“Do you have a cigarillo?” I whispered, knowing I needed something, and wishing there was alcohol to silence the panic that threatened to drown me.
His voice was velvet. “I don’t smoke.”
Closing my eyes, I tipped my head back and tried to fight back the suffocating defense mechanism my body seemed to think was appropriate. “Pity.”
His hands lifted.
I wanted to beg him to put them back on me. This man, this twisted, dark angel, steadied me.
The smell of tobacco hit the air a second later.
My eyes flashed open. I scowled at the imp. Vincenzo let out a short laugh as he breathed life into the slim cigar between his smirking lips.
“Your hands are shaking.” He pulled the cigarillo from his mouth and looked at it. “Here. This will help.”
“I’ll be fine,” I grumped.
“I know you will.” He didn’t pass the flaming stick to me but rather set it between my lips.
I sucked. Weakly. The taste of the smoke curling over my tongue brought warmth.
Pull yourself together!
This was not how I wanted to handle the situation. I hated just sitting here. Feeling powerless. But a low pitch buzz rang in my ears. Every muscle was locked with fear. The need to find control overwhelmed me. I plucked the cigarillo and exhaled.
“This is too real, Enzo.” I dragged in another inhale, fighting to keep the panic at bay. The delicious tobacco made the suffocating sensation ebb.
“I know it’s a lot, but I’m here. Ready to help.” His hands returned to my knees.
The confession fell from my tongue before I could stop it. This was the monster I knew—the boy I once loved. “I’m not scared of you, Enzo.”I’m scared of having you, depending on you, losing you.
He leaned back, giving me space but not moving from the protective stance. “I’ve got you.”
I ran my right hand through my hair, while taking another taste of the smoke. “I don’t understand my father. I said I would go through with it, but doesn’t he know that there are other ways?”
“He’s scared.” Vincenzo shrugged. “Here, watch this.”
He pulled out his phone, put the phone call that was still live in his ear to the background, and sent me an attachment. He took the cigarillo from me so I could grab my own device.
With shaky hands, I opened the text message and clicked play on the video. It was Steven in a boat. The quality was surprisingly good given that it was night and they were clearly on the open water. There was no background noise. The video wasn’t pixelated. Vincenzo was off camera, but his interrogation was clipped and to the point. Steven killed his brother to become the next earl. My dad helped cover it up and was accepting payments for me to marry the murderer.
Dad was going to let that demonic playboy take me.
I never thought….
I never suspected….
Steven? It was all a front. The harmless rich boy was actually a vile creature.
I shook my head, trying to adjust my perception of the aristocrat to the man in the video confessing his crimes.
“In case you are thinking of calling your father, don’t.” Smoke plumed from Vincenzo’s mouth.
If I was shaky before, I trembled now. Trying not to focus on the fact that my dad sent people after me in the present, I let out a wry laugh. “I can’t believe you let him live.”
The monster smirked. “Surprise.”
“You must have scared him good.” I put my phone away and took the cigarillo. This time, the rich smoke gave me the steadying buzz I needed to get a grip on the situation.
