Chapter 4
Chapter Four
“No fucking way.” I yank my arm from Xavier’s hold and step out of reach. “She isn’t living here.” I stab my finger in Stacey’s direction.
I look around for some kind of support, but I’m surrounded by enemies. I’ve never felt as alone as I do now, faced with the prospect of seeing the person who destroyed me every day.
I feel heat at my back and a brush of breath against my ear. “Easy now, Tori. Trust me,” Xavier whispers, and I almost lean back into him, desperately wanting some kind of support, but then I flinch away, remembering exactly why I can’t trust him.
“Well, you really have no say anymore, do you?” That bitches voice makes me feel like scratching her eyes out. “Our future husbands are in charge now.”
“Well, as one of those future husbands, I can tell you to find your own fucking room and stay out of mine,” Tristan growls at her, and her smug satisfaction turns to annoyance as she narrows her eyes at him and sneers.
“You are promised to me. I didn’t put up with that bitch for years not to get something out of this, and when you are married to me, I will be the only one you are sticking your dick in.
” She turns her glare on Xavier. “Stay away from my future husband. This perversion between the two of you stops now.” She shudders.
“It was bad enough that I had to allow her to do those disgusting things to me. Only the drugs stopped me from throwing up, but I won’t allow the two of you to continue your repulsive affair.
You will not make me look bad in this family. ”
“A lot can happen between now and the wedding,” Tristan threatens, and Stacey smiles like the cat that got the cream.
“Not all that much since it’s next week.”
“What?” Tristan sounds shocked. “Mario said we had to establish our hold on the Russos before we worried about any of that.”
“Pfft. Uncle Mario and I have been planning this for a long time. All the information will be on your phones by the end of the day, and Tristan, don’t fucking make me ask Mario to punish anyone if you fail to comply.”
With those final words, she saunters toward the staircase.
“I’ll just familiarize myself with the place.
Don’t worry, I’ll make myself at home. Just let me know which room is ours.
” She sweeps past me with a wave of perfume that makes me want to gag.
It’s so overpowering and reminds me of that horrid day.
She doesn’t wait to see how we respond before she disappears.
“Fuck,” Tristan mutters, running his hand through his hair. “You better know what you’re doing,” he hisses at Xavier, who waves a hand after Stacey.
“Go keep an eye on her.”
“But you need a witness,” Tristan says, dragging his gaze away from Xavier and looking at me. He stares at me intently but without any of the hatred he showed in front of Mario.
“Colton and Vienna can come. You need to make sure she doesn’t cause any trouble. I wouldn’t put it past her to search Tori’s and Sage’s rooms.”
“You keep your bitch away from my and Sage’s rooms,” I snarl at Tristan, “or I will find a way to make sure neither of you make it to the altar.”
“I wish you would,” he mutters defeatedly and trudges after Stacey without a backward glance.
“Come,” Xavier commands and walks away from me.
I don’t move from my spot. “What am I? A dog?” I ask as he turns to look when I don’t automatically follow.
He heaves out a sigh and comes back, grabbing my arm and towing me after him. “Tori, please just do as I say,” he mutters, and before I can argue, he continues. “Don’t make this worse for any of us. Mario will make Tristan torture your father and aunt. Don’t do that to any of them.”
I stumble after him before righting myself and getting control of my fury. He’s right, I really don’t want to be responsible for them being tortured.
“Where are we going?” I ask as we walk out of the house and find Mario, Vienna, and Colton watching as a moving van pulls up in front of the mansion.
“Ah, wedding time.” Mario rubs his hands together and waves at a car parked off to the side.
“Take that one. We will have a nice family meal to celebrate when you get back, and in a couple of weeks, we will have a big party to launch this new relationship. I promised Stacey a big wedding, and I wouldn’t want to overshadow her big day next week. ”
Vienna’s eyes widen, and her mouth purses at that statement, so I guess Tristan’s upcoming nuptials really are news to all of them.
“They are getting married? Already?” she asks Mario, and he sneers at her.
“Of course they are. I promised her they would, and I always live up to my promises. Now go with these two and make sure they get it done.” He dismisses us by turning his back to us and gesturing for the movers to start unpacking the van.
“Penelope is inside. She will show you where this all needs to go and the things that are being removed,” he instructs.
