Marcello
I watch her pretend to sleep next to me on the plane. Does she think I won’t notice the pulse racing at the base of her throat? Clearly she is awake, but I let her have this. She is pissed enough. It won’t take a lot of time to win her over once again.
But I will. What she and I have together is too strong, too wild to deny.
Has Marco hurt her? I had no idea how she’d suffered at my enemy’s hands, except for the photo of her on her knees, a goddamn gun in her mouth. Marco will pay for that a thousand-fold before I am done with him. Is there anything else? I need to find out what happened during her captivity-not only to exact retribution on Marco, but to offer her support and comfort.
I examine her as best I can, but see no bruises or cuts. No welts or broken bones. Perhaps the damage is where I cannot see. My blood runs cold at the thought. Has Marco raped her?
“Stop staring at me,” she mutters. “It’s creepy. And stop fidgeting. I’m trying to sleep.”
“You cannot sleep any easier than I can.” My adrenaline is still high from the attack, and worries over her cloud my brain. “Besides, the flight is only a little over an hour. By the time you fall asleep I will need to force you awake.”
“God, I hate you.”
I smother a smile. If she hates me, she still feels something and I can work with that. Before then, there are practicalities to be dealt with, like the man who had dared to take her from me. “Did he hurt you?”
“Worried that your toy is broken?”
“Elsa,” I snap. “This is serious. Did he touch you or hurt you?”
“Other than brushing a hand over my boob, he didn’t touch me. No, don’t worry. He couldn’t hurt me as much as you do.”
I wince, unable to help myself. I don’t like the idea of hurting her. I haven’t cared about a woman’s feelings before, but for some reason Elsa matters to me. It is strange.
So why has Elsa’s kidnapping affected me so dramatically?
I don’t want to think about it. I have her back and that is what matters. She will forgive me and everything would return to the way it was before, with fucking and laughter and our naughty games.
I clear my throat. “Still, I will have the doctor examine you when we return home.”
“Home,” she sneer. “It’s not my home.”
“I missed you.”
That gets her to open her eyes, but there is no fire in them. No spark, just flat loathing. Even when I brought her home for the first time there had been a flash in her gaze, a heat between us. “You missed a warm hole to shove your cock into.”
I hear murmuring, which reminds me we aren’t alone on the plane. A dozen or so soldiers are on board for protection. “Lower your voice,” I tell her.
“Why? I’ve done nothing to be ashamed of. You didn’t even try to lower your voice when you devalued our relationship and what we had.”
“Is that what you think? I haven’t had a piece of mind ever since you were kidnapped. I haven’t even had a goodnight sleep knowing that Marco could do anything to you if he wanted. Why do you want to dwell so much on what I said? I said what I said to shove Marco’s hopes in a trash can. I wanted to lower his pride and no come dashing into his trap.”
“Am I supposed to believe that?” she rolls her eyes.
“Careful,” I leaned in to say. “I like when you show spirit, dolcezza.”
She edged as far away from me as the handcuffs allowed and closed her eyes. “Noted. I won’t do it again.”
I decide not to push it. I will bring Elsa around. In the end, I will win this battle of wills.
She looks good. I want her so badly that my teeth ache with it.
I shift in my seat and try to concentrate on tonight. I need to deal with Marco. Gabrielle and the other soldiers and are on the yacht, bringing him to the estates dungeon, where I plan to keep him for a long time. No easy death awaits Marco Viscuso. He dared to kidnap my woman and blackmail me. Marco will remain my prisoner until I tire of torturing him.
When we finally touch down in Palermo, I lead her to the waiting Range Rover and help her up. She doesn’t speak, her movements sluggish. The car drives away from the landing strip and I pull out my phone. I call Gabrielle.
“Where are you?” I ask, anxious to get started.
“We should arrive by early morning,” my cousin says.
I tap my fingers on my knee. I should have brought Marco on the plane with me. It would have been faster. But I’d wanted to protect Elsa from him. “Keep me updated throughout the night. I’ll be awake.”
I hang up before he can chastise me about sleeping. I don’t want to hear it.
The mansions front door opens as soon as we pull into the drive. Zia stands there, watching as the SUV rolls to a stop. I help Elsa to the ground and take her hand like we aren’t still cuffed together. We climb the steps and Zia barely steps back to allow us inside.
My aunt places both hands on Elsa’s face and begins muttering. “Thank God that He has spared you a terrible fate. You must rest, beautiful girl.”
“Ciao, Zia,” she responds with a nervous smile.
Zia kisses both her cheeks. “Do not put Marcello through such agony again, please.” Holding up Elsa’s wrist, she snaps at me, “Unlock her, you pig.”
I retrieve the key and remove the handcuffs. Zia takes Elsa’s hand and begins leading her toward the kitchen.
“Come, amato. You need to eat. You have become so thin.”
I follow.
Zia has prepared her cake.
Though I need to shower, I don’t trust Elsa not to bolt out the back door. She’d done it once before. I will need to put guards on her at all times. Until Gabrielle returns and can organize security for her, I have to stay close.