“We? I will end whoever did that, but I need to get him to talk.”
“Be gentle with him, Bell. You need him to trust you.” I scoff. And shake my head. I glare at her, and when I do, I see him in the corner of the room. With his father, his back is to me, but it looks like his father is scolding him. Pointing fingers. Snarling.
I step away from Arianna and Vittorio and walk over to him. I don’t say anything. I take Leonardo’s hand and tug him away. He pulls back at first, but I glare at him, and he stops pulling. I lead him down the corridor and into the bathroom. I slam the door, locking it, and he backs into the corner, his eyes wide like a lil’ lamb on its way to slaughter. He swallows hard and glances down.
That’s when I catch a glimpse of how bad the bruises look in this more subdued lighting. I rush over and snatch at his chin; he flinches as I lift his face.
“Who the fuck did this?” I twist and turn to get a better look at him. There’s slight bruising around both eyes. His nose looks glossy, like it’s sustained trauma. The bruising isn’t only confined to his face; there are marks on his neck too, and his cheek and neck have scratches on them, but they look newer. “Who the fuck did this to you, Leonardo?”
He shakes his head. His eyes fall to the floor. His hands tighten on the edge of the counter. I crowd in closer. He swallows, and his chest heaves. His eyes come up to meet mine, and I yank him to me, crashing my lips against his. He freezes. His eyes widen. I reach my hand up, sliding it around the back of his neck, ready to claim his mouth; my tongue licks across his lips.
There’s a bang at the door. I snarl as I pull away. “Occupied,” I grit out.
As I stare into the most beautiful eyes, but his lip is quivering, he looks scared, terrified even, and I can’t help but want to scoop him into my arms and protect him. The knock on the door persists, and when I yank the door open, Enzo is standing there. He looks over my shoulder at Leonardo, but his head is down, and he doesn’t move his gaze up.
“I’m busy, Enzo. What do you want?”
“Your guests are waiting for you, Bellino.”
I blow out a breath and step to leave, but Leonardo doesn’t move; he’s frozen and won’t look at his father.
“I’d like a moment with my son,” Enzo states matter-of-factly. But as I look at Leonardo’s face, he looks like he wants to be anywhere but with his father.
“Sorry, Enzo, we have guests to greet.” I reach over and stretch out my hand. He stares down at it for a second beforeshakily reaching out and grabbing it. I tug him towards the door and step past Enzo. I don’t miss the glare he sends Leonardo, and I snarl back at him as I lead Leonardo down the corridor. I pull him close. I have one hand on his back. I keep hold of his hand and we step into the dining area. People are everywhere, but I just want it to be me and him now. I want everyone to leave.
Arianna steps up to me, placing her hand on my chest, and my eyes flick to hers. She leans in and whispers in my ear. “Who did that to him?”
I shake my head. I mean, I have an idea, and if his father did this, I won’t hesitate to destroy him. She stares at me and nods as she steps back, giving me a look as she rubs at my arm, which tells me she’s on my side, she has my back, and I’m sure time will tell whether that’s true or not.
My hand tightens on Leonardo’s as he tries to pull away from me; I glare at him, and he stops pulling. I can’t get the thought out of my mind of someone marking his perfect skin that isn’t me. I will fucking end Enzo if I find out it’s him.
The party continues around us—indecipherable chatter, crystal clinking, bodies moving around us, and it’s like they’re sped up, chaos around us, but holding his hand still, it feels like we’re in our own little bubble. My thumb rubs back and forth across his skin, and he just stands by my side. Becoming the other half of me. I refuse to let Leonardo move from my side. We barely talk with one distraction to the next, people wanting to congratulate us. To suck up to me and secure their standing, but I can only focus on him. The bruising looks less prominent in these lights, and I can see Arianna and Vittorio in my peripheral vision, watching our every move.
The end of the night starts to get closer, and Enzo heads back over to us. “We should go, Leonardo.”
He steps to move away from me. His hand shakes in mine, and I grip him tighter and pull him towards me, stepping in frontof him. Between him and Enzo. I glare daggers at him. I tower over him, and without letting go of Leonardo’s hand. I snarl in his face.
“I can’t help but notice the bruising and scratches on my…” I emphasise the word “my.” “…fiancé’s face and neck, I do not take kindly to people leaving marks on something that’s mine, Enzo.” I spit. “If he turns up for the wedding with a single mark on him, heads will fucking roll. Do I make myself clear?”
Enzo nods, and I release Leonardo’s hand as he steps around me. He gives me a tight-lipped smile and walks away with his father close on his heels. Before I can move, Arianna is by my side. “Do you want me to put someone on him?”
I shake my head. “I’ll take care of it.”
She nods and steps away. It’s like she knows what I need. She’s always right there, and I realise that she’s right. We do need to stick together now more than ever. The more people I can trust to keep Leonardo safe, the better.
Leonardo
Chapter Twenty-Two
I walk outside with Enzo. I can feel the fury radiating from him, his fists clenched at his side. I stare up at the stars. They seem so bright but so very far away. My legs reluctantly take me to the car. Following after Enzo, I stumble when he stops and steps to the side. He slams my back against the car, my back crashes into it, and my neck jolts at the impact. He punches me in the stomach, and I fold and wince as the breath flees my lungs. I grip my side. He steps closer, glaring at my face, and he snarls down at me.
“If you ruin this for me, I will destroy you. If you derail my plan, I will see to it that you are so fucking sorry, and even Bellino fucking Ricci won’t be able to save you.”
I don’t know why, but I believe him. It looks like I’m not going to have a choice in whatever these two powerful men decide about my life, and with a little hope, they may take eachother out, and I’ll be free to be with a nice girl I choose for myself. I straighten up as his eyes bore into me. “You make that man fucking happy. I don’t care how you do it—take it in the ass, suck his fucking dick, but you will take everything. You’ll report back to me. I want to know what dirt you can dig up. I will not have him making me look like a fool. You will help me take him down. You understand me, boy?”
I nod. He turns and walks around to the other side of the car. I sag against it, catching my breath. Glaring at me across the roof, he snarls.
“Take a fucking cab.” He climbs in, slamming the door, and I jump back as I feel the car start to pull off. The car screeches its tyres as it exits the car park. I don’t have money. I can’t get home, but I can’t go back inside either. I blow out a breath as I stand there, the night sky weighing down on me as I contemplate how I’m going to survive this world I’ve found myself in. I wish he had never come into my life.
