Angelo growled again and slowed the aggression of his kiss, easing the pace, as his lips parted and he pressed his tongue forward, demanding entry. I wanted to bite him, but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to do that. If anything, it was harder to not open my mouth and allow him the access he wanted.
My head spun as the taste of scotch and plums assaulted me, and I knew he’d had a drink before he’d taken this meeting with his father. Probably a good idea considering what had happened after Giovanni arrived.
Beneath the alcohol, though, there was that hint of spice I always associated with Angelo. My Angelo. The one who had loved me and held me together when my life was falling apart. He’d treated me like I was precious, and in a different way than Jace. At one point in time, just before that fateful day I’d destroyed everything, I’d been on top of the world. I’d been loved by these two boys. Loved, fucked, adored, and cherished. They taught me about my heart, soul, and especially the wants and needs of my body.
Until it had all exploded in a ball of flames, literally. Flames that would steal away what remained of my family… and my baby.
A therapist would no doubt tell me I was spiraling with Angelo, due to the triggering of past scars and losses I’d never dealt with. Especially since I was currently firmly entrenched into the role of mafia-heir baby mama. But then again, maybe a therapist would just tell me I was a weak, pathetic mess and to pull myself together.
Both were no doubt true and accurate.
“Angel,” I growled, finally jerking my face away from his. He was near bent in half to bring himself to my level, and he showed no surprise when I hauled back and slapped him hard across the face. If anything, when he jerked away, blinking down at me from his normal height, he actually looked pleased. Small fucking smirk and everything.
He took a step closer to me again, and my stomach swirled while I fought the urge to run or… maybe kiss him again. Pathetic. Mess. It was legit.
His eyes were hooded as he leaned in closer, the smirk remaining in place. “If you disappear on me again, Bella,” he drawled smoothly, and I shivered at the sudden chill in the air. “I won’t hesitate to fuck you back to life, do you understand? I need you to get your head in the game, and I need it now. There’s no room for error here, or we’re both dead.Do you fucking understand?”
I was nodding, but in my mind, all I could hear wasfuck you back to life.Why did my body tighten at that sentence, and not in fear… How could I feel anything for this man, who was a stranger to me now and part of the very family who was working hard to destroy me.
Fighting the urge to scream, I choked on my next breath before taking off from the room and heading toward my private quarters. Angelo had given me my own room, bathroom, and that huge walk-in closet. It was more than I’d ever had before, and I was craving the security, false as it may be, that I felt inside my prison.
When I stumbled into my room, I slammed the door behind me and leaned back against it. For a second, I thought there was a flash of light from outside my window, but when I crossed to close the curtains, I could see nothing on the other side of the small balcony.
Unsure what to do, my energy roiling inside, I paced back and forth across the room, my feet sinking into the plush gray carpet, as I fought the urge to scream. My skin pulsed, itching, irritating me until I had to resist the urge to scratch away at my own flesh, scouring it from muscle and bone.
What the hell was Angelo thinking, kissing me, stirring up old memories, his hands pressing into my flesh hard enough that I could still feel the touch against my skin? How fucking dare he! How dare he think he had the right tofuck me back to life.I didn’t need him. I didn’t need any of them.
In the end, I only had myself to rely on, and that was never going to change, no matter how many gorgeous, rich, and talented men popped in and out of my life. My uber independence had been learned the hard way, and if anything, the last few months had only reinforced this concept.
I hadn’t heard from one member of Bellerose. Not one of them had tried to contact me after Angelo forced me to send a message. At least not that I knew of.
I couldn’t blame them since they no doubt believed I had taken off and left them, but they also knew that I’d been threatened with kidnapping. I had actually been kidnapped, and still there was no word of them checking in on me. Had my little video message really been so convincing? Where were the men who fought for their woman? I was a shitty actress and thought for sure they’d see right through myplease don’t look for me, I’m happy herebullshit.
A bitter laugh escaped as I finally slowed, the red marks bright on my forearms where I’d scraped my nails across the skin in the hopes of easing my turmoil. I’d been with Rhett for a few weeks. It was nothing in the scheme of life. Gray and I had barely even been together, and Jace… well, Jace had more reason to hate me than anyone.
Throwing myself a pity party because none of those rockstars ran to my rescue was pathetic, and since I barely had a shred of dignity left to my name, I needed to sort what remained of my self-worth immediately.
I could give up a lot in the name of staying alive, but what would be the point if I lost every part of myself along the way? Might as well confess to the facade now and take the punishment for it. If it wasn’t for the fact that I’d implicate Angelo in this as well…
But at least I understood now why he’d kissed me.
I’d been spiraling. I’d been losing myself to the dark fog in my head, and there was no time for that. No time and no chance of surviving this farce with Angelo.
I had to get it together now, and the first step to that was showering and picking out a dress.
It was charity gala night, and I was going to be there.
six
BILLIE
Iwas starting to think torture by the Ricci goons was preferable tocharity galas.
“Waitress, I’ll take a glass of chardonnay. Get it to me while it’s still cold this time.”
I eyed the leggy brunette, the twentieth person to attempt to order a drink from me, and shot her a winning smile. “Absolutely, no problem. I’ll be right back.”
Some funny fucker had arranged for every member of Valentina’sfamily, the Altissimos, who were scattered about liberally, to treat me like a paid server. Not even good enough to be the whorey mistress, I was now the hired help.
