“$20,000, please!” My arms and legs are pinned down, utterly useless beneath his weight.
The driver snorts. “Ma’am, I’d help you if I could.”
“Shut the fuck up, Tony,” Santino snarls to him.
“Why are you saying my name?!”
I continue to bargain with the driver. “$30,000!”
Santino drops cruel bites and kisses along my neck. With his fingers coiling around my necklace, he snarls, “You have all the money in the world.”
The driver muses. “Lady, you make it an easy $50k, I’ll—”
I start to reply, “O—”
Santino’s brutal mouth crushes down onto mine with such force, my lips swell. His teeth assault my lips, working his tongue inside for a kiss.
I leverage an arm and swing out to his face. He presses his face into my neck. The edges of his teeth sink into my pulse point. He’s moving his other arm too speedily for me to keep up the momentum.
Santino orders, “Tony, my truck now, or you’re dead.”
“One-hun-hundred thousand, pleaseeee,” I blubber. Tears prick my eyes. Dead? Those are some serious acting chops, or he’s serious.
“A 100 grand, please!” I squeal. The guy in the front stops all negotiations.
Seconds later, the van stops.
Santino drags a hand through my curly hair. “Gina, when we get out, youbetrayme by screaming, I’ll kill . . . Tony.”
I choke on air. “Fuck him. He’s with you! Asshole, asshole,ass-holeee!”
With a foreboding expression darkening his face, Santino growls. “I can live with that name, Gina. The question is, can you live with the punishment?”
“This can’t be real.”
“Oh, it is, Bella.” He takes my hand and opens the sliding door.
“Hel—”
The door snaps shut. Santino’s fingers claw into the hair at the nape of my neck, his mouth plasters against mine. The sick, sneaky bastard pulls me out with our bodies bonded together. I’m pushing, and he’s swooping his arms around me into a bear hug.
I don’t want these kisses! Santino’s lips have touched other women! I hate him! Will hate him the rest of my life. Santino opens the door to his truck. He presses a panel for the center console and then shoves me in.
“Move, Gina.”
“Hel—”
He climbs inside, half on top of me, tossing my purse over and closing the door behind him. I slide to the opposite side and yank on the door.
“Child lock,sweetheart.”
That nickname sounds like bitch as he snarls it.
“You’ve made a grave mistake. The worst mistake in your entire life, Santino!”
“Fine.” He lifts his shoulders, putting his key into the ignition.
I lift my legs, stilettos slamming on the dashboard. “I hate you!”