I glare at him and test his actions. I have to know who I’m dealing with. “Well, then, I should go, since I’m his.” He jumps off the bed and crosses the distance between us. Unable to stop myself, I flinch, waiting to feel the sting. He’s much larger than his brother and father, and I know this will hurt more, and not only physically.
“I’m not him and you’re not his,” he growls, dragging me with one arm around my waist and the other in my hair. His mouth slams down on mine. God, that kiss had been real. Before I can melt into him, he pushes off of me.
“That was wrong,” I say as I watch him get dressed. Santino slips on a white undershirt and a pair of grey dress slacks before sliding on a crisp white dress shirt.
He turns around to face me with the shirt still wide open. I’m amazed by the feral look in his eyes. From head to toe this man is perfection, but his mouth on mine was the most insanely sexy thing in the world I’ve ever experienced.
He stalks toward me, but this time I don’t flinch because I’m ridiculously hoping for another kiss. He tips my chin with his thick thumb, pulling my bottom lip from under the grip of my upper teeth. “Felt fucking right to me.” My body heats up and I breathily look up into his eyes that are trained to my lips, waiting for more. Instead, he steps back and says, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a call to make. Please eat.” He points to the trays on the table that’s in the middle of the room.
“So you’re going to leave me up here locked away?” I ask, changing one cell for another.
“Damn right,” he growls, nodding his head as he grabs his phone and gun.
“You’re just like your brother.” It’s out of my mouth before I can think about it. I’m sure that is going to set him off, and then I’m going to feel his wrath. God, it would break my heart if he hit me. I should be used to the abuse, but when I see him, I don’t know why I fear his brand of evil.
He stands by the door with a smirk on his face. “Sweetheart, I get that you want to fight me. Test me. I get that you want to believe whatever lies you tell yourself, but deep down you know I’m nothing like my brother, and soon you’ll know that in more ways than one.” He leaves me alone, locking the door behind him.
“Bastard.” I sit on the bed. A part of me is secretly happy to be away from Rafael and his father, but what does Santino have planned for me? Does he want to fuck me too? Of course he does. That hard-on and the way he kissed me...whew, nothing but pure, lustful fire. But could I be reading this wrong? Is this some sort of revenge? Why should I even care?
I tuck my hair behind my ears, feeling the sting of the bruise. Damn, it’s painful. I take a deep breath and get a whiff of the breakfast on the table, making my stomach become a rumbling engine. Walking over there, I lift the lid to eggs, bacon, sausage, and homemade hash browns. I don’t think I’ve had a meal like this in forever. I help myself to a small serving because even though it smells incredible, I don’t get to eat often or anything hearty, so I don’t want to get sick.
The first bite of the bacon hits the sweet spot in my palette, and I release a moan. The food is too good to be true, but I only eat a little more because I’m feeling a little lightheaded. Oh God, please tell me he didn’t poison me.
I take a deep breath, and I’m okay again. So it’s just my paranoia, it seems.
I step into the bathroom to freshen up and to examine my father-in-law’s handiwork. The bathroom is large and made for a man like Santino. Everything is new, but then again the man spent years in prison, so this is all newly added, I’m guessing. I run my hands over the granite countertops, feeling the cold stone against my fingers, and yet I feel the warmth of this place. Then I finally look up and see my reflection. The bruising from yesterday has darkened so it matches the pain that’s radiating from it. I can’t believe how terrible it looks.
“I could kill him for that alone.” I turn to the door and see Santino leaning on the door jamb. He straightens up and moves toward me. The way his body moves, I feel hypnotized. There’s power in every step.
I face him and feel almost obligated to tell him the truth about this, so I do. “This wasn’t Rafael’s efforts.”
“Who?” His teeth are clenched as he grits out the word. I can see he already knows but needs to hear it from me.
“Your father.”
“What? Why?” He’s angry, and that strangely makes me comfortable to tell him what happened.
“As soon as you left, he threatened to tell Rafael that I was flirting with you, and I got a smart mouth with him. For an old man, he’s still extraordinarily strong.”
“He’s lived long enough.” The gruff words hit my ears and my pussy’s flooded. This man has a way about him that draws me in like a moth to a flame. It’s dangerous, and yet I have a hard time fighting the urge to step into his path and demand he show me what I’m missing.
“It’s not your problem. I’m only glad I’m away from them. I am away from them, right? You’re not going to send
