Rebecca Downhill (Becca) has known nothing in her life but a strict father who is involved in businesses with the Italian mafia in NY, an absent mother who has taught her to be obedient and fulfill her duties towards the family, and a twelve years o...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I jerk frantically and try to get out of Salvatore's grip, pushing him away with my back while pinning my hands to the wall I'm being crushed on, but can't move him an inch. He's a strongly built man, and fighting him isn't a thing for a woman.
One of his hands holds my neck steady while the other searches for my legs but before he has the chance to reach any bare skin on my thighs, a loud voice bounces through the room, filling the space with its anger and myself with a sense of relief, one that only his voice has known to do.
"Benito!" I hear Lucas shouting, and right on that second Salvatore's hands freeze.
The grip on my neck gets loose, allowing me to inhale deep breaths.
"A word?" Lucas is asking, and even though I can feel Salvatore shifting away from me, I still don't find the courage to turn around, or move.
I hear a shuffle of footsteps behind me, and I know Salvatore is backing away.
"Oh, here is the Don of NY, not so much of a Don in reality. How can I tell him no?" Salvatore mocks his steps can be heard further away from me, while others come closer. Lucas' scent invades my senses, waking them up like nature in a spring rain.
"Don't. Move!" he orders in a whisper to my ear, and I'm sure he already knows I'm all heated by his sensually ordering voice, surpassing the cold shivers crossing my back and the tears that stubbornly roll down my face.
Before I can take another breath they all leave the room, and even though I know I'm alone, I reluctantly turn around, moving away from the wall. I tremble in all my bones.
I wipe my tears with the back of my hands, manning up, and deciding to get the hell out of here, searching for an exit.
The pile of bodyguards is still at the main access, but I can't find Mike there and I quickly scan the crowd of guests in search of him. Still no Mike around so I rush my steps to the main exit, pulling out the phone from my purse to text him and let him know I'm ready to leave.
I need to leave. I can't handle being the target of Salvatore and facing Lucas at the same time.
Not now, when I'm quite sure he has moved on and has someone else, that young, beautiful woman standing proudly and gracefully next to him earlier.
Once I'm out, I see to my right a small balcony with green bushes around and I immediately know this is a good hiding spot to wait for Mike.
I walk in and hide behind the green plants, breathing deeply to restore my heartbeat.
It's been a crazy night and I feel the need to take myself as far as possible from here.
And before I have the chance for another moment of peace, I feel a hot breath on my right should and a kiss softly lingering on my skin and crossing just over my new tattoo where one can read "beautiful". A silly souvenir from Bora Bora.
