My chest heaves, beating with unprecedented fear and rage as I imagine any number of things that could have gone wrong for a Cassone.“What happened?”I grind out.
He’s still silent and the worst-case scenarios run rampant through my head.“What the hell happened?”I growl.
A heavy sigh comes across the phone.“One of the soldiers got a little personal with her and she lost her fucking shit.He’s going to need stitches, boss.”
My chest tightens with an unfamiliar rage picturing a myriad of things that could have happened to the dark-haired beauty while I was gone.She was fine just a couple of hours ago.He told me so himself before I went out.“Who the fuck put hands on Sophia?”I growl, no matter that she’s the enemy, no matter that she is off limits, forbidden to me, no one puts hands on the woman that I clearly can’t rid from my mind.When I find the bastard, he is as good as dead because I can already imagine the fucker’s bone crushing beneath my fists.
12
Sophia
Isit atop the silken coverlet of the luxurious bed, still trembling like a leaf, contemplating what punishment will come when Massimo learns that I’ve bested one of his soldiers.I’ll take what I have coming though, because it was better that than caving to that fucker’s intentions.There was no way that slimebag was getting away with putting his greasy paws on me, any more than I could help, no matter what consequences I have to endure.
Perhaps I embarrassed myself with the dark-eyed devil earlier in the week, and maybe it got around.Maybe Massimo isn’t to be trusted, maybe the minute he left from spanking me, he told the others I would spread my legs for anyone.Maybe I deserve that, but for a moment, maybe a brief lust-blinded moment I thought there was a connection.A real-life spark that you only dream of feeling in real life but read about all the time in romance books.I swear it was there…
No matter that it was dashed the moment he reminded me that spanking me and getting me to come apart on his lap was simply about enforcing the rules and walked out that door.
I wipe a tear as it gently rolls down my face, pulling the soft pillows covered with yellow silk onto my lap, hugging them to me as I lean against the headboard.
Arrogant, handsome as fuck bastard, keeping me away from my sister and my family, my life.… I swipe at another tear.My head has been swimming with a myriad of emotions, ever since his touch.There’s no denying the physical attraction, but this longing for him, for his closeness, protection, this is something that has to be nipped in the bud.A relationship with the enemy will never do, no matter what my silly heart has conjured up.
He won’t catch me with my guard down again.No, next time he tries to put hands on me, I won’t succumb to that smoothness in his voice or the electricity that thrums through my body every time he touches me, especially there.
I huff out a breath, frustrated with myself for caving to the enemy, and for giving over so easily.I’m probably a laughingstock.Never again, that’s for damn sure.I just hope that however he makes me pay for this debt is not more than I can bear because consequences will surely come.
Maybe this was just the first little test.I’ve heard the rumors about him and his family, so why I thought I would be treated any different is beyond me.Massimo or someone in this godforsaken villa had to have heard me scream.
I pull my legs up tight, trying to rid myself of the look on my assailant’s face, or the fear of the threat of his return.Did Massimo know and allow it?
No matter the reason, the soldier thought he could lay hands on me, but he can’t, and if someone tries it again, I’m going to do more than break his fucking nose and cut his skin with my ring.Damn consequences all to hell.All the training in the world from Papa’s crews over the years, intended for averting a potential kidnapping from a rival family or getting out of the same situation that I now find myself in.I will put it to good fucking use.
Let someone else try to touch me and they will see.
I suck in a deep breath, resigning myself to a new life, a new day where all of my training from the soldiers and lieutenants my father employs may need to come into play.Because I am a Cassone and I am strong enough to endure whatever a Roselli dishes out.
Besides, it won’t be long.I just need to hold out for a little while, for the Cassone armies to get organized and come to play with the arrogant Rosellis.Then they’ll see what poking the wrath of a Cassone will bring to their door.
Papa will send his men for me and then every single one of these fucks will rue the day they decided to mess with me.
The door of my bedroom prison bursts open without warning.My chest locks with fear as Massimo barges in, dressed in his typical black suit, and his eyes burning with rage.
I shrink farther into the headboard, drawing my feet in, putting as much distance as I can between us as he closes the distance fast.My arms instinctively wrap around themselves, a small comfort, but in the heat of his anger the only one I have.“He deserved it,” I whisper, feeling smaller and more alone than I ever have in my life.“I had to defend myself.”
Massimo’s dark eyes are so intense, angry, and his mouth is set so firmly.“Going forward, keep the door locked.No one comes in here except Elsie and me, do you understand?”he grinds out.
My chest heaves with refueled anger.“Keep the door locked?Is that what you fucking said?It’s my fault your filthy-pawed soldier can’t keep his hands to himself or take no for an answer?”I choke out on a sob.
He sits on the side of the bed and runs a hand through his dark wavy hair before turning those dark eyes on me.“Snake won’t be bothering you again, but I should have told the soldiers that you were off limits.”
Maybe my anger isn’t reasonable, but all that I hear is that his soldier didn’t know.Like it would have been okay because he hadn’t been told that I was off limits.“What kind of people are you?”I ask, barely above a whisper, scared out of my mind after the words regretfully leave my lips.
“Enough,” he growls.“It’s my fault, the end of it.”
It’s not like I didn’t want all that Massimo gave me, well, except for that spanking, because damn that hurt, but still, he touched me, so why the hell did he think they wouldn’t?
“You usually let your soldiers do what they want with the lady prisoners?Assault them at whim?”
“A poor choice of words.”
