Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Cormac
Ican’t get Arianna off my mind. Not even when I leave the cabin to get away from her.
Not even when I find a bar and drink a few beers to numb my anger.
Not even when I find a woman to bring back to my apartment.
Some blonde woman who’s name I don’t remember.
We fuck through the night and then morning comes.
I tell her to leave and she does without complaint.
Fuck. Arianna is still on my mind.
She’s the enemy, I keep reminding myself. So why is it so hard for me to accept that?
The way she looked at me with her innocent eyes as she stitched up my arm. The way she told me of her life. I don’t want to believe her but my gut is telling me that Arianna is not lying. She doesn’t really know her uncle. She doesn’t belong to the Italian mafia.
Which means I kidnapped an innocent woman just to get back at Marco. Fuck.
But I still need to save Ciara from him. Arianna is the only advantage I have. I need to cut off her finger today and send it to Marco if he doesn’t tell me he’s leaving Ciara.
A knock on my front door makes me shoot up in bed. I left Arianna at the cabin an hour away from here so no one will find her. My apartment is the only sanctuary I have left.
I get dressed and approach the door. Looking through the peephole reveals my dad on the other side.
“What?” I ask, opening the door just a crack.
“Let’s talk, Cormac.”
“Has Marco agreed to divorce Ciara?”
“Just let me in.”
“Has he?”
“No,” he admits. “He hasn’t agreed to it and I don’t think he’s ever going to agree to it. He wants you dead but he knows that can’t happen. Not until we find his niece.”
“Then there’s nothing to talk about.” I start to shut the door but Patrick slams his hand into it, shoving it open. I stumble back, still a little hungover from last night.
“There is. Let the girl go. Your sister is happy with Marco. Why can’t you accept that?”
“Because he belongs to the Italian mafia. I cannot stand for that.”
“I am the boss of the mob,” he hisses. “Not you. If I’m all right making a deal with the mafia, then why can’t you be? Your sister is happy. This crusade you’re on is only going to get you killed. Let the girl go.”
“No. Not until Marco divorces Ciara.”
He sighs, running a hand down his face. “I came here without letting Marco know. I didn’t want him to try and kill you. You’re still my son and I love you. So stop being fucking stupid. If your sister is happy, why can’t you be happy for her?”
“Ciara is not happy. How can she be happy with a man like him?”
“Because she is. You’re fighting a pointless war. You’re trying to save your sister when she doesn’t want to be saved. So give it up, Cormac. Let Arianna go.”
Could my dad be right? Could Ciara truly be happy with Marco? No. I can’t believe it because then everything I’ve worked for over the past few months would be wasted.
“I will not.”
He stares back at me, his eyes searching my face.
My dad was always good at reading people.
I try to steady my expression but I know he knows everything that’s on my mind.
“Son, you’re going to die if you continue on this road.
Give the girl up. If you don’t…” He sighs.
“There’s another option if you decide to not give Arianna up. ”
“What?”
“You can marry her.”
I look at my dad for a long moment, trying to see if he’s messing with me or not, and when I realize he’s not, a huff escapes me. “Why the fuck would I marry her?”
“Because if you don’t want to let her go, then we might as well make an alliance out of it.
Marco will try to kill you the moment you let Arianna go.
He’ll try to kill you if you hurt her. You fucked yourself over with this.
The only way out would be to marry her. That would keep Marco at bay.
I can still have my alliance with him. And you can come back into the family. ”
“But I’d have to marry an Italian.”
“Your sister is happy with one. Why couldn’t you be?”
“You’re fucking insane.”
“And I’m your father. So think about it. Or you’re going to get killed. Be careful, Cormac. That’s why I came here. Please just… be careful.” He leaves the apartment with his head hanging low.
His words continue to ring in my ears as I drive back to the cabin, making sure I’m not followed. He wants me to marry Arianna. That’s fucking ridiculous. I could never love an Italian girl like her. Not one that has ties to the mafia.
I need to cut off her finger. I need to send it to Marco. And then I’ll get what I want.
I arrive back at the cabin, my heart feeling heavy. This should be easy. I should be reveling in hurting Arianna. So why does my stomach feel like it’s going to drop into my shoes?
I grab my pocket knife and go into the bedroom. I brace myself, waiting for Arianna to hit me, but this time, she doesn’t. Instead, I find her asleep on the bed.
It’s the most peaceful I’ve ever seen her. Somehow, she’s even more pretty like this. Fuck. Why am I thinking like this? The last thing I should be thinking about is how pretty Arianna is.
My hand tightens around the pocket knife. This has to happen.
As if she can sense me, Arianna wakes up. Her body stiffens and her eyes widen.
Without hesitating, I grab her hand.
“Please,” she whispers. “Please don’t.”
I press the pocket knife against her skin, right over her pinky finger. For a finger, this is not a bad one to lose. I’m being considerate this way. I’ll take the more important fingers later.
