Gianna
“You are disgusting,” Nico snarls as he takes me away from Will. I can only press my body against the car door to get as far away from him as possible but there’s barely any space between us with just the console in the way. His hands tighten around the steering wheel until his fingers turn white. “Letting that fucker defile you. You’re no longer a virgin. Your brother promised me you were.”
“I was kidnapped,” I whisper. “Why are you blaming me?” Yes, I made my choice to be with Will but Nico doesn’t know that. I could have been raped for all he knows and yet, he’s blaming me for it? It tells me exactly what kind of man he is.
“I know you were kidnapped. It’s why I came to save you. It’s why I’ll still marry you even though you’re used goods now. I know this wasn’t your choice. But it’s still disgusting to find you in bed with that man. It didn’t look like rape to me. It looked like you were happy in his arms.”
I don’t comment. The less I say the better.
“How can you live with yourself?” he snaps. “You were a good woman and now look at you. Your brother will be so ashamed when he finds out.”
“Where is my brother?”
“He is out looking for you and that fucker who took you. I can’t believe he’s still alive. Once we’re married, I’ll find Will and kill him.”
“No,” I say without meaning to.
Nico slants his eyes in my direction and it only makes me shiver. “No? Why wouldn’t you want the man who kidnapped you to die?”
I open my mouth but no sound comes out. The urge to throw up hits me. If I just threw up, everything would be better.
Nico huffs. “It doesn’t matter. Enzo and I will find Will and kill him. We’ll be married and all will be right in the world.”
I stare out the window, watching the houses and trees and cars pass me by, knowing I’m getting farther and farther away from the man I care for.
From the man I think I may be in love with.
Nico arrives back at my aunt’s house in Connecticut after a long drive. The sight of my old home doesn’t fill me with happiness like I once thought it would. My legs feel like they’re moving through cement as I walk to the front door.
Nico lets himself inside the house like he owns it.
“How did you get a key?” I ask.
“Your aunt. She wanted me to have one since we’ll be married.”
Of course. Francesca just has to get her way and she believes Nico to be a good man for me when I know he’s the opposite.
The moment I step foot inside, Francesca runs right for me and pulls me into her arms. “Oh thank goodness. You’re finally home.”
It takes me a second to hug her back. “Yes. I’m home.” Those words send a weight into my stomach I never thought I would feel. With Will, I had a taste of freedom. Of making my own choices. But I know now that I’m back home, Francesca is going to dictate everything.
“Where’s Enzo?” I ask, pulling away from her.
“He’s not here yet. Nico called me and I said to bring you right here. I had to make sure you were all right.”
“Does Enzo know I’m alive?”
“We’ll call him soon enough,” Nico explains.
That sends a chill down my spine. “So, Enzo doesn’t know I’m here? We have to call him, Aunt Francesca.”
“Of course,” she says. “We will. But Nico thought it would be a better idea to wait. To let me see you first.”
I glance at Nico, confused for a moment, before it hits me. Nico doesn’t want Enzo finding out about how he’s treated me. He knows Enzo will call off the wedding if I tell Enzo everything. But my aunt is obtuse. Once she sees that someone is good, she’ll see them as good forever. And once she sees someone as bad, she’ll always see them as bad. Nico knows this.
“You’ve seen me,” I say to my aunt. “Now, let’s call Enzo.” So I can explain everything to him. So I can get Will back. He was shot but I couldn’t tell if it was a life-ending one or not. And I won’t know unless I get back to Will.
“We should get married first,” Nico says while Francesca nods.
