Page 19 of Stolen Bride
Grabbing him by the throat, I stare him down. “You touched my woman. You put your filthy hands on my angel.” I pull out my blade and slice off his hand. Blood gets everywhere, but luckily the guys are prepared. “This is the last time you’ll stain my property with your stench.” I jab the knife into his eye. “That’s what you get for thinking she belonged to you.” I pull the blade out, and then Adriano hands me a cloth.
Cleaning the knife, I glare at the piece of shit they’re already wrapping up in the tarp. “Let that be a warning to everyone.”
“Understood.”
I head into my bathroom and strip out of my clothes, turning on the shower. Fuck, I need to get rid of this insane feeling coursing through me. Who the fuck is this Stella, and why is she affecting me like this?
Washing off all the blood, I ignore my raging hard-on and dress in a clean suit. When I step out, my office is spotless. I pick up my cell and call Gabe. “Give me an update.”
“Grace is with her friends at your parents’. I’m outside the house, watching it. Do you want me to stay?”
“Go inside and take the sofa. No need to stay outside. We have security for that shit. Just watch out for that sneaky one.”
“Don’t worry. I think Gracie will toss her on her ass.”
“How is…”
“I don’t know. They went inside, and Gracie sent me packing. She’s definitely not as soft as you think.”
“We need to talk soon.”
“Any problems?”
“No, everything’s taken care of. Get some rest.” I end the call before telling him because my father is his problem.
Now that I know she’s safe in my family’s home, I’ve decided to sleep at the club and let my temper cool before I even approach my sweet little Stella. There is no way I can face her with the rage boiling in me.
Chapter Ten
Stella
My nerves are only more frazzled. One day left, and I’m not sure I can handle the pressure. Gracie dropped us off only two hours ago, so I don’t know why she’s back, torturing me with her presence. It’s not that I don’t like her. Hell, I think she’s amazing and the polar opposite of Camille. It’s just that I want to ask her about her brother, but Camille has monopolized her time the whole morning. She gave me a sheepishly apologetic smile when we were interrupted.
Since then, we’ve had guards lingering. Grace’s guards linger by the door, which my stepfather remarks on. “We have strict orders by Mr. Valentino. She can leave if you’d prefer that, Sir,” he snarls, but my stepfather quickly raises his hands and steps back, knowing that no one tells Mr. Valentino no. I don’t know how we managed not to get caught by my stepfather’s guards, or Tommy’s, either. It’s like we had the all-clear last night. A little too clear, which means they had it all planned out, except for Gracie’s brother. Gracie’s parents must be seriously dangerous people, or perhaps the Mr. Valentino he’s referring to is her brother.
No, that’s silly. I ignore that thought because it’s just a girl’s foolish dream. I almost expected Damiano to sneak into his bedroom and slide into bed with me, but that would be ridiculous because he hadn’t shown up. I was all alone.
I sit in my bedroom, packing my bags for tomorrow, dreading my future or what I have left of it. There isn’t much I can do about my life, but I have a choice I can make. It’s mine, and at least it’s my own.
There’s a light rap on my door, so gentle that I almost don’t hear it over my thoughts.
“Come in.” It’s not like I’m allowed to refuse entry to anyone in this house. The last time it occurred, I felt his wrath and lost my pillows for a week, all because I was changing my clothes and didn’t open the door immediately. Of course, he didn’t believe me and did a thorough search of my room for any deceit. Even after he didn’t find any, he said it must be in my head so I deserved to be punished.
The door opens, and I’m surprised to see Gracie. “Hi,” I say.
She presses her finger to her lips. “Hi. I came to check on you.”
“Um…Thanks.” I blow a strand of hair out of my face and carry on with my packing.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” she asks.
The absolute look of disgust on my face has to be obvious because I can feel my face contort painfully. “What I want? Does it appear like I have a choice?”
“You always have a choice.”
“Oh, I have a choice, all right. And I might take it.” I hold up a giant pill bottle of old Tylenol. “One heavy dose, and all my troubles will be gone.” Grace’s face falls, and I give her a weak smile and shake my head. “I’m teasing.”
“Mm-hmm. So…” She takes a seat on my bed. “Ouch. Damn, how old is this thing?” I don’t mention that I’ve had this twin bed since I was a child. “Sorry, that’s rude. So, is there anything I can do for you?”