“What the actual fuck? You can’t do this,” I argue, but again, Xavier grabs my arm and drags me over to the car, Colton and Vienna trailing behind us.
“Just get in,” he snarls and shoves me at the passenger door before going around to the driver’s side.
“He can’t do this. That’s my home and my things,” I snap but do as he says. I will pick my battles, and for the moment, furniture is the least of my worries.
The other two get into the back, and Xavier guides the car out of the gate and onto the road, heading toward Suncity.
The vehicle is quiet, although I can hear Colton and Vienna murmuring to themselves, but I don’t bother to listen while I stew in my anger and resentment.
I can’t believe I used to feel something for these people.
Hell, if I’m honest, I still do, which makes it all the more distressing.
It’s like Stacey all over again. I dropped my guard, let them in, and bam, it blew up in my face, but this time it’s worse.
Stacey was my friend, but I never had feelings for her until that dreaded night.
In fact, most of the time I found her annoying, but she was a little less annoying than all the other people in my year.
But this group? This group managed to weasel their way under the bulletproof barrier I put around my heart.
Somehow, they found the cracks letting Sage in created, and they managed to pry them apart and slither through, making a place for themselves in the fortress where I keep those pesky feelings like love and trust. Although I’m beyond furious, I’m also so fucking hurt and sad, I just don’t know what to do with myself.
“Just when I thought I couldn’t feel any more betrayed, you pull this shit. Was it all fake? Are you all that fucking good at acting? Did Mario put you through a class, or am I not the first person you’ve set up like this? Is this just a common thing for you? You’re like the ultimate honey traps.”
I hate that instead of sounding angry, you can hear the utter betrayal in my voice. Fuck.
“Tori,” Vienna says, but I refuse to look anywhere other than out the window and the blur as the world goes by.
Before she can say anything else, Colton interrupts her. “Xavier, what’s on the windshield? Is that some kind of insect?”
I glance toward the front and wrinkle my brows in confusion. The windshield is sparkling clear, like it was just cleaned by hand without streaks, marks, or unfortunate smears.
“Yeah, I think it’s some kind of bug,” Xavier replies, and I sit up straighter. “Don’t worry, I’ll get someone to wash it off when we get to the courthouse. There’s a car full of Mario’s men following us, one of them can do it.”
I swing around and peer out the back window, and sure enough, there is an SUV with men following us.
I catch Colton’s eye, and he gives me a quick nod.
“Damn bugs everywhere at the moment. It must be the season for them. I bet the mansion is full of them too, with all those doors left open today,” he says solemnly, and my eyes widen as I comprehend what they are trying to tell me.
The car is bugged, as is my house. Everything we say is being listened to, and we can’t speak freely anywhere.
At least they told me. A small flame of hope sparks inside my heart, and I turn forward.
I bet they don’t know about my father’s hidden room.
Ugh, but Lorenzo did, so maybe he told them.
I wouldn’t put it past Lorenzo to keep some things close to his chest. If he can betray family, then he could betray Mario as well.
“You know I’m not going to make any of this easy for you, right? I may be agreeing to marry you, but I will make your life a living hell,” I warn him, and I hope they can read between the lines. I think there’s a good chance we need to have a sit down.
Xavier sighs. “I wouldn’t have expected anything else. Just accept this is going to happen. Once you sign on the dotted line, you will be my wife, and short of death, nothing will change that. I won’t give you a divorce. As long as we have access to the Russo legacy, nothing else matters.”
“And the baby factor? What if I don’t get pregnant? You have to fuck to have a baby, and I won’t let you anywhere near me to do that,” I ask carefully, wondering how he feels about that.
He turns to look at me, and I almost flinch at the desire I see in his eyes. Surely that isn’t right. His attraction to me was all an act, a way to get what they wanted.
“We will share a bed, Tori. Mario won’t have it any other way.” It sounds like he’s warning me. “You will get pregnant with my child, even if I have to tie you up and hold you down while I fuck my cum into your perfect fucking pussy, and by the time I’m done, you will be begging me for more.”
Holy fucking shit. My nipples pebble, and my core throbs at his threat. He’s basically insinuating he’s going to rape me to get what he needs, and here I am, being turned on by it. Fuck me, I’m messed up.