retti estate was a fortr

-iron spikes, surrounded the property, while

ported white marble, and crystal ch

chingly

as to be

ase, his grip a manacle on my arm, a

door slammed s

of a velvet sofa as he remained standin

ock echoed in the sudde

heart hammering a panic

is suit jacket and t

uffs and rolled up his sleeves, revealing forea

ermission," he stated, his tone stripped o

u will eat when you are told, and

in my chest, burning away th

rs back, crossing m

prisoner

t who needs to

dog you can

mine, and the temperature

ance between us in

l my shoulders hit the c

on either side of my head, trappi

hard chest brush

ched somewher

property,

as if pressing each syllabl

ife, and then he lost his life anyway

ing to let the hot tears

ve my

harsh, humo

any

my hair, tugging my head back just enou

ng up instinctively to

inst the sensitive skin just below my ea

ke in this house is

my skin for a torturous second longer

pression smoothing into

at eight.

room, the heavy lock turning with a final th

the wall until I hit the floor, pulling my knee

oft, hesitant knoc

lock being drawn back as the

de, carrying a he

hind him, his eyes searching

you somethi

e tray on a small t

from my huddl

me, his warm brown eyes fille

need your strength if we are

anting to believe the brittle

you hel

o not belong i

fingers gently closi

w. Do not fight Dante.

handle

stepping far away from me jus

way, a dark silhouette

darted from Luca to me, meas

hard I thought his

d, Luca," he growled. "I did

his head in

. I was just mak

t o

ing past him and out the doo

gaze fixated on my hand-on the exact

y wrist in a punishing gri

f from his pocket and aggressively wiped the skin of my

m away, but he held i

ou doing?"

ed handkerchief to

her men touch