Everything. Her mannerisms, her beauty, her innocent dark green eyes, her blinding smile…Jesus, the list is endless.
“I don’t know,” I lie without missing a beat.
It’s all I’ve done for the past two years. Lie to my friends and myself.
Aurora might be a D’Angelo, but for one night, she wasmylittle deer, and that night refuses to free my heart from its unyielding grip.
Just as I take a drag from the cigarette, the angelic voice that’s haunted me says, “Misha, can I talk to you for a moment?”
Hearing my name spill over her lips makes my emotions spike into a dangerous, chaotic mess.
I exhale the smoke as I turn to face Aurora.
Even though fear and pain whirl in her eyes, her chin is held high. Abbie, her friend, stands by the foot of the grand staircase, watching us like a fucking eagle that’s ready to tear our hearts out with her talons if we try to hurt Aurora.
I nod at Alek and Armani, and they walk back into the foyer but stay close by to overhear the conversation.
Aurora moves closer and nervously glances over the grounds illuminated by hundreds of lights.
Highly annoyed with my heart for beating a mile a minute at the sight of her, I snap, “You have one minute.”
Her gaze darts to mine, and I watch as the harshness of my tone slams into her.
Christ, those emeralds have a way of striking at the deepest part of my heart.
Like a starved man, I drink in the sight of her, and for the slightest of moments, I wish we weren’t natural-born enemies.
“Did you mean what you said earlier?” she asks, her gaze drifting over my features as if she’s trying to imprint me into her memory.
“Every word,” I bite out.
She nods, then inhaling deeply, she frowns at me. “So that night meant nothing to you? It was all a lie?”
The lie spills over my lips, “Yes.”
This time her eyes narrow on me. “You’re still bad at lying.”
Taking a last pull of the cigarette, I flick it into a nearby garden. Exhaling the smoke, I step closer to Aurora until she’s forced to tilt her head back to keep eye contact with me.
Slowly, I lift my hand and wrap my fingers around her slender neck. For a second, I almost indulge in the feel of her soft skin, but then I squeeze until she gasps and her eyes fill with tears.
Knowing I’m hurting her has my heart constricting with a sense of betrayal, which stokes my temper because I should only be loyal to the bratva and mafia.
I lean down, and feeling her breaths rushing over my lips, creates a storm of desire in me, and I have to fight the craving and emotions with every bit of my strength.
I keep my tone low and threatening. “The only reason I’m not snapping your neck right now is because of the ground you’re standing on. Don’t mistake the fact that I’m allowing you to breathe for kindness.”
Even trembling with fear, her eyes search mine for the truth, and I bury everything she’s ever made me feel so fucking deep down she’ll never be able to find it.
Ripping my hand away from her breakable neck, I growl, “Stay out of my way, D’Angelo.”
Pushing past her, my shoulder knocks her off balance, and I hear as she falls to the polished floor.
Abbie rushes closer, and within a second, I come face-to-face with her enraged gaze.
She shoves at my shoulder, anger burning in her eyes. “Hurt her again, and I’ll make you pay,feccia!”
Hearing her call me scum only has a dark chuckle rippling over my lips while I stare her down. “I’d love to see you try,puttana.”