“Why are you here?” I repeat.
She slides her legs out of the pool, like I might attack anyone in my terrain. “I heard someone swimming and I thought I’d see who it was.”
That doesn’t track. The pool is miles away from the East Wing and her bedroom. I fold my arms across my chest. “You watched me swim?”
Her shy smile flickers then dies again. “You’re really fast.”
I don’t want to appreciate her words. I don’t fucking care she thinks I’m good at swimming. For one thing, the girl doesn’t know shit about swimming, for second, I fucking hate her.
As we stare at one another in silence it occurs to me that this weak, pathetic little rich girl has fucked with me like no one has. She betrayed me, ran away, and got herself kidnapped by a psychopath. The same psychopath that made my sister’s life a nightmare before he took it from her. My vision goes blank, and I remember how it felt when Eli called me to say Parker had January. The helpless rage. After Alessia, I thought I was done feeling that slow, rolling panic but January brought it back in spades. I’ll never forgive her for that. Not if I have a hundred years to take it out on her body.
Before I know what I’m doing I’m swimming toward her. My head is buzzing with the promise of pain. I feel like a shark, hollow and cold. Fucking murderous.
January goes still as a statue, her pretty face a vision of terror. “Domenico…”
The way she says my name pricks at me like a stinging insect. I shake my head. “No, Tits. You don’t get to call me Domenico anymore.”
She flinches. “I, but… what should I…?”
“You could try Master. Or Mr. Valente. Or My Lord and fucking Saviour, considering I haven’t choked the life out of you yet.” I stare her down like the quivering piece of prey she is. “Actually, I don’t need you to say anything. I don’t wanna hear your lying little voice ever again.”
January is awash in pale green light but I can still see the color drain from her face all the same. The insect lands again, stinging the back of my neck harder this time. I ignore it. “What do you think you owe me, for making me believe you were dead, January Whitehall? That Parker had gone and raped and murdered another woman who was supposed to be under my protection?”
“I-I don’t know.”
Her voice is shaking, vibrating with panic and her eyes are already welling with tears. I want to take pleasure in it but the high isn’t coming. I ball my hands into fists. “You don’t fucking know, isn’t that convenient? Then again when have you ever known anything, you dopey little brat?”
She absorbs the insult without so much as a shudder and that’s when I see it. The softness in her stupid, emerald green eyes. The sympathetic pout in her plushy pink lips. She’s thinking about what I told her last night. About Alessia. The little bitch is feelingsorryfor me.
I swim up to where she’s sitting and grip her ankles like I’m going to pull her into the pool. Her skin is hot under my palms, and I ignore the heat that zaps from her to me. Her face is so pale I wouldn’t be surprised if she passed out, but she doesn’t look away. She just keeps staring at me with her huge pitiful eyes and somehow, I know exactly what she’s thinking. And I fucking hate her for it.
Then she opens her mouth.
“I’m sorry about your sister,” she says in a big rush. “I’m sorry I worried you by running away. I never meant to hurt you or any of the guys. I really like you. I mean you scare me and you’re such a jerk but I feel things for… I mean I used to.”
Her face burns scarlet and something inside me snaps. I press my fingertips into her peachy skin, hard enough to bruise. “Stop. Talking.”
But not only does she not do that she reaches down. She reaches down and brushes a hand over my cheek. “Doc, I know you’re in pain. It’s okay. Whatever you need to do to feel better, I… I can handle it. I want you to feel better.”
Jesus H fucking Christ.
Her touch is like cold fire but I don’t push her hand away. I take a step back, water sloshing around my waist, making me feel like an asshole.
“Fuck you,” I hiss, glaring right in her face. “Fuck you for making me… for trying to…”
I snap my jaw shut, furious with myself. I don’t owe the bitch any explanations and I don’t want to ‘talk this out’ or any of that bullshit. I want to hurt her. I want my fucking revenge. Especially since Morelli is trying to rip away my rightful retaliation against Parker. The thing that’s powered me since I was seventeen and he wants to renege because of January’s safety. January’s innocence.
The realization makes my anger surge and I grip her ankles tighter, tugging her forward. “I’m going to hurt you, Tits. So bad you’ll wish you were still getting gun-fucked by Adriano. So bad you’ll wish you were never born, you get that?”
She nods, a sparkly tear tracking down her cheek.
Don’t fucking agree, I scream inside my mind.Don’t you fucking take this from me too.
I pull her legs apart and stare at the pink cotton covering her virgin pussy. I want to bite into her. Tear her apart like I’m a wolf.
“I don’t have my knife on me,” I tell her. “If I did I’d fuck you with the handle again before I put my dick in you. Or maybe I’d pin you down and cut my name into your tits. Would you like that?”
She nods, tears falling down her front.
