13. My Fault
CHAPTER 13
MY FAULT
I sabella
I glance over my shoulder and catch a glimpse of Serena in a lip-lock with James. It would be kind of fun to hook up with brothers. I’m definitely wasted or that would not sound so appealing. The errant thought flits through my mind, but I push it back, giving in to the warm haze of champagne.
Turning back to Jason, I quickly nod. “We can go to my room.”
His hand wraps around mine, and he steers me through the crowd. “I thought this was your friend’s place?”
“Serena’s my best friend, actually. I spend the night here a lot, so she gave me my own room.” Over the years, I’ve learned to protect my identity at all costs. The fewer people who know I’m the daughter of the notorious CEO Luca Valentino, the better.
Once we clear the packed dancefloor, I take the lead and guide us toward a long hallway that leads to the bedrooms on the first floor. Serena’s room is upstairs in the loft. Though she did give me one of the spare bedrooms to keep extra clothes whenever I do sleepover, we usually sleep together in her massive bed upstairs.
Jason spins me toward him, catching me completely off guard once the chaos of the party begins to fall away. His lips crash into mine, and he shoves me against the upholstered wall in the corridor. Well, that’s unexpected. He’s a little sloppy, his tongue plunging into my mouth like he’s on a mission to plunder every inch.
He presses his body against me, gliding his cock up and down my dress. It feels kind of good, but also a little too much since we’re still in the hallway where anyone can walk by.
“Hey, slow down,” I mutter against his mouth.
“But you feel so good, baby.” He groans as his hand comes around to cup my breast.
Also, I hate that term of endearment. Baby . Maybe it’s because I feel like I’ve been treated like one my whole life.
“I can’t wait to fuck you?—”
I shove him back, planting my palms on his shirt. “Excuse me?” I hiss.
“What? I thought that’s what we were doing.” He captures my lips again, mouth sucking my lower lip a little too eagerly.
“Get off!” I shout.
“Oh, come on, baby, you don’t mean that.” His thigh pushes my legs open, pinning me to the wall.
A flash of darkness streaks across my peripheral vision, and Jason’s mouth is wrenched free of mine, nearly taking my lip with him, then his whole body is midair. I gasp as he hits the marble floor halfway down the hall an instant later. And a familiar form is hunched over him, bashing his face into the ground.
“Raf!” I cry out. My feet are moving again, the haze of alcohol suddenly lifting. Where the hell did he come from? I sprint down the hall and slide to my knees.
Jason’s head bounces off the marble, blood spewing from his nose and mouth.
“She said no, you pezzo di merda . Don’t you know what that means?” Another crack as Raf’s fist connects with Jason’s nose.
“Stop!” I tug on my guard’s arm with both hands, barely able to encircle his massive biceps. “You’re going to kill him!”
“Good. That’ll teach the fucker to listen when a woman says no.”
He hits him again, now with his left fist.
“Raffaele, stop!” I shout again, doing my damnedest to haul him off the guy, but my best efforts achieve nothing. It’s like a mouse trying to move a mountain.
“This is your fault, principessa ,” he growls as he hits him again. “What the fuck were you thinking sneaking out of the penthouse?”
“You’re right, it’s my fault.” I kneel in front of him and cup his cheek, forcing his gaze to mine instead of the bloodied form beneath him. Those wild eyes meet mine, a tempest of rage crashing across the dark surface. “It’s my fault, not his. You want to take this out on someone, take it out on me.”
The hard line of his jaw softens, the desperate look in his eyes waning. His jaw ticks, that tendon feathering. “This is on me,” he grumbles. “Fuck!” Then he’s back on his feet, pacing the length of the corridor. “How the hell did you get past me? This happened on my watch. I’m the one responsible.”
“Nothing happened,” I whisper. “The guy got a little handsy. I could have handled it.”
Raf barks out a laugh, that unhinged look back in his eyes. “That’s what you think. You have no idea what was in that man’s head. What he wanted to do to you…” His words fall away, and he swallows hard before dragging his fingers through his hair.
