The space is decorated with fresh cut roses, tea lights, and string lights that hang above the entire area. They twinkle like stars and give the place a more intimate and elegant feel. It’s beautiful, breathtaking, and I kind of hate that Matteo put something as great as this together. A man as evil as him, shouldn’t be allowed to come up with such beautiful things.
Alberto and I take our seats at the head table, a flute of wine is shoved into my hands, and I take tiny sips of it as I’m forced to endure small talk with my father’s guests.
“I can’t wait to fuck you raw,” Alberto leans over halfway through the dinner and whispers into my ear.
I feel disgust slither through me and all the way to the tips of my toes. This is the worst part of playing this game. Making those around you assume that you care and are interested.
“I can’t wait either,” I say, placing a hand on his thigh beneath the table. His eyes flash with primal hunger, and I know all I’m doing is taunting the beast inside the cage.
The night drags on and on, and after some time, Alberto disappears, maybe he’s screwing someone else, or maybe he’s talking with some of Matteo’s men. I don’t know. I should probably be worried, considering that he’s been gone awhile, and this is our engagement party, but I’m not. If anything, I’m thankful for his absence.
It’s one less person I have to pretend that I give a fuck to. Some guests linger, but many leave after dinner, which is exactly what I’m planning to do right now. If I’m going to escape, it has to be tonight. Since Matteo is busy smoking cigars and drinking bourbon with his buddies, he won’t even realize that I’ve slipped away.
I’ll never get a more perfect moment than this evening. As I glance down at my half-eaten plate of food, my eyes catch on the shiny knife blade. Weapon. You need a weapon, Dove, my brain screams. Lifting my eyes, I look around suspiciously to see if anyone is watching me before I grab the knife and tuck it blade side down into the side of my dress, beneath my armpit. No one should see it there, and I’ll be able to make it up to the room without incident.
Pushing away from the table, I meander back into the house and toward the grand staircase. My foot has just barely touched the bottom step when a hand wraps around my arm and tugs me backward. Turning to face the owner of said hand, a gasp catches in my throat.
“Where are you going, Ms. Castro?” One of Matteo’s guards asks. He’s smiling, but his smile doesn’t reach his eyes, he looks more like a tiger smiling at its prey.
“To my room. Is that okay, or would you like to interrupt my father and his colleagues to see if he would be okay with that?” I pin him with a glare, trying not to show my fear or trembling lips and tug my arm out of his grasp. His fake smile slips away, and he looks a little mortified, his cheeks turning crimson, probably because he’s never been talked to like that by a woman before.
“Go on,” he says without another word, and I force myself to walk up the steps, instead of running like I want to. With my heart racing out of my chest, I reach the top step and bound down the hall, almost falling over my own feet in the process. Reaching the door, I twist the knob and push it open. Slipping inside, I close the door, and the darkness of the room surrounds me. I sigh, but that sigh is soon swallowed by an almost scream when the bedroom light comes on, and Alberto’s hulking frame comes into view.
“Hello, my soon to be bride,” he murmurs. I swallow the fear of being alone with him down and force air into my lungs.
All you’re doing is acting… give an Oscar-worthy performance.
Crossing the space between us, I sashay my hips and smile at him while batting my eyes as if I’m interested. I don’t know the first thing about being seductive, but I’m pretty sure my attempt is working because Alberto’s smile widens as he gets up from the bed. His jacket has already been removed, the white button up shirt he’s wearing is pulled out and wrinkled. His hands move to his dress slacks, undoing his belt, we meet in the middle of the room.
Everything about this feels wrong, but I can’t stop now.
“I came up here to tell you that I planned to fuck you tonight, but it looks like you were thinking the same thing I was.” The edge of his voice is as sharp as the knife blade I’m hiding in the side of my dress. If I can get close enough, maybe I can stab him without him ever seeing it coming.