"Uh-huh."
As certain as I could be. The horrors of being taken by the two men while the girl who'd professed to be my sister stood in the doorway was far too reminiscent. That had to be the reason for the nightmares, the wretched memory. That was never going to happen again.
He lifted my chin with a single finger, narrowing his eyes. "We will get through this. Have faith in me."
"I do."
Kissing my forehead, he allowed his lips to linger. "Good. I have to take a shower. My father is awake and asking for me."
"I'm so happy! Do you want me to come with you?"
He shook his head. "I have people I trust coming to protect you. You deserve rest after everything you've been through. Besides, I won't be that long. I'm going to take a shower. Okay?"
I nodded, the fear almost suffocating.
Michael winked then headed to the bathroom. He returned seconds later, tossing a robe in my direction. "Room service. No other man is going to see that gorgeous body of yours. You hear me?"
"Yes. Sir!" I gave him a military style salute then grabbed his pillow, holding it against my chest and inhaling. The soft cotton already smelled like him, ripe with testosterone and a touch of exotic spices. I could drink the man in all night.
I heard the shower running and debated joining him. I was already ready to do so when I heard the light rapping on the door. Looks like I'd be enjoying a celebration without my man.
Oh... My. Man. I allowed the words to linger in my mind as I jerked on the robe, shuffling toward the door. He owns you. Remember? I laughed softly to myself, shivering as the soft terry skimmed across my naked skin, longing for his touch instead of the dense material.
I unlocked the door, giving a slight smile as the bell captain began to shuffle the cart into the room. "You can just put everything on the table." I backed away, eyeing the bottle of champagne. Why not celebrate? We'd been through a horrific ordeal.
And still more to come.
"Of course." He moved in the opposite direction, taking the long way to get to the table. I took another few steps away, allowing him room to work.
I nibbled on my lower lip, hating the continuous thoughts. Would we ever be safe again?
I watched as the bell captain opened the bottle expertly, the slight pop still making me jump. He positioned two glasses just so, twirling them twice until he was satisfied. I noticed a beautiful crystal bowl filled with luscious, ripe strawberries and even from where I stood, the sweet aroma was far too inviting. A plate of cheeses and other fruit was positioned last, the dark-haired man hesitating. I was surprised when he plucked a grape from the vine, tossing the lump of fruit into his mouth, chewing in an exaggerated manner.
I backed away, my stomach unsettled. Hair on the back of my neck stood up.
"There you go, miss," he said in a husky tone, barely more than a whisper.
"Crap. I don't have any money. Can you add a hefty tip onto the bill?" I needed him to get the hell out of the room.
He had his head lowered, his curly dark hair several inches longer than his collar. His silhouette was barely highlighted given the single lamp on in the room. No, this wasn't right. I knew the instant he stood at his full height, allowing me to see his profile that my entire world was about to be shattered. The bastard had cornered me. There would be no way to race to either the bedroom or the entrance without him being able to catch me. "Franco."
"Hello, my sweet princess. Have you missed me?" Franco laughed as he turned to face me, his dark eyes piercing the darkness.
"What are you doing here?" Franco Massimo, son of Dante Massimo, the true monster of the family. Every horrific vision that had been stored away in the padlocked box rushed forward, breaking free of the chains keeping them far away from the forefront of my mind.
"Did you forget that I own you?" he asked as he eased a gun from his pocket, pulling a silencer from another and attaching it to the barrel in a methodical manner. "You ran away from me, but that's never going to happen again."
"You don't own me. You never did, you fucking monster!" I stole a quick glance at the table, trying to rationalize his appearance. How the hell did the man know where to find me?
"If you're searching for any weapons, I assure you that I'm not that stupid, princess. You seem to forget who I am."
"I know exactly who you are, Franco. You killed my sister then tried to make me believe she was alive."
Franco seemed more amused than anything, nodding several times. "You are correct, but I needed to find a way to get to you. I hadn't been counting on you being abducted prior to my chance. I will give Michael Cappalini credit. He had the exact same idea I did. Still, he's no match for a real man like myself." He clasped both hands around the weapon in front of him, appearing far too casual.
"So all of this was a game?" I could still hear the damn shower running. Michael. Get out here. Help me.
"Well, I did have business to attend to, family business." He chuckled as he raked his eyes down the length of me.
The bastard was actually undressing me with those hateful eyes. The man was soulless. "Revenge."
"In a matter of speaking."
"You were the one who attempted to kill Michael's father."
"A man who deserves to die, Francesca, for what he did. Trust me. I will finish the job."
I noticed the change in his expression; while only slight, it was enough. "And what did he do, Franco? Why do you and your father hate him so much?"
"None of your concern."
"Oh, yes, it is," I countered, giving him a hateful look. I needed to buy time.
He took a step closer, inhaling in an exaggerated fashion. "I can tell you've been fucking that asshole. You'll pay for that, princess. Just like your sister did for betraying me."
"Betraying you? You fucking bastard. You were the one who betrayed her. You pretended you were not involved with anyone, plying me with gifts and dinners. All the while you were with my sister! Abusing her. Beating her."
"You didn't seem to be complaining, sweetheart. In fact, you adored the attention. Just like your sister did. As far as abuse, she was a little whore monger. Sharing could have been nice, except your sister didn't like the fact I was giving you attention. What a shame."