“No, you’re a woman. A woman born into the crime world. First, you belonged to your father, and now you belong to the man who’s claimed you as his. Like every other woman in our world, there’s no freedom for you. You were always meant to be owned.”
I try to keep my tears from falling, but deep down, I know he’s telling the truth. I’ve grown up a prisoner. Even if I stepped out into the city where I was born, unguarded, I wouldn’t be able to find my way without help.
“So, what about your girlfriend? Doesn’t she have any objections to your plans?”
The corner of his lips curls into a smirk. He closes the distance between us, placing his palm flat against my chest, and with a gentle push, forces me to step back. He follows me until my back hits the wall, trapping me in the prison of his body. Then he nuzzles my cheek, his voice a seductive whisper.
“You know, I don’t like controlling women, but jealous ones?” His hand trails down, brushing over the fabric of my skirt to touch me intimately. “They’re a huge turn-on.”
I slap his hand away. “Well, being your whore alongside your girlfriend is not such a turn-on for me.”
“Don’t worry, darling. I only do whores. Never been good with girlfriends. Give a woman a title beyond bedmate, and she’ll cling to your neck, digging to know every secret, even the ones buried deep. I’m not the kind of man who lets anyone uncover my secrets unless they’re a lifeless corpse.”
This time, curiosity gets the better of me. “Then what’s Emily doing here?”
“Playing her role,” he says casually.
His hand reaches out, squeezing my backside before sliding down to lift my thigh, wrapping it around his hips. He presses against me just enough for me to feel the bulge straining in his pants. The sudden, electrifying sensation sends shockwaves through my body, awakening every nerve ending. Months without sex, coupled with pregnancy hormones, have left me unbearably starved.
I tilt my head back, silently inviting his lips. He captures them in a searing kiss, more passionate than ever, plunging his tongue deep into my mouth, leaving no inch unexplored. His lips claim mine, and his breath mingles with mine, hot and demanding.
I wrap my arms around his neck, gasping as I reluctantly pull back, barely able to form words.
“What do you mean she’s playing her role? What role?”
Instead of answering, he pulls my lips back into his mouth. One hand braces against the wall beside my head, while the other fondles my breasts through the thin fabric of my dress. I can’t help but clench the muscles deep inside, a reaction to the firestorm of desire ignited in the core of my body. But even as my body betrays me, my mind refuses to yield.
I break the kiss again. “Tell me, Tony. Who’s that girl?”
He presses harder against me, his fingers tighten around one of my breasts. “The last surviving member of Carlo’s family,” he replies. “The perfect distraction to keep him busy while we leave Italy.”
The heat inside me dies instantly. I stare at him, not fully realizing what he says, but I’m sure it’s not good. I push against his chest, but he doesn’t budge, not even an inch. His gaze is wild, feral, fixed solely on me.
“Does she know?”
He lowers his head and nibbles at my neck. “Enough questions. We need to head to dinner, and you need to come. We don’t have much time.”
His hand slides up my thigh under my skirt, fingers slipping past my panties. Without hesitation, he pushes two fingers deep inside me. I arch my back, and a muffled moan escapes my lips. This place isn’t as soundproof as Nonna’s estate. Someone could hear us.
He starts moving his fingers, thrusting in and out while locking his gaze with mine. He fucks me with his fingers like nothing else in the world exists, like the only thing that matters is making me come undone.
I throw one arm around his neck while my free hand cups his cheek. My eyes narrow with the waves of pleasure building inside me, my breaths coming in shallow gasps. Yet, amidst the haze, the question gnaws at me.
“Tell me, Tony,” I say, breathless, “does she know who she is? Does she know why she’s really here?”
His fingers thrust harder. My toes curl, my fingers digging into him. My head tilts back further, teeth sinking into my lip to stifle the moans threatening to escape.
Without relenting in his tormenting rhythm, he buries his face in my neck and murmurs, “No, she doesn’t know. She’s a naive little fool who thinks I’m her knight in shining armor. All she’s ever gotten from me is a few meaningless kisses.”
“So you brought her here just to throw her to the wolves for more time?”
He plants a wet kiss on my neck, his lips warm and possessive. “Life is what it is, Lucia.”
“But she’s innocent.”
He lifts his head, looking at me as he slides another finger inside, pushing my body closer to the brink. My walls tighten around him, the sensation both agonizing and exhilarating. His gaze is unwavering, his voice resolute.
“In this world, people are either black or white, prey or predator. There’s no in-between. You either sacrifice, or you’re the one sacrificed. And I’m not a person who lets himself be hunted, or allows his prey to slip away. To bring Carlo to his knees, I’ll commit every sin worthy of hell’s fiercest flames.”
