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The look in his eyes made me take another step back “Is that a threat?”

I averted ht risk war over my death – not because he loved me, but to keep face –, but definitely not over a few bruises or rape For my father it wouldn’t even be rape; Luca was my husband and my body was his to take whenever he wanted “No,” I said softly I hatedto her alpha, al me do it

“But you deny me what’s mine?”

I glared Dathe offer “I can’t deny you soht to take in the first place My body doesn’t belong to you It’s mine”

‘He will kill h my mind a second before Luca drew himself up before me Six foot five was scarily tall I saw his hand move in my peripheral vision and flinched in anticipation of the blow,happened The only sound was Luca’s harsh breathing and the pounding of my pulse inat me, his eyes like a stormy summer sky “I could take what I want,” he said, but the viciousness was gone from his voice

There was no use denying it He was er than me And even if I screamed nobody would come to my help Many men in my and Luca’s family would probably even hold me down to make it easer for hi me “You could,” I admitted “And I would hate you for it until the end of my days”

He se of love And you do already hate me I can see it in your eyes”

He was right on both accounts This wasn’t about love and I hated hi him say it crushed the last bit of foolish hope I had I didn’t say anything

He gestured at the squeaky clean sheets of the bed “You heard what my father said about our tradition?”

My blood turned ice cold I had, but until now I’d put it out offI stepped up to the bed and stared down at the sheets, inity would have to be To the women of Luca’s family would knock at our door and take with them the sheets to present them to Luca’s and my father, so they could inspect the proof of our consue It was a sick tradition, but not one I could evade The fight drained out off me

I could hear Luca corasped my shoulders and I closedbattle The first tears already clung to my lashes, then dripped onto my skin and burned a trail down my cheeks and chin Luca slid his hands over e offroainst my body

For a moment, neither of us moved He turned ray eyes scanned my face My cheeks ith silent tears but I aze He dropped his hands, jerked back with a string of Italian curses, and then he drove his fist into the wall I gasped and juether as I watched Luca’s back He was facing the wall, shoulders heaving I quickly wiped the tears off my face

You’ve done it You’ve ry

My eyes darted toward the door Maybe I could reach it before Luca Maybe I could even get outside before he caught up with me, but I’d never make it off the pre a black knife and gun holster His fingers closed around the handle of the knife, his knuckles already turning red from the impact with the wall, and he pulled it out The blade was curved like a claw: short, sharp and deadly It was black like the handle, so it couldn’t easily be seen in the dark A Karambit knife for close combat Who knew Fabiano’s obsession with knives would ever be of use for me? Now I could at least identify the knife that would cut ht its way out of my throat but I sed it

Luca stared intently at the blade Was he trying to decide which part of me to slice open first?

Beg hied him all the time and from what I heard it never saved them Luca didn’t show mercy He would become the next Capo dei Capi in New York and he would rule with cold brutality

Luca came toward me and I flinched A dark smile curled his lips He pressed the sharp tip of the knife into the soft skin below the crook of his ar blood My lips parted in surprise He put the knife down on the slass and held his wound over it, then watched his blood drip doithout a flicker of e bathroom

I heard water running and then he returned into the bedrooht red color He approached the bed, dipped his fingers into the liquid and then smeared it onto the center of the sheet My cheeks flushed with realization I approached him slowly and stopped when I was still out of arood I stared down at the stained sheets “What are you doing?” I whispered