Page 36 of Lust and Honor

Aurora pulls the straw from her mouth and says timidly, still shy around Maxim, “Luca’s mean!”

Even with his fiery expression, Maxim offers her a faint smile and teases her with confidence. “Don’t worry, little Carrot. I’ll teach you how to put mean boys in their place.”

Aurora eyes his fist on the table and asks in her childish tone, “What’s that?”

Maxim raises his fist. “A tiger.”

She furrows her faint brows, puzzled. “Tigel?”

“Yeah, the kind with big claws and a loud roar.”

To make his point, he curls both hands into claws and lets out a booming roar. The sound nearly makes me jump, let alone my poor daughter, who bursts into tears and clings to me tightly.

I shoot Maxim a glare, but he just shrugs. “Then how come she’s obsessed with bears?”

I roll my eyes at him. “She loves sweet cartoon bears. The ones with rainbows on their bellies.”

His response is one word: “Oops.”

He stands, his tone leaving no room for debate. “Calm her down and come outside. We need a minute alone.”

Once Aurora settles, I place her back in the bear-shaped chair and step out of the kitchen. Maxim’s in the cleaned-up living room, surveying the wreckage from last night. As I stand beside him, he speaks without looking at me.

“I’ll get new furniture for this place. If you’ve got something specific in mind, let me know.”

He turns to me and comes closer, so close I have to tilt my head all the way back to look him in the eye. I’m afraid of him, but he can’t know that. His shadow falls over me, and his voice drops to a deadly tone.

“Last word. I sat my ass down and answered your concerns with logic, something I haven’t bothered with in a century, but I did it for you. Now I’m warning you, Ava, I’ve got another side. One that’s not so patient or polite.”

He grips the back of my neck, his eyes shooting icy daggers.

“If you even try to run, if you dare put my kid in danger again, I swear on my mother’s soul, I’ll hunt you to the ends of this fucking earth and drag you right back here myself. And this time, I’ll lock you up so fucking tight, you’ll forget what sunlight looks like. You and that girl with my blood in her veins belong here. To me.”

I press both palms against his chest, but his rock-hard frame doesn’t budge. “So I’m your prisoner now?” I ask in an accusing tone.

He smirks. “Not yet. Don’t give me a reason to make you one.” His expression hardens. “You’re not my prisoner, Ava. But you’re not as free as you used to be either, and that’s only for Aurora’s safety.”

Seeing my silence, he lets me go, straightening the collar of his gray shirt. “Well, looks like we’ve reached an understanding. Fantastic.”

***

Aurora is sitting on the floor, happily playing house with the teapot and teacups she’d stolen from the kitchen. I stand by the tall window, staring at the trees in the yard, but my thoughts are spiraling somewhere else.

How the hell do I get out of this mess?

Last night I dialed Sister Maria, but I hung up before the call could connect. The truth is, she can’t help me anymore. And even if she could…is it worth risking everything again?

I glance at my innocent little girl and ask myself: Am I willing to put her life in danger one more time?

The answer is painfully clear. No.

Running away when it was just me was one thing. But now that Aurora is in my life, everything is different. My father is still out there. He’s already found me twice. He’ll find me again.

I got lucky twice. But will I be lucky a third time? Especially now that it’s not just my father I have to worry about. Carlo Bruni’s enemies would gladly use me and Aurora to get leverage over Maxim.

Maxim’s words have sunk deep into my bones. Even if I run to another country, I can’t guarantee Aurora’s safety. So while I go over every option for what feels like the thousandth time, I’m forced to admit one painful truth:

Right now, the safest place for Aurora is here. In the home of her real father, a man who already acts like she’s his whole world.