He lets out a laugh. “Sweet girl, you know we don’t tolerate disrespect. But you should go while we deal with it.”
I stand, kissing him on the cheek to say goodbye, but just as I do Vince hangs up the phone and turns to Luca. “A shipment of girls are coming in so we have to prep for the transition.”
I look down, feeling a wave of disgust. “Sorry, Ace.” Vince squeezes my arm and walks past me.
I still wish I didn’t know what really happens here. I wish I could go back and unlearn it. Be naive as to why I’m the only girl on the De Luca estate. But I can’t. So I turn, look at Levi’s lifeless body with one pitying glance and then make my way out of the glass house.
When I return to the east wing, I know I can take the proper entrance back up to my room since no one will want to tell Dante they didn’t notice me leaving.
Walking through my kitchen and up the spiral staircase that leads to the hallway, I lock eyes with Leo, his gun held tight to his chest.
“You’ve gotta be kidding.” He huffs with annoyance, rolling his eyes so far back I’m surprised they don’t get stuck.
“Aw, relax, I’m still alive and have yet to be kidnapped,” I reply with a smile pursed to my lips. Then my eyes look down to see Hank, my German Shepherd running down the hall towards me.
I instantly drop to my knees, telling my pup he’s a good boy as he smothers me in kisses.
“Just get inside before anyone else sees you.”
I stand back up directly in front of the eighteen-year-old guard. “Say please.”
He huffs and looks away, but I don’t move. So he looks back at me and whispers, “Please.”
I smile and tilt my head. “See, that wasn’t so hard.” I scruff up his light brown curls, planting a kiss to the right of his lips before walking into my room with my dog at my side.
On my bed, there’s a wrapped, square box with a purple bow, a fresh cup of hot chocolate, and a DVD I love.
A smile warms my face because even though I will never have the passionate, romantic love I always prayed I could have, at least one person truly knows me.
I slip into my favourite black sweats, cozying into bed. The movie humming in the background, shadows flickering across my ceiling as Rita Hayworth struts onto the screen, owning every man in the room, when I hear harsh knocking.
I freeze, popcorn halfway to my mouth and glance out my floor-to-ceiling bulletproof glass doors that open onto my balcony.
He’s such an idiot.
“Hank. Bathroom,” I command.
We fucked once.
Once.
Luckily, we didn’t get caught, so he hasn’t been murdered for it. But what he’s doing now is just stupid.
I push open the door, letting the dumbass into my room. “What are you doing here, Davide?”
His lips clash with mine and without a word he’s pushing me toward my bed. “No one saw me,” he groans between kisses.
I shove him back, holding his eyes for a moment. “I don’t want to get you killed,” I say truthfully.
“Don’t kill me then,” he says, guiding me with his hands around my waist until I’m straddling him on the edge of my bed.
He claims my mouth, and instantly our bodies grind hard into each other.
I almost consider giving in to him when his mouth moves to my neck. His tongue circling and pushing deeper into skin, making my head fall back.
“We need to stop,” I moan.
My stupid heart doesn’t want to see him die, and I know he won’t be lucky enough to survive another night with me.
