Chapter 10 Chiara
Chiara
The last few days have been good. Better than good. Luka’s stuck around, and despite my natural distrust of anyone with the Di Rossi surname, I can’t help but like him. It doesn’t hurt that he looks like a fallen angel with his bronzed skin, pretty muscles, and constant flirty smile.
The man could charm a fucking nun into bed.
Surprisingly, he’s not made a move on me. Yes, he’s flirted and checked me out more than a few times, but not once has he laid a hand on me unless I’ve asked.
Given my current status, I appreciate that. I’m locked in this mansion like a modern-day Rapunzel because the man who owns me doesn’t understand the meaning of the word consent. The fact that his brother isn’t treating me like a prize broodmare has helped me relax.
“Rub some sunscreen on my shoulders, please?” It’s fucking hot out here, and although I have a tan, I still need to be careful. My mama’s genes mean I’ll burn if I’m lax about applying protection.
My blue bikini is one of several Luka brought for me when I complained I had nothing to swim in.
I need underwear too, but I draw the line at asking him to go lingerie shopping on my behalf.
The bastard would probably enjoy it way too much.
I also refuse to ask my husband for underwear.
He can go choke on a dick for all I care.
Flirting with Luka is fun, but I’m wary of falling for his seductive charms. He’s the kind of guy I’d catch feelings for, and feelings are dangerous when I’m technically a married woman.
“Sure, cutie.” Luka picks up the bottle and squeezes some lotion into his hand. “My brother and Kane are here,” he murmurs.
“Oh?” When I look up, I see them standing in the shadows by the sliding door. Fucking creepers.
Angelo has been blessedly absent all week, and I’ve not seen his asshole enforcer since he kidnapped me. I hope he ended up needing a nose job. Seeing him with a flattened boxer’s nose would make my day.
“Shall we put on a show for them, cutie?” The laughter in Luka’s voice makes me smile.
“You think that’s a good idea?” A small chuckle escapes. Angelo won’t hurt me, at least I hope not, but he might kill his brother.
“Anything that pisses off my brother is a good idea.”
Luka grins at me as I twist around to look at him, but there’s a darkness in his eyes.
It doesn’t take a therapist to see that Luka has a chip on his shoulder, despite being accepted into the family once they found out about his existence. I can still recall my stepmother’s shock as she gossiped about it with her friends.
“Okay, but I’m relying on you to rescue me if my husband throws me in his dungeon as punishment.”
Luka’s fingers brush over my shoulders, kneading my flesh. Heat slithers through my veins as my pulse kicks up a notch. I can’t blame my reaction entirely on the blistering sun.
Like any red-blooded female would be, I’m painfully attracted to Luka. Not getting laid in forever sure isn’t helping my self-control.
He rubs cream into my skin oh so diligently, both of us aware Angelo is still watching, and then I hear the door slam into the frame and the sound of leather-soled designer shoes stomping across the cream Italian stone patio.
“Get your fucking hands off my wife!” Angelo snarls, shoving Luka away from me. Sun cream spills everywhere.
Luka laughs as he falls back onto his recliner, not remotely bothered by his unhinged brother’s display of needless aggression.
“What fucking planet are you on?” I jump to my feet, annoyed at his stupid display of alpha-male bullshit. “Luka’s looking after me, making sure I don’t burn. You should be fucking thanking him, not acting like a hormonal baboon!”
“Baboon.” The asshole behind Angelo chokes on a laugh before schooling his features.
I shove past Angelo, ignoring his outraged huff at being called a baboon. Honestly, it’s the truth. His angry face strongly resembles a baboon’s ass at this point.
It’s a hill I will die on.
“And as for you,” I hiss, noting the small bump on Kane’s nose. “I have beef with you!”
“Oh?” A pair of amused silver-gray eyes bore into mine. For a moment, the world stops spinning. Hot damn. The man is sexy as hell. What are they feeding the guys around here?
I bite my lip, entranced, before mentally slapping myself around the face. I can’t afford to get any more distracted. Luka is more than enough of a distraction while I wait for Angelo to realize a divorce would be less painful for all of us.
“You fucking drugged and kidnapped me, you asshole!” The painful memory of him sticking me with a needle has not faded in the slightest.
He rolls his eyes. “Just doing my job, kitten.”
I smile.
Doing his job, eh?
Before he can read my intention, I knee him in the nuts. The bastard’s eyes flare wide in shock as he curls in on himself with a heartfelt groan. Then, to add insult to injury, I push him backward. He tumbles into the pool with an almighty splash while I laugh like a hyena.
Happy days.
Angelo grabs my arm and hauls me inside as Luka tries—and fails—to contain his amusement. I half expect Angelo’s enforcer to come after me, but he doesn’t. He’ll probably wait until he catches me alone before he tries anything.
I’ll be waiting.
Vivian might have pretended I was some demure little princess when she sold me off to the Di Rossi family, but I’m far from that. I can and will fight back with everything I have at my disposal.
A fork.
A sharp knife from the kitchen.
Even a metal nail file I found in a drawer full of makeup.
All three can do a lot of damage to a man.
Especially when rammed into his balls.
“Can you please try to control your aggressive tendencies?” My husband shoves me down into a scuffed leather chair in his office and stalks over to the drinks cabinet. A vein throbs in his temple as he pours himself a generous measure of whiskey.
Single malt Scottish whiskey. Some luxe brand called Rothmore. Not tried it, but I fully intend to if he leaves his office door unlocked.
“Am I not allowed a big girl’s drink?”
“Stop acting like a five-year-old, and I might consider it,” he snaps in return.
I examine my nails. They’re ragged as hell, and the manicure I treated myself to a while back has mostly chipped off. Not much chance of a fresh mani-pedi while I’m under house arrest, I suppose.
“Your attack dog deserved it.”
Angelo slams his glass down, spilling precious liquor everywhere. “He wouldn’t have needed to fucking drug you if you hadn’t run away!” That thick vein throbs harder in his temple. If it pops, it’s lights out for my husband. Will I inherit his billions if he drops dead?
Probably not.
I wasn’t privy to the negotiations prior to our marriage, but I suspect I’ll get nothing, even if I produce the heir he claims he’s so desperate for.
Not that I’d take a cent of his blood money.
I roll my eyes at his angry rant and continue to inspect my ragged cuticles.
“Are we done with this dressing down?” Steam billows out from the top of Angelo’s head. “I need to go work on my tan.”
He moves faster than I expect, and in a millisecond, he has me leaning back in my chair with his fist collared around my throat.
Angelo is physically intimidating, but I refuse to back down. He has me trapped, but even the smallest of prey can fight back against a predator. It’s all about choosing your moment.
Unfortunately for me, this is not my moment.
“Behave, Chiara, or there will be consequences.” It’s less of a thinly veiled threat and more of a promise.
“You’re going to have to spell out what I can and can’t do,” I rasp when he finally loosens his grip on my throat. My neck throbs, along with my pussy. Angry Angelo is my kind of guy. Assholes seem to be my type, which is a concern.
He stares down at me. My bikini is still damp, and to my shame, my nipples are hard as bullets. I wonder if he can see them. Dear lord, I hope not. The last thing I want is for him to think he has some kind of power over me.
Or any more than he already has, at least.
“Stop antagonizing my staff and show some decorum when you’re with my brother.”
“Staff? They don’t speak to me, so I’m not sure how I’ve offended them. Unless the fact that I’m still breathing is an issue.”
“Kane works for me, which makes him my employee,” he hisses. “If you piss him off again, I will not stop him from punishing you.”
Kill me now because the thought of Kane’s punishment just turned me into a fucking puddle.