“Because we can’t lose her.” I slid my phone into my pocket and opened the door. “She’s too important to our survival. We will lose everything without her.”
“If we could admit new members, we’d have more coverage across the country. The longer we delayLegare, the worse this will get. The Knights need a queen. So put your fucking pride aside and get on your hands and knees and beg Alex to marry your miserable ass.”
“I got her a solo show at the Blackwell Gallery. Isn’t that enough?”
He shook his head, a frown in place. “You know what she wants.”
Love.Something I didn’t understand. My mother was the last person to tell me she loved me, to show me how much she cared.
How could I ever love a Wellington? Not after what they did to our family. It would be a betrayal to my mother and her memory.
“Stop acting like a dick if you want Alex to marry you. Locking her in a bedroom won’t change her mind.”
I made a deal with Marcello. When we were kids, I protected him from our father. Every beating and punishment, I took it in stride.
He owed me for my sacrifice.
Alex is mine.
All night I drifted in and out of consciousness, chasing one dream after another. After a while, they all sort of blended together, sweet dreams turning into my worst nightmares.
Heavy footsteps tapped the hardwood floor. I followed the sounds, my pulse pounding in my ears, the blood rushing to my head. The room was pitch black except for the light coming in from the balcony.
As I blinked again, a figure emerged from a dark corner.
“Who’s there?”
No answer.
I slid off the bed and ran toward the ensuite bathroom where I’d left my cell phone on the charger. Before I could close the door and turn on the light, someone pushed me into the room. Stumbling backward, I grabbed the edge of the sink for support.
“Get away from me!”
“No,” he breathed against my earlobe.
“Luca?” I looked in the mirror and released a relieved breath. “Why didn’t you say anything? You scared the shit out of me.”
He clutched my wrist, squeezing so hard pain shot up my arm.
“Stop that!”
He lifted me by the hips, his fingers branding my skin as he slammed my butt down on the counter.
“Say something! What’s wrong with you?”
I shoved my palms into his chest, hoping he would fall backward so I could slide off the counter. But he was too big and strong to overpower.
Luca grabbed my shoulder and held me in place, the heat from his body radiating off him. “Drea,” he whispered as he pressed his forehead to mine. “I need you, baby.”
“Luca, talk to me. What the fuck is going on? What happened?”
In one swift motion, he ripped my panties from my body.
“Luca, talk to me. Why do you look like you’re possessed?”
I fisted his dress shirt in my hands and shrieked at the liquid on my skin. A candle flickered on the counter. I’d lit it before I went to bed, so I could find my way to the bathroom if I woke up in the middle of the night. Even in the dark, I knew it was blood.
“You’re hurt.” I shoved his suit jacket off his shoulders. “Why are you bleeding?”