Page 2 of Tormented Diamonds
“Gianni gave me guidelines, and I grabbed one that checked most of them,” he explains. “I don’t know shit about women’s clothing, so I hope you like it.”
It’s so perfect it feels like a dull knife to the chest. I run my fingers down the front, the last of my walls crumbling. I wish the situation were different and that I was marrying Gianni for loveinstead of obligation.
“I’m sorry,” he murmurs.
“Why do you care?” I’m not lashing out. I truly need to know.
“Because Gianni does. Besides, I understand what you’re feeling.”
“I doubt that.”
He frowns. “Marriage should never be contractual or negotiated as blood pay. Fear has no place next to vows.” I don’t respond, prompting Anton to end the strained silence with a side-eyed scan from my tangled hair to my bare feet. “You should get dressed. The ceremony starts in an hour. I even got some makeup from one of our captain’s wives,” he adds, gesturing proudly to a small pouch at the bottom of the garment bag.
“Thanks.” I chuckle dryly. “I’ll look great when they find my body.”
“Gianni won’t let that happen.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“Yeah, he did. Want to know what else he told me?”
“Is that a rhetorical question?”
“He said he didn’t care if he walked out of his father’s house as long as you did,” he says, ignoring the weak barb. “He risked his life to save you, Becca, and while he’ll never admit it, I think a part of him hopes you’ll save him back.”
God, I want to … more than I should.
“He doesn’t want to be saved,” I choke out, my grip on the bag tightening.
“Sometimes, the ones who are drowning are the least likely to ask for help,” he counters, his face going slack. “I know yours and Gianni’s pasts tangle in the worst way, but don’t punish him for his father’s sins.”
“I’m not punishing him. I just…” The garment bag crinkles as I hug it to my chest. “This wasn’t supposed to be so complicated. It wasn’t supposed to hurt so much.”
That tight smile returns, only this time, there’s an underlying sadness soaking up all the warmth. “You love him.”
I open my mouth, then snap it shut. This isn’t the time for a confession. All that matters is getting through the ceremony. I have an entire lifetime to pray for the fate of my tortured heart.
Forty-five minutes later, I’m fully dressed, with my hair and makeup done, pacing my room like a caged tiger. My gown crunches with each step, the constant swish of the beaded skirt fueling my anxiety. I glance down at the shimmering satin and lace, warning lining my gut while the same silver-plated hope coats my heart.
It’s a dangerous combination.
Curling my fists, I turn to the mirror. “This isn’t real,” I tell my reflection. “It’s a ‘negotiated blood payment’ like Anton said. He doesn’t love you. He’s trying to keep from having another woman’s death on his conscience.”
“Mio Dio, Becca. Sei la creatura piú straordinaria che sia mai esistita in terra.”
His voice always hits me like a clap of thunder—deep, rough, commanding, and as intoxicating as it is deadly. I stare at the doorway where Gianni stands drenched in black from his tailored suit to his shirt and tie. I can’t translate what he said, but I have no problem reading the one word reflected in that dark, lethal gaze.
Mine.
I can’t take my eyes off him. Pieces of dark hair fall over his forehead, ending in inky arrows that point to icy, steel-plated eyes. His presence consumes the room, powerfullyand regally, like a Roman god with the world at his feet.
I clear my throat. “What happened to not seeing the bride before the wedding?”
Gianni drags that half-lidded gaze up my throat to my face. “That’s an outdated superstition.” My feet remain welded to the floor as he closes the door, then turns to face me, his expression turning feral. I blink, and then he’s in front of me, cupping my cheek and dragging his thumb roughly across my bottom lip. “You’re wearing red lipstick.”
There’s a vicious energy surrounding him, a dangerous hairpin trigger held in place by a thread of control. Normal, sane women would back away from the beast, not poke a stick at it.
Obviously, I’m neither.
