by Kiera Silver
Abruptly, she realized she had just lost her fingers a few minutes before, and it might not be too late to reattach them. With that thought in mind, she turned her attention to Darius, using her no-nonsense teacher voice that always got her dawdling students scrambling. “Get me a cup of ice and put my fingers in it. They might still be salvageable.”
“No,” gasped Rasa. “I have to live with my disfigurement. You must do the same. I insist.”
“I insist you fuck off,” said Lily through gritted teeth as a wave of dizziness swept over her. She turned her attention to Larenz. “Get Dante for me now. Tell him I said no more violence, at least not for the moment. I just need to go to the hospital. Make him promise you he’ll do that, and then you can let him through.”
If Larenz was annoyed by her commanding tone, he didn’t show it. He simply nodded and called Dante’s name over his shoulder, his gun still remaining at his side, but clearly a second away from focusing on Rasa again if the situation warranted it.
She moaned her relief when she saw Dante step into sight, barely holding it together until he stormed across the small cabin of the boat where they had taken her below. As soon as his arms wrapped around her, she collapsed against him with a sob of relief and allowed the maelstrom of unconsciousness that had been trying to drag her down to finally pull her under.
She woke to a dull throbbing, but nothing even close to as intense as she’d experienced earlier. Flashes of memory returned, and she recalled the frantic drive from the marina to the hospital in bits and pieces, held on Dante’s lap in someone’s vehicle. She briefly recalled seeing faces of medical personnel come and go, and then there were no further memories until waking. She assumed that was the point when they had put her under general anesthetic. She looked down as she lifted her arm, unsurprised to find a giant white bandage wrapped around her hand. It told her nothing about the state of her fingers underneath.
“Lily, how are you?”
She turned her head, finding a small smile for Dante, who sat in an uncomfortable-looking hospital chair beside her hospital bed. She licked her lips, wincing when her voice emerged as a faint rasp instead of the word she’d tried to say. After he offered her a small sip of water, not allowing her more than that, she found it slightly easier to speak. “Okay. Hurt some. My fingers?”
“The doctor was able to save them. Apparently, Rasa has either done this before, or she’s just a natural, because she sliced clean through and did minimal damage. The surgeon expects you’ll regain full use of your fingers, and there are treatments they can use later to minimize scarring.”
She let out a deep breath of relief. “What did you do to her?” she managed to ask in a dry voice. She was grateful when he offered another sip of water. She tried to clamp on to the straw and refused to let go, necessitating him pulling it from her a bit roughly.
“Easy. You’re only allowed a little bit at a time. You’re still recovering from general anesthetic and don’t want to vomit.”
She managed a small nod, abruptly aware of flashes of pain throughout her body, though they were dull and blunted, probably thanks to some kind of painkiller administered through her IV. “What did you do?” she asked again.
Dante hesitated. “Larenz has told me to let it rest.”
She nodded, remembering that much of the confrontation between Larenz, Rasa, and Darius. “Are you going to?”
He hesitated a moment longer. “Do you want me to, Lily? Frankly, I’m not okay with the idea of allowing Rasa to hurt the woman I love and not pay for it.”
Her heart stuttered in her chest at his words, and she immediately focused on what was most important to her. She licked her dry, cracked lips before asking, “You love me, Dante?”
He grinned, though he looked faintly sheepish. “Yeah, I do. I think I have since you walked into my office with such giant brass balls and offered to play my mistress to get your brother off the hook.”
“Not play,” she said softly. “I haven’t pretended about anything.”
His expression softened, and he reached for her uninjured hand. It was the one farthest from him, so it must have been awkward for him, but he didn’t seem bothered by the way he had to turn so he could hold it. “I know that. Despite how we started, I don’t think there’s any doubt how either of us feel, is there?”
