But another part of me desperately wants to find out why Marcello bought me … and what he’s going to do with me.
And it freaks me out that I even want to know.
“I … haven’t decided… yet,” I reply, licking my dry lips.
The movement of my tongue makes his eyes lower to my lips, and then he smiles. “That’s good. For both our sakes.”
He closes the meager distance I’ve managed to gain, which puts me on edge again. I immediately lean away as he reaches out. He seems surprised.
“You don’t have to be frightened of me, kitten. I won’t hurt you,” he says.
As if I’ll believe a single thing he says.
His hand rises to touch my face, and in a moment of weakness, I yield. I’m desperate for that gentle human touch I’ve missed so much, even in the short amount of time I’ve been here. These people are cruel beyond reason. And for some reason, Marcello doesn’t strike me as a complete merciless monster. Not in the same way as the other men who are here. Cruel, yes, but something’s below the cruelty… something I can’t quite figure out.
But I don’t trust him. Not until he’s proven himself to me, which I doubt will happen.
After all, he is still a mobster, and mobsters will cheat, lie, and steal to get whatever they want. And right now … he wants me.
“What do you want from me?” I ask as he gently caresses my cheek. The soft touch offers me some comfort.
It takes him a few seconds to answer, as long as it takes for a shimmer to glow in his eyes. “Everything.”
Harper
Goose bumps scatter all across my skin, making me shudder. Tears well up in my eyes. From the look on Marcello’s face, he will not be denied. For the first time, I start to consider I may not make it out of here. “Let me go,” I whisper. I hate myself for begging, but I’m terrified of what will happen if I don’t. “Let me go back to my life.”
He laughs briefly and viciously. “Kitten, you have no life to go back to anymore.”
What? What does he mean?
The darkness in his eyes makes my heart stop. “You died in that strip club.”
My eyes widen. “That can’t—”
“Happen?” he fills in for me. “It can. The police will confirm it. Paperwork, dental records, the whole nine yards. I can show the proof if you don’t believe me. All fake, of course, but who will look close enough to discover the truth?”
My jaw drops. Can they really do this? How is this kind of thing even possible? Erasing humans off the map just like that?
“In fact, all the women were reported as dead,” he continues. “None of you will ever go back home.” He takes a sip of the whiskey as though his words didn’t just destroy my entire world. “You’re lucky you’re still alive … and that I’m the one who bought you.”
What a fucking monster. How dare he say that as though I should be happy about it? I am not some damn accessory.
In my anger, I spit at him, and it lands right on his face.
Marcello’s smile disappears at once, replaced by a kind of arrogant fury that could strike terror into any girl’s heart. He seizes my arm, his fingers digging into my skin as he yanks me right against his body. “Make no mistake,” he growls. “I am your owner now, whether you like it or not. I decide what happens to you. So it’s in your best interest to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?”
The deadly look on his face promises me he isn’t kidding. My life is in danger. I just don’t know if it’s because of those damn Russians or because of him. Probably both.
“What will you do with me then?” I ask, fear snaking around my heart. “Are you going to kill me after you’ve had your way with me?”
His nostrils flare. We’re so close I can smell the alcohol on his breath. “I haven’t decided yet.”
I can’t believe this. This is what it’s come to?
Giving him a look filled with the disgust I feel, I scoff, “Well, then, you’re just like the rest of them.”
His pupils dilate, and a dark expression mars his face. “Don’t compare me to those fuckers. I’m nothing like them. Nothing.”
Oh. I’ve hit a chord.
I tilt my head in the face of danger and challenge him, “Prove it.”
He stares at me for a moment before saying, “Don’t tempt me, kitten.”
A defiant smile slowly creeps onto my face. “You can’t, can you? You don’t want to… because you actually care.”
He takes a huge sip of the whiskey, finishing the glass before chucking it at the wall.
I don’t flinch even though his rage makes my heart rate shoot up. I can’t show any emotion near this man. Doing so will mean surrendering the only thing I have left—my soul.