Giovanna
The door swings open so hard it rattles the mildewy wood walls. I’m lying on the stained mattress, my limbs stretched by the ropes, when Antonio strides in, the sleeves of his tailored shirt rolled to the elbows, his pants perfectly pressed.
His eyes flick over the piss pot in the corner, the crusted blood on the bare mattress, my torn corset, the blood on my legs. His lip curls.
“Clean this place up! Cleanherup!” he barks at the nurse kneeling by my ankle. “What the fuck are you even doing here?”
The nurse flinches. “I was told to tend to her injury, make sure she eats and doesn’t hurt herself—”
Antonio snarls, cutting her off. “Your job is to take care of her, which means taking care of all of her. Bathe her, make her comfortable, change her clothes. For fuck’s sake.”
I’m so shocked by his outburst that I can hardly speak. We lock eyes. A darkness passes over his face. He glances furtively up toward the corners of the room, then back at me, his expression hardened.
His voice rises. “If I have to be in here every day, I’m not going to stand in a room that stinks of piss and blood.”
My brow furrows. It’s almost like he’s playacting at being a dick. Why?
The nurse bristles, cheeks pink. “I’m not a maid.”
He takes a slow step toward her, voice dropping. “But you do know how to clean, don’t you?”
She swallows, nods. “I’ll need supplies. And medical equipment. She needs—”
“Don’t bother me with details.” He snaps his fingers at the door. “Berto!”
Berto appears, eyes flat. Antonio jerks his head at the nurse. “Tell him what you need. He’ll get it.”
Berto looks at Antonio like he wants to argue, but Antonio’s glare silences him. Berto leaves with the nurse.
“Shut the fucking door!” Antonio yells after them.
Berto comes back and glares at him, then slams the door shut.
The room shrinks without the buffer of witnesses.
My hands ball into fists. “So this is it?” My voice trembles, but I force it out. “You’re going to rape me now?”
His eyes flash, dangerous. “You fucked up, Giovanna. I told you not to fuck with Tommy. I’m lucky I’m not chained up with you.”
My laugh comes out sharp and cracked. “You know I only did all this to protect him. Make it about you if you want, but everything I do is to protect—”
Before I can finish, his boot slams into the edge of the mattress, making my hurt ankle bang painfully within myrestraints. He’s on me in a second, pinning me with his weight. I struggle against him, but he forces his face into my neck, his mouth near my ear. His breath is hot, sour with whiskey.
“Do you realize we’re probably being watched? Listened to?” he hisses. “Keep your fucking voice down and play the fuck along.”
I twist my head away, but he grabs my jaw and kisses me long and hard. It’s painful at first, but when he gets more intense, passionate, I rip my mouth away.
“How’s that for playing along?” I hiss. “I would never willingly kiss you.”
His jaw stiffens. He keeps his voice low. “What were you going to talk to me about, Giovanna? I went to the bridal suite after you texted me, but you were already gone.”
“Like that was my fault?” I whisper back, venom under the fear.
“Let me guess. You were going to dump me again, run back to Tommy officially this time? How much you want to bet your phone’s monitored and that little text is what got us here?”
“I didn’t want you to die, asshole,” I snap in an angry whisper. “I didn’t want to leave you at the altar and give them a target when I left with Tommy.”
He snorts and bites my neck, making me scream and thrash beneath him. “Don’t do me any fucking favors.”
