Before I could say another word, Tony grabbed my hand and headed out faster than usual. “Carlo isn’t the kind of man you forget. Trust me, if you’d met him before, you’d remember.”
“Why do you hate your family so much?”
He stopped and looked at me. “Stop asking questions that the answers annoymeand scare the shit out ofyou.”
I was caught off guard, but I knew better than to push it any further.
FOUR
Emily
The next few days passed surprisingly calm.Rafael was in charge of showing me around. Old churches, piazzas, museums, the usual tourist checklist.
Tony always had an excuse not to come along. Alwaysbusy. Rafael wasn’t much of a talker. He mostly trailed behind me like a guard dog and watched me like a hawk. But he spent money like an ATM with no spending limit.
I’ll admit, at first, Tony’s absence stung. But between the stunning city views and shopping my way through the world’s most expensive brands, the days slipped by faster than I expected.
I still had no clue why Tony had brought me there and honestly, I didn’t have the nerve to ask again.All I wanted was to get through these two weeks without any more drama, make it back to the States in one piece, and forgive myself for ever falling for Tony in the first place.
So I made a decision. If I was stuck in this ancient city, I might as well enjoy it like some spoiled rich girl on vacation.
Since that night, I hadn’t seen Giuseppe or Brando. Not even once. Not even at dinner. Carmen pretended I didn’t exist. But Lucia kept her distance very deliberately. I invited her out a few times, tried to be friendly, but every time she had some excuse.
Until one day, her cheeks bright red, she finally admitted the truth. She wasn’t allowed to leave the house without her husband’s permission. Or his presence.
It was hard to make sense of it, a woman in the 21st century needing her husband’s permission to leave the house. But I didn’t push. It clearly made her uncomfortable, and honestly, I didn’t want to stir the pot.
***
Five days had passed since I’d arrived. Lucia’s birthday celebration was four days away, and it was obvious they were planning something big. Fancy. Over-the-top. Carlo hadn’t shown up yet. But from what I kept hearing, he could walk through those doors any moment now.
I swiped on some mascara, finished my eyeliner, then ran a few curls through my already wavy hair. The black eyeshadow and bold red lipstick made me look a little older than I actually was, exactly what I was going for.
I didn’t want people to see me as some teenager. My dresswas a silver, backless Chanel mini that barely covered my ass. Two flimsy straps holding up a piece of fabric that somehow cost four thousand euros.
Since Tony had told me he wouldn’t be home until dinner, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to spend the afternoon with Lucia. Some wine, some girl talk, nothing too deep.So I headed toward the other wing of the house, the part where only Lucia and Carlo stayed.
I’d only been there once before and that was with Lucia herself. I lifted my hand to knock, but then I went still. A soft moan came from the other side of the door, low and breathless. It was followed by the sound of deep and wet kissing.
“Stop… please don’t…” It was Lucia.
My heart leapt to my throat. Someone was in there with her. Someone she didn’t want. There was no guard in sight and the closest one was way too far to count on.
I glanced down at the bottle of red wine in my hand. Not ideal but it’d do. Not in a million years was I going to let someone hurt her.She was the only compassionate soulin this place.
I was about to turn the doorknob and burst into the room, when another voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Save your energy, beautiful. You’re getting fucked today, don’t fight it. You need it. Youneed me. You hate yourself for it, don’t you? But your body’s a liar. Look at this pretty little pussy, glistening for me, so hungry for my cock. It’s dripping truth while your mouth keeps spitting lies.”
It was Tony.
As the kissing started again my lungs constricted, stealing my breath and tears blurred my vision before I even knew they’d fallen. Anger. Shock. Humiliation. Fear. They all slammed into me at once, a tidal wave I couldn’t outrun.
Then Rafael’s voice cracked through the hallway. “You shouldn’t be here.”
I jumped. The bottle slipped from my hand and hit the marble with a loud crash, shattering into pieces. Red wine splashed everywhere, staining the pristine floor like blood.
I needed to leave. I had to get the hell out of that cursed place. Back to my country. Back to my idiot friends and every boring moment I used to take for granted. I needed out.Now.
