Page 74 of Unrelenting
I scowl, angry at being dismissed from my own home but I can’t say I’m not relieved to get away from the tension in that room.
Grabbing my bag which I didn’t even realized I’d dropped by the door, I hurry out of the apartment.
When I get outside, I look around, half-expecting to be ambushed by henchmen of Adan’s. There’s only one solitary guy sitting in a black SUV across the road, but he barely glances at me.
I hurry toward the restaurant, feeling less anxious when I reach the crowded Ponte Vecchio and find myself in a sea of tourists. There are days when it annoys me to have so many people milling about but today I find some comfort in it.
Once I’ve crossed the bridge, I hurry to the restaurant. The remodeling work taking place next door seems to be moving quickly.
There are new black tiles on the floor and the walls have been painted a deep red. I guess they’re going for a gothic look. I can’t say I’m a fan.
When I enter Gianetta’s through the side door, it’s quiet. At this time of day I wouldn’t expect any of the staff to be in, not even Nicolo who’s still trying to perfect his new dessert menu.
I go to the staff room to change into my chef’s whites and tie back my hair. I can’t help worrying about Lorenzo, though he probably has everything under control.
As I head for the kitchen, someone pounds on the door. Expecting to find Lorenzo, I open it, intending to give him a piece of my mind for what happened at the apartment. Though I understand it’s not his fault Adan Barevsky barged into my life, I need to vent.
But it isn’t Lorenzo on the other side of the door. Instead, I open it to find someone I hoped to never see again, Adriano Rossini. I didn’t even know he was out of prison.
Before I can tell him to get lost, he barges through the door and shoves me against the wall. My heart pounds in fear as he pins me there by the shoulders. More muscular than he used to be, he holds me there easily.
“Surprised to see me,cara?” he snarls. “You shouldn’t be. We’re neighbors now.”
“You?” I should have considered this before now. “You’re buying the restaurant next door.”
“My uncle is. He wants you out and so do I.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re a faithless little slut. The minute things got rough, you left me. You let them send me to prison and left me to rot.”
“You expected me to perjure myself for you?” I shove him away from me. “You weren’t worth it.”
Anger flares in his dark blue eyes. I see the slap coming but it still shocks me when his palm connects with my face. Pain flares across my cheek.
“You’ll soon see my worth when I take everything you love. Then you’ll crawl on your hands and knees, begging me to take you back.”
“That will never happen,” I spit.
“Oh, no?” Adriano strokes the cheek he just hit. I wince both in pain and revulsion at his touch. “Because you have Lorenzo Volante now?Don’t fool yourself,cara. He’ll dump you when he gets bored.”
“But he won’t get bored of me. Not when the sex is so fucking incredible.”
It was a stupid thing to say. I know that as soon as the words leave my lips but Adriano just pisses me off so much.
“You’ve learned a few things, have you?” Adriano leans closer as if he’s about to kiss me. “Perhaps you should show me.”
This man is seriously deluded if he thinks I’m going to show him anything. As he presses against me, I raise my knee and drive it as hard as I can into his balls.
Taking advantage as he doubles over in pain, I run for the exit. I’m almost there when he grabs my ponytail and yanks me back. He throws me violently to the floor.
Before I can scramble away, he’s on top of me. I scream, but he slaps a hand over my mouth. I struggle for all I’m worth but he’s so much bigger than me.
I brace myself for the worst, then suddenly his weight lifts from me. He’s thrown across the floor. He gets to his feet but rather than fighting, he scurries away like the rat he is.
As a hand reaches out to help me to my feet I find myself looking up at Damiano Volante.
“Are you okay?” he asks
