Page 42 of Dragon Touched
He twisted to face her.
One dark eyebrow raised, and he narrowed his gaze. A pink flush crawled along his neck. It reminded her of when she was a few years younger and had been caught doing something unladylike, for example, climbing trees or cursing.
“How do you know Finley Marin?” His voice was still angry, but it held a touch of curiosity.
Sacha ran a finger along the stitching in the blanket and stared out the window, in the direction of the tower. If she could break the glass, maybe she could run back to Fin. The decorative iron bars laced across the opening deterred the idea.
Terrified she’d try to sneak out at night, her father had them installed shortly after her mother had passed. She felt like a deflated balloon.
Her father’s presence loomed, and she cut her attention from the freedom outside to the jailkeeper indoor.
“I didn’t until last night.”
One of his hands pointed in her direction. “Yet you stayed with him?” His gaze was two hard stones glittering with rage.
“I didn’t have a choice, Pops. Time and time again, I told you I didn’t want to marry Lorenzo.” She stood and spread her arms. “Why can’t you get that through your thick head? I have my own desires and dreams, and they don’t include being married to a man who’s as old as you.” A tear formed in her eye, but she blinked it away. “He doesn’t even love me, and I certainly don’t love him.”More like loathe him.
Her father’s chest heaved, and his feet stomped toward her. Rage twisted his face into an ugly mask of beady eyes and red cheeks.
“Love?” Cruel laughter bounced in the room and made her blood run cold. “Do you think Ilovedyour mother? Hell no. I sacrificed for the Ninette name and forduty.” He grabbed a shoulder and pushed her onto the bed. “That’s the closest thing to love people like us will ever know. Now, stop acting like a spoiled baby and be a woman.”
She kept her chin pointed to the floor and wished she could block out his hateful words. Her mother had died in a terrible car wreck when she was twelve, and it had been the worst pain she’d ever experienced.
Her parents had never been close, but she’d always assumed it was because of her father’s line of work. Mamma had been kind, gentle—and unhappy. Sacha was beginning to understand the depths of her sorrow.
The door slammed, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Don’t let her so much as step a motherfucking toe out of that room.” Pop’s muffled voice rumbled on the other side. “Do you understand?”
“Of course, Boss.” Matteo’s gravelly response was quick. It reminded Sacha of a groveling dog. “You got it.”
Sealed inside this pretty prison like an animal. This is what my father does—reduces people to their lowest forms, bellies crawling across the floor to get close enough to lick his expensive leather shoes.
Her heart froze. Maybe Pops was right, maybe the best thing she could do was fulfill her obligation and fade into the background. She was nothing more than a spoiled little mafia princess who mistakenly thought, for one night, she might be free.
Her eyes strayed to the window again, and she wished she could see Fin’s tower in the distance.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve never got you involved. Please be okay.”
Crimson eyes cast their hungry glance into her soul, and she blocked out the memory. It was a future that could never be. She lived in the present—in the real world. Her actions had led to Fin’s pain and suffering, and she wouldn’t endanger anyone else with the selfish, childish actions of a self-indulgent girl.
Like a robot, she plodded to her closet. She grabbed the hanging, less elaborate back-up gown and began to dress for the impromptu wedding.
Freedom was an illusion, just like last night. Both floated away on wispy tendrils of cobwebs, and the harsh truth of reality remained. She would leave Sacha Shepperd Ninette, princess of “Vicious” Vito Ninette, behind and become Mrs. Lorenzo Lombardi, queen of servitude.
Chapter 26
Fin
“Hurryitthefuckup, woman.” Fin’s voice strained. “Time is something I don’t have.”
“Neither are manners.” Though she spoke the words in jest, she grimaced when she glanced at his pale skin.
Breath hissed through his teeth with every jostled step. Throwing his good arm over Margaret’s shoulders, he eased himself to a chair.
One-handed, he flipped through pages until he found the necessary spell.
No, I need to make Vito pay—that’s my goal, right? Helping the little rat is a secondary perk.
