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“First off, I’m really sorry for whatever hell you lived in during all those weeks in Italy. I tried my hardest to visit you, but my father has always had a strict rule that I never go to the crew complex. And he wasn’t about to bend it just because I wanted to visit my soon-to-be sister-in-law.” She stops to take a breath. “But I need to know, how bad was it?”
I look at her, searching her face for any ill intention, but I find none. She looks back at me with nothing but actual concern. Maybe she’s just working for her brother or her dad, but something inside me tells me that’s not the case.
“I mean, it wasn’t all bad. Sometimes, the food was really good. One day, I was allowed to go sightseeing.” I shrug. “But then, for close to two weeks … I couldn’t even leave my bedroom. Not at all. All meals were brought to me there. No going in or out.”
“Holy fuck,” she utters, pursing her red lips. “That’s awful.”
A visual of Hudson’s face as I sat on it, with him gazing up at me while his tongue was buried deeply inside of me, assaults my brain before another picture rushes in. A vivid image of the expression on his face when I took him into my mouth and wrapped my lips around him snugly. I swallow hard, suddenly feeling butterflies in my stomach. Among other places.
“Yeah. I mean … for the most part, that really wasn’t much fun.”
Her steps slow, and she glances back at Rossi, who is now farther away, before her eyes search my face. “Did he … force you to do anything?” She chews her bottom lip nervously. “My brother.”
Even though I can tell she’s not a monster like her brother, she has so many of the same facial characteristics he has. Their eyes are the same color, and their lips have a similar shape, only hers are fuller. It’s hard not to see Enzo when I look at her. But that’s not fair because that means I’m judging a book by its cover. And as a girl who came from absolutely nothing and always had dirty, worn-out clothes, I know firsthand what it’s like to be judged.
And it sucks.
“He came close a few times. But something always seemed to save me.” I think back to the times when he hinted it was going to happen and remember that dread and fear that coursed through my body. Yet somehow, something always came between him and me. “He has a lot of women, apparently. So, I wasn’t on his radar much.”
“Thank God for that,” she whispers. “Women actually throw themselves at him. Can you believe that? He’s a pig. And literally the worst person. Yet they see what he has and hear how powerful he is, and they overlook the bad shit.” She shakes her head. “It’s gross.”
“He is your brother though. So … you must love him?” I choose my words carefully. “And I totally understand. After all, family is family.”
Stopping me, she puts her hand on my shoulder. “Girl, I wouldn’t piss on him if he were on fire.” She drops her voice to a low whisper. “I promise you, there are things below the surface about my family that are much, much darker than you know. And I’m going to take them down. Maybe not today or tomorrow. But one day, I will.”
Stunned by her answer, I have a hard time forcing my legs to move when she starts walking again. But eventually, they do.
“What are you going to do?” I utter. “I mean … no offense, but your family, well, they are …”
“Evil?” she guesses.
“Well, sorry, but … yes.” I grimace. “Aren’t you afraid?”
“Are you?” she asks, lifting a brow. “Because something tells me that you’re not nearly as doe-eyed and helpless as you make yourself out to be.”
Trust no one.
She could be just another terrible person who’s good at fooling others. She could be the devil, disguised as a gorgeous angel. I might have a good feeling about her, but I’m not going to trust my gut alone. The next few days are too critical for that.
No mistakes.
“Of course I’m scared,” I say dramatically. “Your brother whipped me to the point that my entire back was covered in welts and cuts. And then he locked me in my room for a few weeks, giving me no contact with the outside world.” I narrow my eyes at her. “So, if you’re asking me if I’m up to something, no, I’m not. I’m simply following the rules and not getting myself killed.”
At least, that’s what I want you to think.
Then again, I’m pretty sure sucking Enzo’s ex-bodyguard’s dick in my bedroom isn’t exactly following the rules. But she doesn’t need to know that.
“Boring,” she grumbles. “And also, I’m not buying it. But it’s fine. You don’t trust me, and I guess I can’t blame you there.” Stopping when we get to a small overlook that looks out at the pond on the property, she pats my shoulder. “If I had been held against my will by your brother, I probably wouldn’t trust you either. I guess all I can do is show you.”
“Speaking of brothers,” I say, pulling my lips to the side. “You and Walker, huh?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” she groans dramatically, throwing her head back. “Been there, done that. It was fun, but it’s in the past.”
“Ew!” I whine, shaking my head. “Don’t need to know!”
“My bad.” She shrugs. “It doesn’t help matters that both of us are in love with other people.”
At her words, I grin. “Yeah. I don’t think he’ll ever get over Poppy Wilson. That’s for sure.” I jerk my chin toward her. “You’re in love with someone else too?”