“ Merda , what happened over here?” Matteo jogs down the hallway, eyes wide.
Before he reaches me, Raf lunges and pins him to the wall. “What were you thinking bringing her here? I should beat the shit out of you, too.”
“Raf, no!” I jump on his back, wrapping my arms around his neck so I’m hanging off him like a freaking monkey. “Don’t you dare hurt, Matteo. This was my idea. I forced him to help me escape.” I cling onto Raf’s back, tightening my hold around his neck until he releases my cousin.
He finally steps back, and Matteo sidesteps around my hulking guard. “ Dio , what did you do to his face?” He stares down at the floor, and I’m too scared to look.
“Get Serena, she was with his brother.” I slide down the length of Raf’s broad shoulders, and my stilettos hit the floor with a smack. “We need to get him to the hospital.”
“No,” Raf snarls. “No hospitals. We’ll call your father’s personal medic.”
“So you want Papà to find out about this?” I glance between Raf and the poor bastard on the floor.
“No,” Raf finally grits out.
“Then just drop him off at the hospital.”
“What if word gets out?”
“I didn’t tell him my last name, you idiot. I’m not stupid.” Wrapping my arms across my chest, I glare up at the insane man who’s taken over my life. “Hopefully, he’ll just think you’re some jealous boyfriend or something.”
He snorts on a laugh. “I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”
“Fuck you,” I hiss.
“You wish.”
Matteo appears with Serena a moment later, hauling James behind her. “Oh, shit.” Her eyes bulge out of her head as she takes in the bloodied man on the floor. Luckily, all the other attendees have been too busy with the raging party to notice the disaster down the hall.
James slides to the ground beside his brother, horror carved into his expression. “What the fuck happened to him?”
“He wouldn’t take no for an answer.” Raf’s voice is deceptively calm, like the surface of the Hudson just before a storm, hiding the turbulence lurking beneath. “Now, I suggest you take your piece of shit brother to the hospital and forget this night ever happened, or I’ll take my girl here to the precinct to press charges.”
James stands, his pallor a sickly lime green. “But he wouldn’t?—”
“I saw it,” Matteo interjects. “He was trying to force himself on her.”
Serena whirls on James, venom in her voice. “Take your asshole brother and get the fuck out of my house.”
“But—”
“Get out.” She shoves him back so hard he nearly trips over Jason’s unmoving form.
A lethal mix of embarrassment and a flood of warmth invade my chest. As fucked up as our family can be sometimes, I know they’ll always have my back. Even when I’m the one that screwed up. Big time.
James hauls his brother off the floor, and I can’t even watch as he practically carries his broken body through the crowd. This is all my fault. Why did I think I could have a normal night out?
“Let’s go.” Raf’s thick fingers encircle my forearm as he drags me down the hall. “This night was a fucking shitshow.”
“Yeah, because of you.” I plant my heels, which is rather difficult in four-inch stilettos. “If you’d just let me come, none of this would’ve happened.”
“You’re wrong.” His eyes flash and he jerks me closer, so his musky scent envelops me. “It would have happened all the same if I’d seen that shithead pawing at you.”
“So no one can touch me now?”
“Not if they want to keep their fucking hands, principessa .” He snarls my pet name an inch from my ear so only I can hear.
“Hey, hey.” Matteo stalks closer. “I get that you’re trying to protect her, but you can’t manhandle her either.”
Raf blows out a breath and releases me. His chest heaves, the manic rise and fall slightly disturbing. The mask of calm descends across his features, and the spasming tendon in his jaw stills. “You’re right.” He dips his head at me and motions to the door. “Please, signorina , may I escort you home?”
My gaze pivots to Matteo then Serena. At least we had a few hours of fun before everything went to hell. “Night, guys.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay with your guard?” Serena asks. “He seems a little frazzled.”
I barely suppress a cackle. Frazzled is putting it lightly. “Yeah, I can handle him.”
Raf grunts before sliding his arm around my waist and escorting me rather forcefully to the door.