She shook her head. “I love you too, Dante. Never expected to, especially in light of what your family does, and what I thought you were going to do to my poor, misled brother.” She snorted softly, and then gestured for the water to soothe her raw throat. He allowed her a small sip before pulling it away like the tyrannical bastard that he was, and she savored the sensation of the cool water against her heated throat. A moment later, she said, “Do you think Rasa is telling the truth? Do you think this was all Shawn’s plan?”
Dante hesitated and then shrugged. “At first, I was convinced it was simply Rasa, but now I think your brother did plan most, if not all, of it—but she also knew and was part of the plan. She might not realize she would end up being his scapegoat, but she knew what was going on as well. To my way of thinking, neither of them are innocent. Has she suffered enough? To my way of thinking, no, but if I pursue vengeance, it will mean a great number of deaths on both sides. That’s why I want to leave the decision with you, Lily. I’m not rational about this. My inclination is to destroy the Lithuanians and every part of their operation, so I’m hoping for the voice of reason here.”
For a moment, for a dark and insane moment, she hovered on the brink of throwing away reason and logic and compassion. Recalling the pain of the knife cutting through her fingers before slamming into her hand almost prompted her to tell him to forget about doing the better thing and bring her Rasa’s head on a plate. After a moment, and a few deep breaths, the dark impulses mostly passed. With a reluctant, regretful sigh, she said, “I think you should probably listen to Larenz. He’s not involved emotionally in the situation and thinking more clearly than either one of us.”
His shoulders slumped, and he looked disappointed, but he nodded. “That’s my assessment too. But if you want me to, I’ll kill her for you.”
She should have been appalled by the offer, but instead she found it sweet and touching. Either her incident had scarred her more than she had imagined, or perhaps his darkness was leeching into her. Or maybe it was simply the darkness inside herself that lit up at the thought of having revenge. Whatever it was, she was touched rather than repulsed, and she squeezed his hand with her good one. “I know you would, and that means a lot to me. I think we’re going to have to do the right thing here.”
His lips twisted, and he nodded. “I guess the right thing to do would also be to end our arrangement and try to let you get back to a normal life.”
She scowled at him. “Dante, don’t—”
He pressed on as though she hadn’t spoken. “I’m afraid I’m all out of my quota for doing the right thing today, love. I’m not any good for you, but you make my life a hell of a lot better, and I can’t imagine letting you go.”
She licked her dry lips. “I don’t recall asking to be let go. Today wasn’t your fault, if that’s what you’re thinking. I had no idea that some psycho was stalking me, or I certainly wouldn’t have sent the driver home. Living the life you do, I understand there are risks, and I won’t take any unnecessary ones in future. But there’s no way in hell you’re doing the right thing, as you call it, and sending me away after you just told me you love me.”
“But if Shawn ever resurfaces, there’s a price on his head. Do you understand and accept that? There’s no second chance for him now, knowing what he really did—and that he planned to use you as his original patsy.”
She licked her lips, a pang shooting through her at the reminder of her brother’s betrayal and duplicity. She had done nothing but take care of him and look after him most of their lives. Lily couldn’t understand how he could be so cold and calculating, unless Rasa was right, and he was just a sociopath. Even if
he was, that didn’t stop her from still loving her brother, but it made her realize she couldn’t keep protecting him—especially from himself and his terrible actions. “I understand.”
“Seriously, I can’t bend on this, Sar—”
She squeezed his hand tightly. “I know, and I understand. What happens with Shawn is separate from you and me. You’re stuck with me, Dante, and you’d better accept that.”
He hesitated for a moment before chuckling. He was tender when he leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek. “Can I get that in writing?”
She rolled her eyes as he turned her long-ago words back on her. “You really want it so anyone can find proof of our agreement?”
He nodded. “I think the most expeditious document would be a marriage license. You’re going to have to marry me.”
She frowned at him as she pretended to ponder the question. “You really think I should marry you, Dante?”
His arrogance was back when he gave her that smug grin of his. “I’m sorry, but I think you’re mistaken. I wasn’t asking you, love. I was simply telling you what we’re going to do.”
