Taken (Dark Desires 1)

The note pinned to the scrap of newsprint read: “Beth – so you think I can’t change? Watch me. Alessio.”

There was a winky face next to his name. I groaned. My stomach twisted into knots and I sank down on the floor, clutching the piece of paper in my sweaty hand.

“Wow,” Heather said slowly. “What’s all this about? Beth, what’s going on?”

I looked up at her and bit my lip. “I slept with Alessio Amoruso,” I said softly. “He’s out of jail.”

“Obviously,” Heather said. She rolled her eyes. “But what’s really going on?” She squatted down next to me and put her hand against my forehead. “Beth, you can tell me,” she said softly. “I promise – I won’t care.”

I stared at her. “You…you don’t care that I slept with him? Heather, he’s the man responsible for killing Michael!”

Heather shrugged. “I mean, it’s weird,” she said slowly. “But whatever, Beth, I don’t judge you. You know that.”

I sighed. Having told Heather my predicament – or at least, part of it – felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Still, it felt a little odd having acknowledged the truth out loud.

“I don’t know,” I said helplessly. “He made me promise that if he proves that he can change into a good man, I won’t testify against him in court. He said that his lawyer is almost certain he’s going to be pinned for Michael’s death.”

“Wow,” Heather said softly. “That’s heavy, girl.”

“It is,” I said. “I wasn’t even thinking when I agreed – I couldn’t believe that he was serious. Heather, this is all so fucked up. I feel so guilty!” Tears came to my eyes and I wrapped my arms around my knees and hugged them to my body. “I just wish I knew what to do. Everything feels like I’m betraying Michael, and I don’t want to do that, but at the same time, it’s not like I can just turn off how I feel.”

Heather rubbed my back. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “You’re doing the best you can in the best way you know how.”

Hot tears splashed over my cheeks and I bit my lip. “I just wish I felt like that,” I said. “I wish I could stop feeling so guilty!” That’s when I started to sob in earnest.

Heather pulled me into her arms and rubbed my back. “There, there,” she said soothingly. “Everything’s going to be fine, Beth. I promise.”

I cried in Heather’s arms for hours, until I tired myself out. I must have fallen asleep, because it was getting dark when I opened my eyes. My mouth tasted like stale snot, and my sinuses were still clogged from crying so hard earlier.

“Heather?” I called. “You here?”

I yawned, then climbed off the couch and flicked on a light. There was a note from Heather, saying that she was out shopping for groceries and that she’d be back soon. I frowned – I wasn’t exactly looking forward to facing her after my little crying jag, but I still wished that I wasn’t alone.

The buzzer sounded, making me jump. I frowned and walked over to the buzzer.

“Hey, Heather, did you forget your key?”

There was a pause.

“Beth, it’s Alessio,” Alessio said. “I want to take you to dinner. Please get dressed and meet me downstairs in ten minutes.”

My heart leapt but my brain said no. “I don’t know…” I trailed off. “I don’t know if this is a good idea, Alessio.”

Alessio’s voice snickered into the intercom. “Come on, Beth,” he said. “You’ll like it – I promise.”

I sighed. My stomach did feel empty, even though I knew accepting a date with Alessio was like accepting a deal with the devil.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll be down soon.”

An hour later, Alessio and I were seated in the dining room of the Russian Tea Room. Despite all my time in New York City that I’d spent hanging out with rich people, I’d never been before. Alessio seemed pleased when I told him, and he wasted no time ordering a lavish spread that included a delicious cold duck appetizer and a full caviar service. He hadn’t even let me look at the menu, but instead ordered almost everything.

“So you can choose,” Alessio said grandly. His dark eyes shone in his handsome olive face.

I spooned some caviar and cream onto a blini before folding the delicate pancake and eating the whole thing in one bite.

“This is incredible,” I said honestly. And it was incredible. I’d never tasted food like this before. Despite his insane fortune, Michael had never developed a taste for dining out. He liked cheap fast food, like Five Guys, but that was about as gourmet as he got. And whenever I’d asked to spend money on a fancy dinner, Michael had always made me feel like a gold-digging criminal.

Alessio smiled darkly. The look on his face sent a shiver down my spine – even when he looked happy, he was still intense and almost scary. When I felt his hand inching up my bare leg under the table, I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning.