6. Luna
SIX
LUNA
Somehow Gianna and Cecilia had managed to find a party that filled every single one of Luna’s requirements. The most important being no sign of Valerio anywhere. That was hard to do considering he was everywhere, but according to Gianna, he had too high of standards to go anywhere near a dingy, gross frat.
Still, Luna couldn’t stop herself from cringing at every sweaty body that passed by her. She couldn’t tell if it was because they were actually gross or if she was grossed out at herself for being willing to kiss anyone here. There were red Solo cups everywhere, the floor was sticky, and people were already drunk out of their minds.
“Was there seriously no other party we could have gone to?” Luna asked Cecilia.
She attempted to hold down the bottom of the dress that kept rising dangerously whenever she walked. It was shorter than she would have preferred, but as the girls pointed out, there was a mission tonight. Luna couldn’t show up in just anything, so instead she showed up in a strappy, sparkly lavender dress. The sweetheart neckline showed off her cleavage, and the dress managed to make her legs look longer than they were.
“You specifically said no party with any affiliation to the Vitalis,” Cecilia said. “I did the best I could without asking the devil.”
“Augustus will probably end up showing up anyway,” Luna pointed out.
Cecilia turned around with a glare. “Then you better hold me back so I don’t end up locked up.”
Gianna led them to the kitchen where the alcohol lined up the counters. She made them their drinks, opening a new bottle and not trusting anyone else to touch it for them.
Luna took a sip of the drink, nearly spitting it out. “Geez, did you pour the whole bottle in here?”
“Enough for liquid courage.” Gianna winked, drinking from her own cup. She tapped Luna’s cup for encouragement. “Come on, you have to be a menace tonight.”
“How am I even supposed to do this? I just go up to them and ask? And then what?” Luna asked. “I don’t know how to kiss.”
“Oh shit, I forgot you haven’t been with anyone.”
Luna rolled her eyes. Her lack of experience had never made her feel as terrible as she did at that moment.
“Making out is easy,” Cecilia told her. She wrapped an arm around Luna. “Especially when they’re drunk. Watch out for the tongue though.”
Luna could only imagine what that meant.
“This is the worst crowd I’ve seen. At least try to pick someone with a little bit of class. Preferably someone who doesn’t have throw-up on their clothes.” Blair grimaced, moving out of the way when someone covered in it walked past them.
“You don’t come to parties to meet the love of your life. You come to find the hottest guy here and make him bow down to you,” Gianna said. She placed a hand on Luna’s shoulder. “I’ll help you find someone.”
“How are we so sure anyone will even approach me?” Luna asked nervously. “If they know who I am, then they know my baggage. And how will Valerio even know I kissed someone?”
“God, you ask so many questions. Everything will be fine. In case he doesn’t find out, which I’m sure he’ll hear from someone anyway, I’ll take a picture,” Gianna told her.
“And you’ll what? Send it to him?” Blair asked, dumbfounded.
“You can send it to Finn. He’ll probably send that shit out so quick,” Cecilia suggested.
“You’re involving my brother in this now too?” Luna asked, her brows furrowed in concern. Now, she was starting to feel queasy.
There was no way the plan was going to end up working in their favor.
“I’m not going to send it to him, just don’t worry about anything. Focus on making out and having a good time with someone tonight,” Gianna assured her. “We can handle everything else. Remember, it’s this or marriage.”
“Are you sure Valerio and Allister won’t kill you for being a part of this?” Luna asked.
“He has his loyalties, I have mine. Now drink up. It’ll make everyone hot.”
Luna took a deep breath, praying everything worked out. Then she took her cup and downed as much of it as she could. Her gag was unattractive, but she managed to get the liquid down.
Everything that happened after that moment was a blur to Luna. She was thoroughly drunk after two cups of whatever Gianna poured and lost herself on the dance floor. Her little mission was completely abandoned at that point while she danced with Cecilia. She only remembered it again when unfamiliar hands wrapped around her body, pulling her into a mildly firm chest.
