“I don’t want money. I don’t want anything you could possibly have to offer me. And if either of you interfere here again, your family will never find your bodies. I have no issues making enemies with the Pontrellis or the O’Rourkes, or anyone else for that matter. So leave. Never come back.”
Sophia speaks up. “You’re such a tyrant. These are my best friends, you can’t throw them out of the house. Not while I’m supposed to live here too.”
Surprise flickers across his features, mirroring my own reaction. Obviously she’s unafraid of her kidnapper.
He studies Sophia like he’s seeing her in a new light.
“You think I’m being unreasonable?” he asks her, frowning as if he’s considering that idea as valid.
“Did my use of the wordtyranttip you off? Or are you simply that intuitive?” Sophia sasses at him.
I swallow a chuckle. I’m so proud of my cousin for standing up to this brute.
Roman’s dark eyes light with amusement. In a second it’s gone. But I know what I saw. Worse, I recognize his reactions to Sophia for what they really are. Helikes her.
He stole her from Nikolai.
He rescued her last night.
He finds her sass amusing.
This man would never admit it, not yet anyway, but helikesSophia. And when a man like Roman De Luca sets his sights on a woman, the world will burn down before he’ll ever let her go.
I glance at her. She gazes at Roman with a mix of irritation and intrigue.
Suddenly, I sense that I’m intruding where I don’t belong. Sophia’s not in danger. Not from this man.
Relief settles into my bones. This situation could have turned out very differently. But these two, I can already see them as a couple. There’s way more spark between them than Sophia ever had with Nik.
We’re allowed to stay, and she invites us into her bedroom, telling us all about what transpired last night.
She’s safe. That’s all that matters.
Riding in the car with Wolfe has never been more strained than right now. After being released from my cousin’s basement, which Gin ended up getting in trouble for with her parents, he tracked us down to Roman’s house.
Arianna went back home with her father’s people, while I’m stuck with Wolfe. He’s never been especially sociable, but now he won’t talk to me at all. He barely glances my way. Keeping his head down, jaw clenched, he drives me home.
“I said, I’m sorry.” My third attempt at an apology goes over as well as the first two.
Wolfe shrugs. I don’t think there’s a forgiving bone in this man’s body.
I sigh. Maybe I should have handled that situation differently. Regret slithers across my skin. I didn’t mean to hurt him, or to make him my enemy. Too late for that now.
Wolfe pulls up to the brownstone and opens my door for me, but refuses to meet my gaze. Anger radiates off him in waves.
I slide out of the back seat. I’m almost to the front door when Wolfe speaks, startling me after the long, silent car ride.
“You dropped this,” he murmurs in a clipped tone.
I turn toward him, arm outstretched to take whatever it is from him, and pause. A gold shamrock pendant dangles from his fingers. The four leaves are encrusted with diamonds, an emerald stone in the center. It’s beautiful, and looks expensive. Too bad someone lost it in the snow.
“That’s not mine.” My hand drops to my side.
“It fell out of your purse.”
“No it didn’t. I’ve never seen that before in my life. Someone must have dropped it.” Why is he pushing that jewelry on me?
“Fine. Whatever.” He lets the pendant slip through his fingers and sink into the snow. Brow furrowed, he gets back into the car and drives off.
