up when he dips his head, inhaling deeply. Letting out a little hum of approval, he spits on my bare sex, laughing at me.
“I won’t be waiting till our wedding night. I am going to break that cherry pussy in tonight. Hell, I might fuck you here and now. Make you scream as I stuff my cock in your tiny pussy while you cry like a little girl.”
Pushing at him as he yanks at me to slide me beneath him, I cry out. It cannot happen this way. Not in a back alley down a dark street with a man I hate. Thrashing beneath him, I scream as loud as I can, but it is no use. No one can hear me. Even if they can, who would come to stop this?
Hearing his zipper coming down, I panic. I push, I kick, I snap my teeth at him to bite him, I scream as loud, as long as I can. I am sobbing beneath him, but he just laughs, his huge hand grabbing both of my wrists to pin them above my head. He presses his tiny cock against me, and I almost throw up.
“Killing someone was not on my to-do list today,” a familiar voice rumbles of the sounds of my struggles. “But I can make room for it.”
Tilting my head back, I notice a shaft of light pouring into the darkness of the car. I am panting, naked, shaking beneath the weight of him. Still, I have never felt so good in my life. Because I thought no knight in shining armor would come to save me. I was partly wrong. My knight is glaring in Armani, rage in his dark eyes as he stares down at us.
One moment I cannot breathe because the weight of Santino on me, then I draw huge swallows of fresh air. His weight, his patchouli smell is gone. Covering myself as best I can, I tip my head back again. The world is upside down for a moment as I see three huge figures standing there. Only one of those men. Just one of them came here for me.
“You have no idea what the fuck you have just done,” Santino growls as he kneels on the ground, Stefano and Dario pointing guns at his head.
“Oh, but I do,” Gabriel shoots back after scooping me up in his strong arms. I sob against his chest as he cradles me close. “I just started a war, Marconi. One that will rain blood and brimstone down on Silver Shores.”
“Why? For what, forher?”
“Hell, yes, for her. I will light this town on fire for her. You will burn with her father, have no doubts. Get your affairs in order, Marconi. Clock is ticking on your time because I am coming for you first.”
Gabriel tucks me into the back of his noble steed—his bulletproof SUV—and saves me from a fire breathing, patchouli smelling dragon.
Chapter Nine
Gabriel
I am not a patient man, but this is a game of patience.
Tonight, almost cost me everything. I almost waited too long. I should have given up being cautious. Being careful is a waste of time in this world. If I could take it all back, if I could go back just one night, I could have saved my sweet princess from the damage Santino caused.
Cradling her to my chest as we sit in my bedroom, I am shaking with rage. Seeing him on top of her, her soft body bare as he pinned her down, made me want to shoot him dead. If not for Dario taking my gun to prevent that, I would have. We have a way we do things in our world—I cannot go against the rules if I want to keep her safe.
Blood will be shed. Iwillkill Santino for hurting her, for scaring her, for even thinking about her. With her blessing, I will kill her father as well. This entire ordeal is about his greed, his desire to align himself with someone powerful. He picked the wrong man to throw his weight behind.
“My poor princess,” I whisper as I rock her gently, her arms clinging to me as I kiss her temple. “Never should have let you go. I won’t again. Not ever again, baby. This is where you will be safe. Where I can protect you.”
“He...he won’t get to...I mean you won’t let him....”
“Santino won’t ever breathe your name again. I will end him. I will punish him for what he has done. I won’t let him or anyone else get that close to you again. Please forgive me.... I was such a fool to follow a stupid code.”
Gianna pulls back, her eyes darker than I have ever seen them. It breaks my heart. I am to blame. I let her go long enough to negotiate the war I knew would come. I had to convince theother families I had a damn good reason for blowing up the current peace within our world.
Gianna is worth starting a war.
“But you werethere. Youstoppedhim,” she mumbles softly.
“Never should have had to stop that. He...he almost...”
“But he did not,” she whispers, cradling my face in her soft hands. “You were there when I needed you. That is the first time someone has ever been there when I needed them most. I have nothing to forgive.”
“Yes, you do. I need you to forgive me for letting him ever get that close. For ever letting you out of my sight. I do not want to control you the way they did but...baby, I need to be sure I can keep you safe. I am keeping you here where no one can get to you.”
