Page 53 of Merciless Queen
Caterina leaned in to kiss me again, but instead, I gasped when I felt a hand pressed on my lower back close to my butt.
“Congratulazioni, Caterina.È ora che tu abbia un pezzo di culo caldo per sposarti.”Congratulations, Caterina. About time you got a hot piece of ass to marry you.
She growled, moving me from him as I clung to her. “If you ever touch my wife again, I will shoot you in the dick. I don’t care if you are my uncle.” When he didn’t move, she repeated it in Italian.“Se mai tocchi di nuovo mia moglie, ti sparerò nel cazzo. Non mi interessa se sei mio zio.”
The color drained from his face as he stumbled away. “I’m going to go to the bathroom and catch my breath. I’ll be right back.”
She gave me a reassuring squeeze and let go of my hand. I did my best not to run out of there like my ass was on fire, but I needed to get away from the crowd and clear my head. He was drunk, and it wasn’t like he groped me. I was just traumatized. Caterina did not look pleased seeing it was her uncle behind us, so maybe there was some hostility between them.
After taking a breather in the bathroom for ten minutes, I finally decided to join the reception again. Personally, I would’ve rather been in bed than in this dress and dealing with her family. Most of them seemed nice, but I was not a people person.
Coming back down the hallway from the bathroom, a pungent smell invaded my senses, and I felt my throat close up as my body was paralyzed. The room got hot, and my vision blurred as I heard his voice in my head and felt his hands tugging on my hair.
Vincenzo’s hand connected with my cheek, causing my eye to erupt in searing pain as my body tumbled onto the ground. His hands gripped my hair tightly, forcing me to my knees as I tried to protest. His dark eyes bore into my soul with his cheap cigar hanging from his lips.
He blew a cloud of smoke in my face, causing me to choke on the nasty smoke. It smelled like burning trees and earth. Instead of waiting for me to catch my breath and breathe, he slammed his cock between my lips.
“If I want you to choke on my cock, you will get on your fucking knees and obey. Every part of you belongs to me, Harlow. Your pussy. Your throat. Your ass. You are mine. Fuck.”
He wasn’t gentle. I couldn’t breathe. He didn’t care. He liked me struggling and seeing the tears stream down my face.
My skin was on fire and my lungs felt like they were closing. The dress felt tight and suffocating as I clawed at the material. I needed to find Caterina. I needed to get to the gardens, but my feet weren’t moving. I was stuck.
I heard a masculine voice, felt rough hands on my skin, and I screamed. It felt like I was trapped in his office, his fingersburning my skin as his grunts filled my ear. I couldn’t escape. I could never escape him.
CHAPTER 42
Caterina
I could killmy family right now. A bunch of drunk Italians in the same fucking vicinity was a recipe for disaster, yet I decided to make it believable and have a reception. Uncle Gio was lucky I didn’t castrate him after he touched Harlow. I could see the visible fear radiate off of her at his touch. She excused herself to the restroom and got as far away as she could.
It was almost nine, and I was ready for these people to be out of my house. I looked around for Moira, and saw her at the bar. She would do a wonderful job at getting these people to leave.
“Moira, I need you to start getting everyone ready to leave. If we party any longer, I am going to kill someone.”
“I’m glad you finally realized that after I dealt with your cousins fighting. I will get everyone out the door in thirty minutes.”
“Remind me to give you a raise.”
Five minutes later, Harlow still wasn’t back yet, and I started getting concerned. A few of the guests had left, and it was starting to get rowdy again. After this, I would elope before putting on a fucking show like this again.
There was a scream, a very familiar scream that came from inside. I grabbed my gun in my thigh halter and rushed inside along with my men. This felt like déjà vu all over again. In this moment, I hated that I wore a fucking dress. I should’ve worn a suit like I wanted to. Whoever touched her would die where they stood, until I saw Malachi holding her wrists.
I eyed him, feeling anger soar through me. “I’m sorry, boss. She was hyperventilating and clawing at her wrists. I needed to stop her, but I didn’t want to hurt her.”
Harlow looked like she saw a ghost. Her skin was ghastly white, and her eyes were dilated. Malachi was right. There were dark red claw marks down her arms, some deep enough to draw blood. Her body was convulsing like she was having a mini seizure, but I knew it was from her panic attack.
“I need everyone out of my house. If they ask, I’m taking care of my wife.”
Malachi let go of her wrists and I scooped her in my arms, holding her against my chest as I took us into the bathroom. After last night, we formed a connection. There was something between us. I never felt like this for someone before I met Harlow. Attachments caused problems in this life, but when I was near her, I felt complete. It was hard to explain how she made me feel because even I didn’t understand it. Right now, I didn’t need my mind to ruin anything or make this situation worse. My priority right now had to be Harlow.
When Harlow’s feet hit the ground, she was clawing at her dress, sobbing, and making a beeline to the bathroom. The shower turned on and instantly filled with steam. She was sobbing and muttering to herself, completely zoned out from reality. And then she screamed and clawed at her body.
“Fuck.” I ripped off my dress and climbed into the shower with her, ignoring the burning hellfire raining down on my skin. I pulled her into my lap, holding her wrists as I attempted tosoothe her. This was not my specialty. I tried my best, but I was shitty at comfort.
“Malachi!” I yelled for him. He instantly stepped inside the bathroom with his back turned away from us. “Call Lena. She may need a sedative. Harlow, baby, I need you to talk to me.”
She was hyperventilating and her fingers were flexing, but she couldn’t claw at her skin anymore. I did the one thing I could think of in this situation—I sang. It wasWhen You Wish Upon a Star, but I sang it in Italian. My mother used to sing this to me when I was young, and it was soothing and helped me sleep. Now I needed it to help her right now.
