Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
She freezes, her wide eyes on me.
“So that’s what you understand? Threats.” I shift the car into drive. “That’s the way to get you to behave?” I smirk and speed back onto the highway. “The problem with that, princess, is that I don’t make empty threats. When I tell you I’m going to do something, I fucking do it.”
She swallows hard. “You’re a monster. All of you are.”
“There it is.” I smirk. “That high and mighty Fernandino attitude.”
“It only seems high and mighty because the Talettis are in the dirt,” she spits back.
I nod and pick up speed. “We’re in the dirt right where your family left us. No disagreement there.”
“You’re full of shit. My family has never done anything to yours. You’re just a bunch of violent animals looking for innocent people to hurt. That’s all you’ll ever be.” She tries to use her upper arm to nudge her top higher, the edge of the fabric almost slipping and revealing one of her nipples to me.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. But you have one part right.” I squeeze her wrists until she stops fidgeting. “I’m definitely a violent animal.” I use my sleeve to wipe the blood from my nose and chin. “And you’ve got me hungry for blood.”
4
OLIVIA
I press my thighs together, not understanding anything that is happening right now. The tighter he holds my wrists, the hotter I become.
Blood still drips from his nose. His free hand comes up to wipe it again, but he doesn't seem to be in any pain. Nothing I did really affected him. He had a reaction, but definitely not one I was expecting. There is a calmness to his anger that I’ve never seen. It’s intriguing.
That doesn’t stop my heart from hammering in fear. I know what the Taletti men are capable of, and seeing it right in front of me is terrifying. So is death–a sobering thought. Still, I thought I’d be punished far more than I was. I’m sure it’s still to come.
Sergei never lets go of my wrists as he drives. I chew on the inside of my cheek. I’ve always had a nervous tic. It used to be chewing on my bottom lip. My father would point it out to me. It was hard to control, so I taught myself that biting the inside of my cheek was something no one would notice. It would make me appear calm while letting myself find some release of my fear or worry.
To be honest, I was surprised that Sergei hadn’t struck me. I was sure when I grabbed the wheel, it would shock the hell out of him. What I wasn’t ready for was him to gain back control so quickly. I thought we’d both be done for. Luca’s son that he praises so highly killed by Giuseppe Fernandino’s youngest daughter. That would surely go down in our world’s history books.
I was ready for him to let loose on me when I slammed my forehead into his nose. He hadn’t. Oh, he pushed back, but not in a way that I would have ever guessed. I also would have never guessed how my body would respond to him.
“How cruel of a lover is your father?” I peek over at him. “I’m a virgin, so it probably doesn’t matter. It will hurt either way.” His hold on my wrist tightens. “Hey, you’re damaging the goods, you damn brute.” I wiggle my fingers as I lose circulation to them.
“Your fingers aren't needed,” he growls between clenched teeth.
He’s mad. I should be terrified. But Sergei has shown me some of his hand. After the wheel incident, I should have gotten an ass beating that would have me bloody and crying, but the only blood on me is his.
He pulls off the highway suddenly. I haven’t got a clue where we are. Sergei might be right; I am a princess. It’s hard not to be one when your parents can be controlling. Not in a terrible way but in a protective one.
We always had people that drove us places, and we attended schools that were private and guarded. It drove me crazy for so long, but now I truly understand why my parents went to those lengths.
You really have no idea when the snake might strike. The playing field has changed, and the Talettis have all the control. There is no one to stand up to them. They currently hold the power and, more importantly, they instill fear in everyone. They’re unstoppable.
Sergei pulls off on a side road in the middle of nowhere. He gets out of the car without a word. A second later, he’s opening my door and pulling me out.
“Strip,” he orders.
“What?” My breath hitches.
“Strip,” he repeats but doesn’t wait for me to respond before my dress is ripped from my body. “The rest of it. The shoes too.” When he grabs my necklace and yanks it from me, I know what he’s after. I stare at the necklace in his hand.