Page 101 of Where Dark Hearts Devour
I force my head to shake firmly. “No, I am not.”
“We’ll see soon enough.”
My heart races. “What?”
“He’s stopping by tomorrow on his way back to Vegas, and I will be watching you. Both of you.” He leans in close so his lips brush against my cheek.
I fight every urge to move away, because it doesn’t feel warm or friendly; it feels hostile.
“And if I can be convinced of your loyalty to me—thedon—I will break you in softly.”
My breath catches in my throat. I’ve already been broken in, merely a few hours ago, and I can feel the aftereffects still. We’ll be married by the time hethinkshe’s taking my virginity, so the deal with my father will have been sealed, and hopefully he won’t care.
One look at his devious eyes tells me that’s wishful thinking. Of course he’ll care. His ego and pride will demand it. I need to come up with a way to convince him I’m still a virgin on our wedding night, and fast.
And that’s only if I manage to convince him I’m not in deep with his brother first.
I want to ask what will happen if I can’t convince him, but I already know the answer.
Cristiano
My footsteps are quiet as I walk through the hallways, and I take advantage of the silence to search for any sound of Trilby’s voice. She lives here now. In my childhood home. With a brother I hardly know anymore.
I notice the doll’s eyes plant has been disposed of, as per my instructions. At least no future nieces or nephews will be at risk of plant poisoning. That’s something to feel thankful for.
There’s no sign of life anywhere. Even the staff seem to have disappeared. I round the corner to the terrace and see Savero sitting alone, looking out over the ocean. Not only are there no servants present, but there are no soldiers and no capos either.
I walk around my brother and join him in admiring the view. “Where is everyone?”
“The staff have got their work cut out preparing for the wedding reception, so I gave them a half-day.”
“And Nicolò? Beppe?”
“There are some issues with the union. I sent them down there to clear up.”
“Both of them?”
Savero looks sideways at me. “They’re pretty big issues.”
I nod instead of probing further. He doesn’t want me involved in this business—he’s made that quite clear.
“Come.” He stands abruptly. “I told Trilby we’d meet her in the kitchen. I know she’d like to see you before you go.”
Something slams against the inner wall of my chest, almost taking my breath away. I close my eyes against the sensation of her unraveling in my arms, the sound of her screaming around her fist as I not only broke her in on these very grounds but gave my little one her first penetrative orgasm. It will be etched onto my brain for eternity.
“Sure.” I fake nonchalance and follow him back inside.
There’s something about his manner that doesn’t sit right. I feel as though I’m being set up, much as that doesn’t make any sense.
We walk into the kitchen, and my gaze searches for her. I don’t have to look hard—she’s standing at the end of the kitchen island as if she’s waiting for us. She shifts from one foot to the other, her eyes lifting to mine and then darting away quickly.
I walk around the island and avoid her gaze as I graze a kiss across her cheek. “Trilby. Looking lovely as always. How are you?”
Her chest rises with a deep inhale, and her lips set into a thin smile. “I’m great, thank you. And you?”
“I’m doing good.” I walk back to the other side of the island to put some distance between us. “Just stopped in to say goodbye. I’m sorry I’ll miss your wedding.”
She swallows, and I notice the outer edges of her eyes are red. She’s either been crying or she hasn’t slept.
