None of this felt real.
I closed my eyes, took a few more breaths, and then screamed. God, it felt good to get that out. Instantly, I felt the pain in my chest lessen. My heart raced, but at least it slowed to a regular rate. And when I opened my eyes, I took another deep breath and blew it out.
“You’re okay,” I said aloud. “You’re safe.”
Was that even true?
Not really.
I washed my face and hands and dried my skin before exiting the bathroom. Dante set the last plate on the table as I entered the dining room. He sat at the head of the long mahogany table with Stefan and Angelo at his sides. Nico pulled out the chair between him and Angelo and tipped his head.
I thought about the last time I sat between them during dinner and sighed. But what choice did I have? They were going to do whatever they wanted to me, anyway.
No point in fighting them.
I could use sex as a weapon to distract them while I was helping my dad replace the stolen money. And maybe once we got that cleared up, we could run away from this fucking place.
I dropped into the chair beside Nico. He was by far the nicest of the group. Even though I knew he was a bad man, I liked him. I wanted to believe he liked me, too.
We had a lot more in common than I had with the others. He was the only person in their family to graduate from college—more than once. So I felt I could talk to him, even though he’d warned me not to trust him. He seemed like someone you could tell your secrets.
Mine would get me killed.
Angelo put his hand on my knee. “Did I hear you scream?”
“She does that to help with stress,” Stefan commented. “I did it with her the night she moved in with us. It’s oddly relaxing.”
All of them stared at me.
“Why are you so stressed?” Dante folded his hands on the table, glaring at me. “Got a guilty conscience?”
“Well, let’s see.” I laid the cloth napkin on my lap, maintaining eye contact with Dante. “Until last week, I had a promising future away from this corrupt town. My first night here, your brothers forced themselves on me. You’re rude and speak to me like I’m an idiot.”
I tapped my finger against my lips and raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh, and there’s the fact I’m breaking dozens of laws daily. And then, I come home after working all day to whatever we’re doing right now. So yes, Mr. Luciano, I’m very stressed out.”
By the time I finished, Dante clenched his teeth. “You’re an entitled brat. And if you don’t learn your place, you won’t be here long.”
“You asked me a question. I answered it.”
He pointed his finger at me and scowled. “The next time you open your mouth, you better choose your words wisely.”
Nico tugged on the back of my skirt, suggesting I sit. Dante looked like he was seconds from losing his cool. He hid his anger well, though I could see right through him. My dad was good at concealing his emotions, too. But when he snapped, it was scary. I had a feeling Dante was much worse.
So I slapped on a fake smile and spoke through gritted teeth. “Thank you for dinner, Mr. Luciano.” I gripped the ends of my skirt and curtseyed to annoy him. “I’ll be the perfect good girl for the rest of the meal.”
Stefan laughed.
Angelo shook his head, smirking.
I couldn’t see Nico’s face since he was behind me, pulling me into the chair. “Don’t poke the dragon,” he whispered.
Dante threw out his hand. “Mangiare.”
We followed his order and filled our plates with food in silence. My tastebuds ignited as I chewed the gnocchi in a cheese sauce that tasted like Gorgonzola. A moan slipped past my lips as I devoured the cheesy dumplings.
“Something wrong, Miss Vianello?”
Dante’s shrill tone snapped me back to reality.