Luna grinned, turning around to see who it was. Her smile faltered slightly when she realized it was a stranger. He was cute—light brown hair and brown eyes. A couple inches taller than Luna, his body lean. He would have been fine for any girl there, but for some reason, she felt nothing. Not a single butterfly in her stomach, not a single wink of attraction, nothing. She couldn’t understand her disappointment or why she felt the need to compare this boy’s light, subtle features to a certain devil that looked the complete opposite.
She also didn’t recognize him at all. “Do you go here?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
He shook his head. “No, I’m just here for initiation weekend.”
She nodded. Good enough. That probably meant he didn’t know who she was either or what baggage she carried with her.
Luna continued dancing with him, desperately trying to have fun with his hands on her body. It didn’t feel right and she finally figured out why.
He was boring. He was normal. He wasn’t?—
She stopped herself. No way. She was drunk out of her mind and her brain was trailing into dangerous territory, all of which was false and dumb.
The boy didn’t need to have any substance or be any better or worse than the devil; he just needed to kiss her. The thought almost made her feel guilty. She felt worse about betraying her psychopathic fiancé than she did using this boy.
But what did it matter? She saved herself for marriage while Valerio probably slutted it up with any and every girl in Italy. How the hell was that fair?
Maybe because she wanted Valerio to be here kissing her?
Her eyes widened. God, she needed to get him out of her head.
“What’s wrong?” the cute boy asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Do you want another drink?”
“No, let’s just keep dancing.”
Maybe then she could muster up the courage to push her lips onto his. It was just a kiss. Just mouth on mouth. Nothing more.
Sure, it was her first kiss and she would remember that moment for the rest of her life, but the alternative was to have her first kiss with Valerio at their wedding.
With that thought, she found herself leaning in, spotting Gianna from the corner of her eye. The blonde was shaking her head frantically. She was there to take the picture. One kiss and it would all be done.
Two shots rang out through the room, the boy in front of her screaming out in pain. Luna moved away from him as he fell to the floor, blood pooling on the ground from the back of his knees.
Luna raised her head in shock, locking her eyes on Valerio who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Goosebumps rose on her skin, an icy feeling enveloping her completely.
Valerio stalked up to her. He stepped over the boy on the floor, stopping until his chest touched Luna’s. He towered over her, his power menacing.
She hated the murderous and lethal look on his face. Finally, she understood all the rumors about his violent nature. Gone was the bantering Valerio. He was hunting, looking for his perfect prey.
“Let’s go,” he said. His voice was eerily calm, but it did nothing to soothe the terror she felt.
“No,” she protested. Not a single thing in the world could get her to leave with him.
She looked behind him, trying to see if the boy was still there, but he had been dragged off somewhere.
His lips turned up in a sneer. “Who are you looking for? Care to have me finish him off?”
Luna shook her head, her mind dizzy. “No. He disappeared so quickly.”
“Let’s go now. You don’t get a fucking choice,” he told her. His face was a mere couple of inches away. Her eyes betrayed her, trailing down his nose and leading her straight to his plump pink lips. They looked a lot better than the other boys’.
Her eyes narrowed. “You love that, huh. Taking all of my choices from me.”
“And if I do, what then?” he asked viciously. “It doesn’t change the fact you’re my fiancée . So when I say let’s fucking go, you better start walking.”
“No,” she said, standing her ground again. She crossed her arms, swaying slightly.
That was the wrong answer because in the next moment she was thrown over his shoulder, seeing the world upside down. She gasped, worrying about her dress riding up. He grabbed it and held it down. She resented the wetness that leaked from her pussy from his hand being that close to her.
He carried her out of the party, stopping in front of his obnoxiously nice car. He finally set her down, but trapped her between the open passenger side door and the inside of the car, leaving no other place to go. She stood with her arms crossed.
He rolled his eyes. “Get in the fucking car.”
“I’m not obligated to go anywhere with you. It’s not in the contract,” Luna said. Sure, she was being a brat, but he deserved it. For as long as they both lived, she was going to make sure she never made anything easy on him.
“Don’t give me a list of things to add to it,” he hissed. “Now, get in the car before I take you back in the party and fuck you in front of everyone to make sure no one ever fucking touches you again.”
