4. Dante
Iignore Gabriella even as she pounds on the door for an entire hour because I can tell she’s used to attention. She’s used to getting what she wants. I want to mess with her a little bit, make her see I’m in charge. Even though I don’t intend to hurt her, I still want to put her in her place. She’s the sister of Rocco De Luca. She’s only ever been spoiled her entire life. I’m only going to choose to spoil her after we’re married.
After a long night’s sleep on the couch during which Gabriella haunted my thoughts, I get up for the day and plan. Rocco is looking for me and his sister right now. I have to make sure he doesn’t find us.
I walk outside where one of my hired men—Tom—is leaning against the cabin, keeping watch. “Tom, make sure the area is secure. Keep an eye on the end of the road.” There’s only one way to the cabin, and it needs to be defended.
“Got it,” he says before heading off.
I go back inside, and that’s when I hear it—Gabriella pounding on the door again.
“Dante! Let me out!”
“Get a good night”s sleep, princess?” I ask through the door.
“Of course not. You kidnapped me.”
“It’s a soft bed, though. You can’t disagree with that.”
She’s quiet, and I know she knows I’m right. “That’s beside the point,” she says eventually. “You still kidnapped me, and now you have me locked in this room. Let me out!”
“There really isn’t much else to see. I’ll bring you breakfast when it’s ready.”
“Dante, let me out now!”
“Fine.” I rip open the door, and she stumbles right into my arms. “Got you.”
She flushes and backs away from me. “That was a dirty trick. You opened the door before I was ready.”
“Was it? Well, it got you into my arms, so if it was a trick, it worked.”
“You’re horrible. Just let me go.”
“Now, why would I do that?” I ask, leaning against the door frame. “I like having you here. And I suspect you kind of like it yourself.”
“Why the hell would I like it?” She crosses her arms, which only makes me notice her breasts. She’s still a vision, even in her wrinkled wedding dress. “You kidnapped me.”
“As you keep saying, but I like to see it differently.”
“How can you see it differently? You kidnapped me. That’s what happened.”
“I prefer to see the situation as gaining leverage. I want to hurt your brother for how he’s hurt me. And you’re the key to doing that. I’m not your captor, Gabriella. It’s nothing personal. Now, you can join me for breakfast, but you have to promise to not run away again.”
“I promise,” she says too quickly.
“See, I don’t believe you.” I gently push her back into the room, shut the door on her shocked face, and lock it.
“Dante!” Immediately, she starts pounding on the door again.
“I can’t hear you,” I say in a sing-song voice.
“Dante!”
“You’re going to have to be louder.” I chuckle as I head into the kitchen and get to work on breakfast. Bacon and eggs. After I’ve eaten mine, I open the bedroom door to give Gabriella her food.
She stumbles back from the door as I hand her the plate. “Here.”
She looks down at the food with a frown on her face. “What is this?”
“Food. Breakfast,” I say slowly like she’s simple, which only makes her glare at me.
“I know it’s food. But do you honestly expect me to eat bacon?” She gingerly touches a piece. “I mean, seriously? It’s pure fat.”
“It’s pure goodness.”
“If you’re a man. But as a woman, I have to watch my figure. I can’t eat this. Are you trying to make me gain weight?”
“I’m trying to keep you from starving to death,” I say.
“And eggs, too? You’re trying to make me fat, I swear.”
“Eggs are good for you.”
She stares at me.
“Fine. If you don’t want the food, I’ll eat it.” I grab the plate from her and start munching on the bacon.
She shudders. “You’re disgusting.”
“What do you normally eat?”
“I always eat a bowl of oatmeal with cashew milk and blueberries on top and a side of avocado toast.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder and gives me a smug grin like she’s proud of herself.
I snort. “You’re one of those girls.”
“What girls?”
“You know, delusional. Eat real food.”
“I do eat real food, you asshole. It’s just not covered in fat and grease.”
“It’s boring food, then.”
She rolls her eyes. “Are we done having this conversation?”
“Are you going to eat? Because I need you to eat.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t hurt your brothers if you’re dead. No leverage that way. So, eat.” I shove the plate back into her hands. Grumbling under her breath, she takes a small bite of the eggs before spitting them back out.
“Nope, can’t do it.” She hands me the plate back. “I’ll be in here, starving to death until you get me better food. The way I see it, you need me alive. So you’ll cater to my demands. Give me food I want to eat.”
I lean close to her, but she doesn’t back away, which I find impressive. Though she’s trying to hold her own, I can see the worry in her eyes. “I’m in charge here, Gabriella. You’ll either eat what I make or starve. It’s going to take you a full month before you die from starvation, which gives me plenty of time to torture Rocco. So, don’t eat. It doesn’t matter to me.” I turn away from her.
“Wait,” she says. I smile and face her again.
“Yes?”
She sighs and holds out her hand. “Fine. Give me the food. I’ll force it down. And then I’ll throw it all up right onto your face. How does that sound?”
“Maybe I have a vomit fetish.”
“No one has a vomit fetish.”
“Gabriella, you can try to gain power, but it won’t work. Now eat your damn food.” I give her the plate back.
Slowly, she begins to eat, looking like she’s fighting an internal battle the entire time. I stand there, watching her, and she glares at me as she eats. Finally, after twenty minutes, she’s done.
“There. Take it.” She shoves the plate into my hands.
“I can’t believe it took you so long to eat.”
“Because it was disgusting. I should be on my honeymoon, enjoying a mimosa, not being forced to eat pig fat.”
“You are spoiled.”
“Oh, did you only just realize that now?” She scrunches up her nose. “How cute. I am spoiled, Dante. It is what it is. Next time you feed me, feed me real food.”
“I have something in mind you can eat.”
It takes her a second before she gags. “God, you’re gross. Like I’d ever do that to you.”
“Well, you’ve never done that to a man before. How do you know you don’t like it?”
She props her hand on her hip. “Who says I’ve never done that to a man before?”
“Trust me, Gabriella, I know. Rocco never let you date anyone. You’re as pure as snow.” I slide my finger down her cheek, and she smacks my hand away. “Don’t say you don’t like something until you’ve tried it.”
“And don’t assume I’ll like it just because I’ve never tried it.”
“Touché. Now, enough with this. I need to take a video.” I walk over to the table and pick up a camera.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to take a video of you and send it to your brothers. They need to know I have you, and I’ll only give you up if they meet my demands.”
“And what, pray tell, are your demands?’” she asks dubiously.
“To stop hunting me down. Let me live my life in peace. Now, smile.” I lift the camera and take a picture of her. Instead of smiling, she gives me the finger. “Now, that’s the spirit. But I think we really need to sell that you’re in danger. Get naked.”
She balks. “No way.”
“I can make you.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Why not?’
“Because,” she says, “you won’t like the outcome.”
I lower the camera. “Gabriella, I’m in charge here.”
“I don’t think you are.”
“No?”
She shakes her head. “No. I think you know I’m in charge. That I have all the power. You can’t hurt me because you need me to hurt my brothers. There’s only so much you can do to me. If I die, you have no leverage. You told me so yourself, which was stupid by the way. So, there’s nothing you can do to me.”
I don’t have a reply because … she’s right. Gabriella has more power than I want her to have. I could hurt her to get her in line, but I don’t want to do that. I want to hurt Rocco, not her.
“One picture will do,” I say before shutting the door and locking her inside. At least if she’s in there, she can’t get the better of me again.
I hurry away before I do or say anything I’ll regret.