Jesus, she’s gorgeous.
Her eyes widen. She thinks I was helping her when I helped her stand. She believes that was kindness. She may be strong, but she has no idea how to read people. She needs to learn fast if she’s going to survive a year with Dante.
“Help me. Please. A man named Dante has kidnapped me.”
She glances behind her and sees the guards approaching. I think she’s going to change her mind and make a run for it. It’s instinct. Any person would run.
But not her.
She keeps her feet firmly planted, as if she knows exactly what’s coming and is ready to face it. She does everything she can to show no fear. Her body stands tall, robust. Her body doesn’t quiver or shake. Her breathing is steady and calm. Her lips are pulled back into a thin line. Even her eyes do everything possible to hide any fear.
I read people for a living though. So I know, despite how calm she appears on the outside, her pulse is racing. I grab her wrist.
She smiles a tiny bit, thinking I’m offering to help her.
I feel her pulse racing fast. It’s one of the signs she can’t hide. No matter how tough she tries to act on the outside.
“Help. They are going to take me. Call my brothers. They will help me. I’m Gia Ca—”
Her voice is cut off by Dante’s. “You’ve stopped my new whore from escaping, Mr. Conti. You are well worth your asking price.”
I take Gia’s hand and hand her over to Dante.
Gia. It’s a beautiful name that fits her well.
Her eyes widen when she realizes she fell into the lap of the devil instead of a saint. She wasted her one chance of escape on me.
She swallows hard, trying to keep her calm facade, when Dante pulls her into his body. He takes a deep breath, letting her know he smells her, unlike when I tried to hide my desire to smell her.
Dante grabs her chin and forces her to look up at him. He licks his lip like he can’t wait to get her back to his house.
My insides burn, seeing her in his arms. She’s mine. I found her first.
“I think I underpaid for you, whore. You are trying to hide it from me. But you are most definitely a spitfire I will get the pleasure of breaking. I look forward to it. Not many women would attempt to break free this quickly. Most are in too much of shock to even react.”
“Go to hell,” she says.
He grins, tightening his grip on her. But she doesn’t react, other than a glare.
Dante turns to me. “As you can see, I have some things to attend to. I’ll have the money to you by the end of the day. Call my secretary to discuss when you can set up my new system. Maybe I’ll even let you play with my new toy?” Dante licks her face, and she shudders.
I growl, but it’s so low I’m not sure either of them heard me.
Dante is too focused on Gia. He grips her tightly as he walks her to the waiting Escalade, where his incompetent men wait. He shoves her in the back and, I have no doubt, will be climbing in, right next to her, to ensure she doesn’t attempt an escape again.
Gia looks at me one last time. I was her only hope, and now that hope is gone. But I don’t see that reflected in her eyes. Instead, I see fire. She studies me, and I know I’ve just been added to her list. She wants revenge, to make me suffer like she is going to suffer.
I can’t take my eyes off her until the door is shut, blocking my view with the tinted windows. Even then, I don’t stop watching until the SUV drives away.
Gia wants her revenge on me for not helping her. For turning her over to a barbarian. I do not doubt she will one day get her revenge. But if I’m going to be punished by her, I’m going to do something worth getting punished for.
Dante invited me to his house to share her. I don’t share, but I can’t stay away. I’ll fuck her, get her out of my system, so I can forget about her and return to my own revenge. While I happily wait for the day she carries out hers. It will be worth it, if only to see her piercing eyes again.
3
Gia
Mr. Conti.