Chapter 13
Nora
The nightmare was happening all over again, but it was so much worse this time.
It’d been awful enough when Luca had kidnapped me and forced me into marriage.
This time, a madman held my hands in his as the officiant droned his way through the wedding ceremony.
We stood in a cavernous dining room, a space large enough to host several dozen guests, but not as large as the ballroom where I’d married Luca.
Despite the vastness of the room—empty save for a handful of witnesses, the officiant, Dante, and me—the ivory walls seemed to press in on me, the gilding on the intricate crown molding glittering at the edges of my wavering vision.
I blinked away the sheen of tears and slipped further behind my composed mask, trying to hide from Dante.
His vibrant green eyes were keen on mine, attempting to slice straight to my soul.
Despite his beauty, there was something innately disturbing about the terrifying capo with a fearsome reputation.
He watched me with a stomach-churning mixture of amusement and hunger, his sharp features alight with triumph.
I was nothing more than an object to him, both a pretty trophy and vulnerable bait. This sham wedding signified his victory over Luca, and I was meant to be the key to my husband’s undoing.
I had no doubt in my mind that Luca would come for me. Not because I’d deluded myself that he had deep feelings for me, but because his pride and authority wouldn’t survive the shame of another man stealing his wife.
I can make you happy. Let me. The memory of his strange command made my eyes burn. Because even if there was no love between us, I’d softened toward my domineering husband. I’d started to dare to imagine a future of comfort and safety with him.
Now, Luca’s life was on the line because of my father’s treachery. Dante didn’t seem at all concerned at the prospect of my husband coming to take me back from him. He was ready for an assault, and he intended to make Luca suffer before he killed him.
This insane ceremony was meant to seal Luca’s fate: Dante thought he could marry me because my real husband would be dead soon.
“Do you, Elenora Ricci Vitale, take Dante Torrio to be your husband? Do you promise to obey him, honor him, and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, and in sickness and health, and be faithful to him so long as you both shall live?”
The vows issued by the officiant were nearly identical to the ones I’d made on the day I’d married Luca.
Honor and obey, in particular, stuck in my mind.
These sick men expected me to be a dutiful wife, an accessory to their lives without a will of my own.
Even Luca had demanded my unquestioning obedience, humiliating me with dark pleasure when I didn’t immediately comply.
I swallowed the bile that rose at the back of my throat, shoving the poisonous thoughts about Luca away. He was my only hope of salvation, and guilt nipped at me for even thinking of him in the same way as sadistic Dante.
“It’s your turn, darling,” Dante crooned. “Say I do.”
My lips were numb, but somehow they formed the words: “I do.”
I had to say the lie. I didn’t have a choice. Dante would hurt me if I didn’t comply.
I am a sadist. You’d do well to remember that.
I kept my face serene, not allowing my features to so much as twitch with the disgust and dread that boiled inside me. I stared at a spot directly between Dante’s dark brows, allowing his fierce grin and dancing eyes to blur into the periphery.
When it came time to exchange rings, he grasped my hand tighter and slid Luca’s wedding and engagement rings off. Smirking, he dropped them to the floor like garbage. The soft, musical sound of precious metal pinging on wood lanced my heart like a blade.
I tried to yank my hand away from his rings, but he held me fast. He’d chosen a diamond eternity band and an enormous cushion cut emerald surrounded by diamonds for an engagement ring. The gemstones glittered, so bright that my eyes stung.
I took a deep breath and tore my gaze away from the rings that might as well have been shackles.
It doesn’t mean anything, I told myself. We’re not really married.
Luca was still my husband, not this monster who was looking at me like I was a decadent treat he couldn’t wait to devour.
The officiant declared us married, completing the farce of a ceremony. “You may kiss the bride.”
I tensed, my beatific smile slipping. I tried to pull my composed mask back in place, but fear shuddered through me in a shockwave, cracking it.
Dante cocked his head at me, his gaze bright with amusement as he watched me crumble ever so slightly. He studied me as though I was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen, his full, intense attention fixed on every nuance of my expression.
I straightened my spine, defiance sparking through my terror.