But something makes me look into Arianna’s eyes. Her wide, fearful eyes. How innocent she looks. How scared. How she doesn’t deserve any of this.
I could so easily cut off her finger. It would be like cutting a carrot.
And yet, I can’t make my body move.
Arianna looks back at me, unwavering. Her innocent eyes are boring into me – tempting me not to do this – telling me that it’s wrong.
But I have to.
I look back at her finger and try to get my pocket knife to move and yet… nothing happens.
With a gasp, I back away from her, dropping her hand. Arianna curls her hand into her chest as if she can protect it from me.
“What the hell is wrong with me?” I mutter.
Arianna doesn’t say a word and I leave before I can make any more mistakes today.
Why is the girl getting under my skin?
Because she doesn’t deserve it. I know that’s why. And my conscience has decided to come out and bother me. It was so much easier when I didn’t give a fuck about anything. But now…
I storm out of the cabin. What am I going to do with her? What am I going to do with myself?
All I can do right now is go for a drive to clear my head, even though I know it’s pointless. I won’t be getting any clarity of thought any time soon.
As I drive I enter into the small town near the cabin. It’s a couple of hours away from New York, giving me some safety from the chaos of the city. My eyes land on a clothing store as I drive past it. Without even thinking, I find a parking spot out front and get out.
The clothing store is simple. T-shirts and jeans and dresses. Nothing fancy. I don’t stop to think as I buy a couple of shirts and pants in a woman’s small size. I don’t stop to think as I get into my car with the bag of clothes and drive back to the cabin.
And I don’t stop to think as I go back into the bedroom and drop the bag of clothes on the bed. Arianna frowns, staring down at it and back at me.
“What is it?” she asks.
“It’s not a bomb. It’s clothes.”
Tentatively, she opens the bag and pulls out one of the t-shirts I bought her.
“It’s pink. I assumed girls like pink.”
“I… like pink,” she murmurs, setting the shirt down before she pulls out more of the clothes. “Why did you get me clothes?”
“You’ve been naked for over a day now. I figured it was time.”
“But I’m your prisoner. You almost cut off my finger not that long ago.” She looks me in the eye – her innocent, pure eyes. “Why didn’t you?”
“Cut off your finger?”
“Yes.”
“Does it matter?” I ask, clearing my throat. “You should be happy I didn’t.”
“I am happy you didn’t. But I will not be grateful to the man who kidnapped me.”
“Just take the clothes, ok? I’m tired of seeing you naked.”
“Because I disgust you?”
Because the sight of Arianna naked makes both my heart soft and my cock hard at the same time. “Just put the clothes on.”
“Aren’t you going to give me some privacy?”
I cross my arms, staring her down. “I’ve learned that I can’t trust you to not do something. So I’m not going anywhere.”
Her cheeks turn red as she slips her shirt over her head. She doesn’t look at me as she gets up and puts her pants on next.
“Good,” I grumble. “That’s better.” Now I won’t be so fucking distracted by her.
“Thank you, I guess. For giving me clothes.”
“You’re actually thanking me?”
“You didn’t have to do this so thank you. And… thank you. For not cutting my finger off. Even though I think that’s something I shouldn’t have to thank a person for.”
“Just because I didn’t cut your finger off today doesn’t mean I won’t do it another day. Your uncle refuses to let my sister go, so you’re not going anywhere any time soon. Not until he does what I want.”
“And if he never does what you want?” She asks it so simply. So softly.
“Then I guess you’re stuck with me forever.” And that would be the worst fate: to be stuck with a woman that I have confusing feelings for.
“That’s a fate worse than death,” she murmurs, staring down at the other clothes on the bed.
“I’m not a bad man.”
Her eyes flick to mine. “Do you really believe that?”
For some reason, I have to look away. It’s too much. “I am doing what I must to save my sister.” I just have to keep convincing myself of that. It doesn’t matter that my father said Ciara is happy with Marco. She can’t be. I can’t believe it. All I’ve worked for can’t just disappear overnight.
“And I’m doing what I must to save myself,” she says.
“You accused me of manipulating you with my story. But I was nothing but honest with you. I am not a liar. I have no reason to lie to you. I am my full honest self. No one, other than my parents, knows I almost died.” She flushes, looking away. “Just know that.”
“How did you almost die?” Why do I ask? I don’t fucking know.
“Pills,” she explains. “I just wanted to be skinnier. I didn’t want to actually die.”
“You tried to kill yourself?” I ask with disbelief.
“I didn’t want to die,” she repeats. “It was an accident. But it’s one only me and my parents know. And now you. So take that for what it’s worth.”
I can tell she’s being honest with me right now. It’s the most honesty I’ve gotten from anyone in a long time. And it’s too fucking much. I leave the room before I can get lost in her innocent eyes even more.