She rolled her eyes. “There you go being an arrogant, highhanded asshole again. It’s one of the things I love about you, though I’m not sure why.”
A moment later, his expression turned more serious. “Would you marry me, Lily, I mean if I asked?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, if you bothered to ask.”
He snatched the straw from her cup, folding the end and sliding it into the other side. It made a slightly circular and far too large circle that he held out anyway. “Will you marry me, Lily?”
Her eyes burned with tears she refused to shed, and she blinked them away as she nodded. When he slipped the makeshift straw/ring around her finger, where it hung loosely, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She settled for a small hiccup and a sniff. “Yes, but we’re going to have to wait until my hand heals so I can wear the ring on the correct finger.”
“I’d wait forever for you, Lily.”
“And I have no problem making you wait,” she said with a teasing smile as she leaned closer to him, once more thankful for the strong painkillers that blunted her discomfort and let her focus on something far more important in the moment.
They sealed the negotiation with a kiss.
Sneak Peek: ACQUISITION
Don’t miss Armo’s story in ACQUISITION
Blurb
Katie fell hard for Armo when he literally swept her off her feet and is happy with him until she learns the truth. Her boyfriend is a mob boss. After witnessing him commit a murder, she runs to protect herself and the tiny life inside her. When Armo finds her a year later, he acquires her again with ease, with plans to make her pay for her betrayal and for stealing his son from him. She can’t accept his lifestyle no matter how much her heart yearns for him, and she vows not to give in to Armo’s seduction this time—but resisting Armo isn’t as easy as that, especially since she still loves him. When the most vulnerable Moretti becomes the target of someone bent on revenge, she has to put her trust in Armo and embrace the darkness in which he lives to save everyone she loves.
Chapter 1
“Happy anniversary, Katie,” said Armo as he reached into his pocket.
She watched from across an intimate table in the high-end restaurant where they were celebrating their sixth-month anniversary of the day Armo had literally swept her off her feet. She’d been running late for classes and had jaywalked illegally right in front of his car. Of course he’d tried to stop, but had ended up bumping her lightly and sending her flying.
When he had come to her side, he’d lifted her into his arms as though she weighed nothing and placed her in the back of his car, insisting on a trip to the emergency room. Nothing had been broken, but by the time the doctor had cleared her to go, with Armo at her side the entire time, she’d lost her heart.
Now, she tensed with anticipation as his long fingers drew out a velvet box. Disappointment surged in her chest a moment later when she realized it couldn’t possibly be short enough to hold an engagement ring. She managed to hide any sense of disappointment, knowing it was silly to feel that way. After all, it had only been six months, and while she was absolutely certain she was head-over-heels in love with Armo, and she was pretty certain he felt the same way, neither one of them had even said the “L” word yet.
She held back for fear of spooking him, and she hoped he held back simply because he didn’t want to rush things. She would prefer he know his own feelings before he verbalized anything of the sort, and perhaps he knew that about her. He seemed to know her really well.
“What do you really know about him?” Her sister’s words of concern flooded back to her suddenly, and she had to forcibly push away the memory of the conversation she’d had with her older sister a couple of weeks ago, when Haley had grilled her once again about Armo. For whatever reason, Haley had taken a dislike to him and was suspicious of anything to do with her boyfriend. She found it irksome, but Haley was often an exacting, almost nitpicky person, while Katie was more easygoing.
When he set the box in front of her, she forced aside all thoughts that weren’t positive or happy as she opened the clamshell lid to reveal a gold, diamond-encrusted Cartier watch inside. She gasped slightly and ran her finger over the intricate design. “My gosh, it’s beautiful. Thank you, Armo.” Her fingers trembled slightly when she slid it from the box and wrapped it around her wrist, fastening the antitheft clasp with some assistance from the man across from her.
He winked at her. “Now you have no excuse for being late.”