His dark amusement chafed at my pride, provoking me to betray a glimmer of the fire that raged deep in my chest. I was furious at him for doing this to me, and I was angry at my own powerlessness to physically resist cruel men like Dante.
All I could do was endure, but I was sick of meekly surrendering my body to heartless monsters who only wanted to use me for their own nefarious ends.
Dante’s eyes searched mine, and a delighted smile illuminated his angelic features, making him almost painfully beautiful. The effect was both stunning and terrifying.
“No,” he said slowly. “I don’t think my bride is ready for a kiss. Not yet.”
I lifted my chin. “I will never be ready to kiss you. Luca will kill you slowly if you touch me.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Already so loyal to strong, handsome Luca?” he mocked. “Even after he raped you on your wedding night?”
“He didn’t rape me,” I seethed. It hadn’t been like that.
Had it?
I shoved away the treacherous thought before it could fully form. Luca had always ensured that I felt pleasure. He’d never hurt me.
“Let’s see just how badly you want to get back to your beloved.” Again, that lilting, mocking tone.
I bristled. Luca wasn’t my beloved, and Dante knew it. He was enjoying twisting my words, trying to goad me into snapping completely.
Before I could swallow my indignation and claw back the composure that would protect me from his cruelty, his hands bracketed my waist. The world spun, and my abdomen collided with his shoulder.
Instinctively, I struggled, beating my fists against his lower back as he carried me off, just like Luca had done when he’d stolen me away from Dante on our wedding day.
He palmed my bottom through the layers of organza that made up the skirt of my white gown, brazenly groping me. I thrashed and cursed him, and the bastard laughed.
Chilly air kissed the bare skin on my arms, and everything swirled around me as Dante put me back on my feet. He grabbed my hips and turned me away from him before wrapping a corded arm around my waist, tugging my back against his hard chest.
His big body practically enfolded mine, and I shuddered at his raw power. He wasn’t quite as broad as Luca, but he had a couple inches of height on my husband. His muscular frame was more than strong enough to completely overpower me.
A cold breeze raced over my arms, teasing through his body heat that surrounded me.
We were outside a huge mansion built of stone that made it appear more like a castle.
A circular drive surrounded a massive fountain, and the sound of splashing water was incongruously tranquil in comparison to the abject terror that fluttered in my chest. A forest stretched out before us, the only gap in the trees allowing for the winding driveway.
It disappeared into the shadows, the twilight making the leaf-strewn grounds darker than the illuminated front porch, where Dante held me fast.
“You want to get back to Luca?” Dante murmured, his voice a heated caress on my neck. He released my waist, and cold washed over me. “Run.”
All my muscles locked up tight. I knew he was toying with me.
It would be impossible for me to run away in this voluminous dress and high heels.
If I tried to take the path, he would be able to follow easily.
But if I took to the trees, I was likely to get lost in the wilderness.
I had no idea how large this estate was or how it was fortified.
Even if I managed to reach the edges of his property, it was likely heavily guarded, especially considering the fact that he was bracing for Luca to attack.
“Don’t you want to fly away, little bird?” Dante cooed. “Here’s your chance.”
I rounded on him, tipping my chin back so that I could meet his sparkling eyes. “Stop toying with me.”
He grinned and traced the line of my clenched jaw. “I haven’t even begun toying with you, pet. But if you’re ready to beg me to fuck you, I’ll take you back inside.” He clicked his tongue at me. “I didn’t think you’d give in so quickly. You must like me more than I thought.”
I recoiled from his familiar caress. “I hate you,” I spat. “Don’t touch me.”
“You don’t want me to touch you? Then you’d better run fast, darling. Feel free to take off the dress and heels if that makes it easier for you. I’ll even give you a five-minute head start.”
I stood stiffly, forcing my back to remain rigidly straight when instinct warned me to drop my eyes.
Suddenly, his hand wrapped around my throat, squeezing.
I tried jerk away, but his other arm banded across my lower back, trapping me against his hard body.
His eyes flared with sick pleasure when I gasped for air and found none.
My lungs seized, and I thrashed against him.
He kept my arms pinned at my sides, tucking me closer to him like a lover.
My heart hammered in my constricted throat, all my instincts for flight igniting as I twisted in his firm grasp.