She frowned, finally sliding into the car in an attempt to ignore his barbaric language. She didn’t doubt he would attempt to actually do it, and she didn’t doubt she might like it. The leather was cool on her skin, a relief to her heated skin.
Valerio walked to the other side of the car, getting into the driver's seat and slamming the door shut behind him. Without so much as a warning, he started the car and drove away from the party.
Luna crossed her arms, ignoring his presence completely. All she could do was brace herself for her impending doom.
They had to have been driving for fifteen minutes when she realized the lights from the city were gone, leaving them in complete darkness except for the headlights.
“Where are we going?” she finally asked. Her voice was panicked. All she could think about were worst-case scenarios for why Valerio would be taking her into the woods and none of them ended with her leaving alive.
She was completely sober now.
He didn’t answer her. Instead, he tightened his hands around the wheel, turning his knuckles white. Luna wanted to blurt out some sarcastic reply, but she thought it might be best to keep quiet for the moment.
If she was smart, she might have started to beg for forgiveness the way she had been taught to. Beg him to forget about what happened, for him to consider her perfect reputation and still want to marry her. But she didn’t and she wasn’t going to.
Eventually, he pulled in front of a small cabin. It took too many turns to get there and was too far from any main road. If she made a run for it, she would get lost in the woods. At this point, that might have been her best chance at survival.
Valerio turned off the car, submerging them into darkness. “Get out,” he said, opening his door and stepping out. He walked around the front of the car to get to the passenger side. She made no effort to move. She wasn’t planning on leaving the comfort of the car.
He opened her door, waiting for her to get out.
“Either you do it yourself or I’ll carry you out again,” Valerio said, his patience clearly wearing thin.
“Are you going to kill me?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“Don’t tempt me.”
Luna took a deep breath, undoing the seat belt and getting out of the car. The cool air bit at her skin. Valerio closed the car door, and together they walked to the front door. He pulled out a key to unlock it before throwing it open.
She looked at him, trying to plead some reason to him, but his emotionless face remained. With cautious steps she entered the cabin, greeted with the scent of fresh wood surrounding her. Luna couldn’t see anything around them, except what little light from the moon slipped in from the window, showing there was a small couch.
His heavy footsteps walked past her, arranging something she couldn’t see. A match swiped against the striking surface of the box before the small flame was thrown into a fireplace that lit the living room up. Only in the warm light could Luna make out a small kitchen behind the couch that only had a small stove, oven, fridge, and a tiny counter. The fireplace was made from red bricks, stretching the entire way up the wall while the rest of the walls were covered with wood panels.
There was a small hallway that ran between the kitchen and two doors that were closed. The space was small and modest compared to what she normally associated with Valerio.
“What is this?” Luna asked.
“A cabin,” he answered, standing. He turned to look at her now.
She bit back the urge to roll her eyes. “It’s fitting that someone like you would have a cabin in the woods. Is this where you’re going to kill me?”
“I don’t kill people here,” he said. “I do that at the warehouse.”
She gave him a disgusted look. “That’s not funny.”
“Who said I was joking?”
A sharp chill ran down her back, the unease in her gut intensifying. “I want to go home.”
“Do you? It seems like leaving you by yourself is only causing problems.”
“I told you I don’t want to be a part of this contract.” She took a step back, trying to cover the fact a part of her feared him. He noticed it; of course he did. He moved forward a step.
“And I told you that I don’t care.”
Her same frustration returned. “You don’t even know me.”
“Oh, I know you,” he said, taking another step forward.
“No, you don’t. You were gone for seven years.”
“Did you miss me?”
Luna caught her mistake. “I didn’t say that.”
“Are you upset that I was gone for those seven years? I did it for you, you know. To give you a chance to come to terms with this.”
She threw her hands up. “Is that how you think this works? That I would just wake up one day ready to give up my life? That I would call you home, ready for marriage? Is that why you came back now? Huh? Got too impatient waiting for me to come to terms with something I never wanted?”