She flushed slightly, though she knew he was just teasing her. She was still sensitive about that failing. No matter how hard she tried, she seemed to be late everywhere she went.
Something teased the back of her mind, and it brought a sharp spike of anxiety along with it, but before she could hold on to the idea germinating, it was gone. She shunted it aside as the waiter returned with their desserts, losing herself in the sensual pleasure of exquisite chocolate crème brûlée and the sexy man seated across the table.
***
Later that night, after an evening at the theater, they returned to Armo’s condo. Technically, Katie still had a room at the dorm, but she hadn’t been there besides quick trips to drop off books or pick up other articles for at least the last two months. Unofficially, she lived with Armo, though he hadn’t invited her explicitly to move in. He had simply started keeping her overnight, and at one point, he’d given her a key and the code to his apartment complex’s entrance.
It was a fancy place with high security, so the day he had given her the codes, she had known she was something special to him. When she’d told her sister that, Haley had called her a naïve fool and reminded her Armo could change the codes at any time, but she’d sniffed at her sister and walked out, not wanting to engage in more debate about the man with whom she was involved.
Now, she followed him up the wraparound stairs to the second floor, which was more of a loft, containing only the master bedroom and a large en suite bathroom, along with a small sitting area where they could watch TV or read a book, if they chose. Tonight, they bypassed the sitting area in mutual unspoken agreement and entered their bedroom.
As soon as the door closed behind them, she was unsurprised when Armo took her into his arms, his mouth devouring hers in a possessive, deep kiss. His tongue pressed through the seam of her lips, and she offered no resistance. A second later, he was tasting her as he drew her closer to him.
Katie wrapped her arms around him for a moment, holding Armo tightly, before her hands started to roam over the hard planes and angles of his body. She helped him shed his dinner jacket and tie, and then her nimble fingers worked on the buttons of his Oxford shirt. She stripped it from him less than a minute later and buried her face against his chest.
Katie moaned as she inhaled his scent, finding it as intoxicating as ever. He was pure male, with a sharp tang of
clove from his cologne. His aroma was unique to him, and it never failed to make her heart rate increase.
A laugh rumbled through his chest as his fingers went to the zipper of her dress, pulling it down to mid-back before he started divesting her of the red garment. “I see you’re still smelling me.”
She giggled, though she was a little embarrassed by his teasing. “I remain unapologetic. You smell good, and I like to savor that.”
As the dress pooled around her feet, he put his hand under her chin and angled her head upward again, claiming her mouth for another deep kiss before he spoke again. “I’m not complaining, believe me. I’d rather you like my scent than run away screaming or ask me to take a shower every time we’re near each other.”
“I don’t mind if you want to take a shower whenever we’re together—as long as you let me join you in the stall.” She waggled her brows suggestively. “I could wash your back and your front too, if you want?”
He bit back a groan of desire, his expression betraying his indecision for a moment. Finally, he sighed and shook his head. “No, I don’t have the patience for that tonight, though I do love the special attention you give me in the shower.”
She spent a moment peeling off her bra in what she hoped was a sexy fashion before replying. “I enjoy the attention you give me as well, love…r.” She’d almost said love, tacking on the “R” at the last moment. She didn’t think a casual endearment like that would send him running, but she was trying to be cautious. She didn’t want to jinx the relationship or rush Armo into something for which he wasn’t ready. She knew theirs was the longest relationship he’d ever had, so she felt it prudent to proceed delicately.
Haley, on the other hand, would have steamrolled her way through the relationship by now, establishing all future outcomes and forcing him to pick a path. Since that wasn’t Katie’s style, her sister accused her of being weak-minded. Haley didn’t understand how strong she had to be to withstand the temptation to throw herself into his arms and confess her deepest feelings. Her sister could never appreciate that subtlety sometimes required an inner core of steel to maintain, and that waiting to know the outcome was torturous, requiring all her determination.
