“Or I could kill you,” I told her, taking a soapy washcloth and wiping her brother’s blood and filth from her complexion.
“Then, do it already,” she told me, her voice not at full capacity yet, but already gaining strength. “If you’re going to torture my brothers and pick off my siblings one by one, then either play fair and give me a chance to take you down or execute me now. I’m so tired of living in this weird limbo in between.”
“You bumped your head. Are you dizzy?”
“Some.”
“Yet, you wish to kill me in your less than healthy state?”
“What I wish is to stop the suffering of my siblings and myself,” she half-shouted, her voice banging off the tile of her bathroom.
“I don’t appreciate your caustic tone towards me,” I informed her, my hand going to her throat. I felt the exasperation she inspired in me, but also something else. The lust, yes, but there was something more there, too. Something I couldn’t quite identify.
“I don’t appreciate you murdering myfamiglia,” she volleyed back sharply. I sat back on the side of her tub, removing my hands from her and considering.
“I didn’t kill Antonio.”
“You’re still responsible. Not to mention reprehensible. The Cavettis hate the Bonifacios, and the Bonifacios hate the Cavettis. End of story.”
That brought my hackles up. “I don’t like how tactless you’re suddenly being with me,” I informed her with a tone of steel. She was almost crossing the line into disrespect, and if she slid any closer to it, I would not be able to forgive her.
“You made me make a blood pact to always tell you the truth, and that’s what I just did.”
She stared me down, and I was astonished to register that a change had come over her. Where her brilliant Blue Beauty eyes had once been wide and guileless, now there was a fierceness to them, a power there I hadn’t noticed previously. She’d been angry with me prior to now, but not strong. Now, she was strong, and I felt… proud of that strength. Proud of her.
Ah, myfarfalla, aren’t you full of surprises?
“Then based on that same blood pact, I’m going to renegotiate some things.” I required a great deal from her, so perhaps, it would only be fair to make some concessions. “First, I never authorized Vittorio to kill either of your brothers. That was not supposed to happen. I swear to you that from this moment forward your brother Giorgio will no longer be tortured, either. He will be moved to similar accommodations to these and any health needs he might have seen to. You may also visit him and your sisters on occasion, as long as you agree not to attempt any additional escapes. Will that be acceptable?”
Her mouth gaping open a bit, she goggled at me. “You would do that for me?”
“You are to be my wife in six weeks’ time, Lucia. I expect you to stand by my side and promise yourself to me. I’ll pledge my life to you, and you’ll pledge yours to me. Me taking care of you and yourfamigliamakes sense.”
“I didn’t know the wedding was going forward.”
“My father is organizing it.
She blinked, and for the first time, glanced around at her surroundings. Her lips puckered into a small frown, and my cock began to rise to the occasion. “This isn’t my bathroom.”
“No, it’s not. It’s mine.”
“I’m trying to grasp something, Romeo. What has altered between us? Why are we going ahead with the wedding now? I threatened to kill you earlier.”
“And I have considered killing you. But today, for the first time, I saw some of myself in you. When I saw Vittorio put his hands on you…” I trailed off as fury bolted through me.
“The part with you and Vittorio is kind of fuzzy to me. Did you actually shoot him?”
“Of course. You are mine and no one else’s. Beyond that, Iwantto be with you. I am many things,farfalla, but I am not a liar. I will honor everything I just said. As long as you honor my wishes.”
“What are your wishes?”
“You will live with me in my quarters and become my bride. You will let me take you whenever I wish. That you will submit to me.” I ran my palm along the bump on her head. “Is this sore?”
“When you touch it,” she gusted out, closing her eyes in a subtle flinch.
“Then, I will not touch it. There are a lot of other parts of you I wish to focus on anyway.” I dipped my hand into the water and drew a ring around her areola, making her nipple tighten despite the heated environment. “Like this one, for example. Or, this…” I slipped a finger between her legs and traced the outline of her. She shuddered.
Enough talking.