The words left her mouth like venom. She couldn’t stop herself from trying to push him back, but his hand caught her arm, interweaving his hand with hers.
“I missed you,” he said. “You know I did. That’s why I’m here.”
“You’ll live,” she told him. “But I won’t if you force me into this marriage.”
“I’m not the only one who wants this contract,” he told her. “You’re forgetting about my father and yours.”
She sighed. “You can talk to them. Do something. If you cared about me, you would.”
“No.”
Luna’s face hardened. She snatched her hand away from him. “Then I don’t know how much more clearly I can tell you that I will never love you.”
Pain ripped through his face. He covered it up in the blink of an eye. “Never say never.”
She shook her head. “I can promise you I will never fall in love with you. No amount of contracts or rules you force against me will ever work. It would all be for the contract. All fake for the rest of your life.”
“Do you remember what was happening that night all those years ago?” Valerio hissed. “I did this to save you. You asked me to do this for you.”
“What are you talking about?” Luna asked, confused
“Think back to the night of the gala,” Valerio told her.
She forced her mind to return to that night, the one where she realized her life was over. It was a night she desperately tried to forget, but it was forever etched into her memory. A defining moment in her life that made her realize that there wasn’t a single decent man to be found out in the world. “I didn’t ask you to marry me. I told you I didn’t want to be married at all. I wanted out of any contract my father was going to put me in.”
She was sixteen, vulnerable, drunk, and beyond miserable. He used her moment of weakness to swoop in like a falcon.
“Do you know who your father was thinking of marrying you off to? Some fucking freak of a business partner older than himself,” he pointed out. “You would have been walking down the aisle at eighteen, probably on your second or third child at this point.”
Luna swallowed harshly. “My father wouldn’t do that to me.”
“You know he would because he almost did.”
She knew he was right. She wanted to believe her father was above doing something like that to her, but she wasn’t actually naive enough to think that was the reality.
“Is that what you want? A thank you?”
“I don’t want anything from you but a chance.”
“That boat sailed a long time ago.”
“Did it?” His permanent smirk came back. “There used to be rumors, you know. About your little crush on me. I remember catching your longing gazes at events and in passing.”
Her cheeks heated. She hated the dark look in his eyes, and hated the tingling in her stomach even more. Here she thought she had been completely lowkey about everything the whole time, only to have given him ammunition. “They call it a schoolgirl crush for a reason. I grew up and found out who you really were.”
“I think you’re lying.”
“I don’t care,” she bit back.
Valerio shook his head. “I watched you too, you know; it was when you turned away, a blush on your cheeks, that I took my time to study you. For years I observed and memorized the way your eyes narrow when you’re mad, or how when you’re surprised your mouth drops open, or how when you’re nervous you chew on the inside of your lip. You’ve been mine since the moment I laid my eyes on you, but I can play along. If you need to pretend you don’t care about me anymore so you can prove a point, then go ahead. But I won’t pretend. You’re mine, Luna. With this engagement intact or not.”
Luna’s lip wavered. She sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart. “There’s still one way to get rid of it.”
His lips turned up into a wicked smile. He leaned in closer, forcing their faces within inches of each other. The warmth of his hand covered hers until it was replaced with something cold and made of metal. Luna’s eyes widened; he’d placed a gun in her hand.
What the hell was wrong with him?
“I know you read the contract. You want to kill me? Do it. I’ll offer you the bullet, the gun. Hell, I’ll stand completely still, right in front of you so you don’t miss. Kill me if you can,” he told her, his rough voice kissing every inch of her exposed skin.
If she could just lift the gun in her hand and aim it at him, she could end this and be free.
But she couldn’t.
Of course she couldn’t. She didn’t believe in harming others just to get what she wanted.
He knew it. She knew it.
She pushed the gun back into his hand. “Fuck you,” she hissed, turning around and walking out the front door. She marched over to the car, slamming the car door closed once she was in.
Her skin burned, making her squirm in her seat. She hated how he got under her skin, how she fell for it. Suddenly, he knew her better than she even knew herself. How the hell did that happen?
And why did she like it?