I gasp and continue to struggle until I wear myself out. His grip is too strong, and my efforts are proving to be futile. Eventually, my body relaxes slightly, but my guard is still up, my senses on high alert. "You know?" I ask with disbelief.
"Of course I know. How do you think I found you? Surveillance cameras outside of the abortion clinic."
I close my eyes and shudder. That's how he found Barbara.
"Besides, your father always told me everything. When you went missing, I was the first person he came to. Why would he keep something like that from me?" His hot breath skates against my neck, and I shudder in disgust. "You should know that your friend, Barbara, was strong right up until the end. It took a lot for me to break her. She didn't want to give you up." He nuzzles his nose in my hair, and I cry out in agony. "She was a fighter, but she had what I needed. And I was willing to do anything to get it."
Tears fill my eyes when I think of him going to Barbara's house and beating her.
Barbara was innocent. Her only crime was helping and protecting me.
I wrestle against him, and this time he lets me go. I retreat to the other side of the bench seat, pressing myself against the doorframe. "I hate you!" I scream at him, a sob tearing from my throat.
"I understand that. But with time, I hope you will love me again, like I know you did once."
Sobbing in my hands, I shake my head in bewilderment. I will never love Giovanni. In fact, I don't know if I'll ever love anyone ever again as much as I loved Lucien.
"When we get back home, things will be hectic at first. But they'll slowly get back to normal. You'll see," he says with an optimism that angers me.
"I'm not having an abortion!" I blurt out heatedly.
"I don't want you to," he says with a blank expression.
My brows furrow at his words. "But…it's not your baby," I say, even though that is obvious since I never slept with Giovanni.
"Doesn't matter. We're the only two who will know that." He flashes me a dark, stern look before adding, "And I plan on keeping it that way."
"I don't understand," I mutter, shaking my head softly.
"Thatthinginside of you right now will be the heir that the Valenti family is expecting." He grins an evil grin that has me trembling. "When I announce your return and our pregnancy, it will give me even more leverage when I take my rightful place as head of the empire, just like your father always wanted."
I cringe in disgust and lean my head against the soft seat. "This can't be happening," I mutter.
He's quiet for a while before he asks, "Why don't you get some sleep? We still have a few hours before we get home."
Closing my eyes, it doesn't take long for exhaustion to cloud over me in a thick fog. I sleep, but it's plagued with nightmares…with a longing forhim.
CHAPTER 39
ADELINE
I'M DREAMING A wonderful dream of Lucien. I'm curled up against his chest, and he's murmuring sweet nothings to me, which warm me down to my very soul.
"I missed you," I tell him.
"I missed you too," he whispers.
His hand softly strokes my hair, and I purr, nestling closer to the warmth of his suit jacket. It feels so real. My eyes flutter, but I don't want to wake up. I want this dream to last forever.
"Lucien," I whisper, still in a twilight state between dream and reality.
But I'm instantly snapped out of it when powerful fingers clamp around my jaw, squeezing until I'm whimpering and crying out in pain. My eyes pop open, and I meet the eyes of the devil himself — Giovanni.
"I don't want to hear his name come out of your mouth ever again!" he roars, his voice booming in the back of the limousine. "He's dead. Do you hear me? I killed him, and he's fucking dead. He's never coming back!"
His words are so harsh that they cut straight through me like a sharp butcher knife. I jerk out of his grip and move to the opposite side of the bench seat, quietly sobbing and rubbing my sore jaw, which is no doubt bruised.
I can practically feel Gio seething next to me. I can't believe I curled up to him in my sleep. Shaking my head, I vow to never let my guard down around him ever again.
