Page 72 of While You Sleep

She said she loved me, but it could easily have been an act. How would I know what real love looked like? I didn’t. I’d hurt her when I told her I wasn’t capable of returning her feelings. I did feel something for her, what that was, I wasn’t sure. The thought of her leaving me willingly—I wanted to tear this room apart. I lifted my gun and shot Vince in the face, blood and brains splattering Alto’s men.

Their guns flew back up. Con cursed beside me, but Alto barked for them to lower their weapons.

“We’re even,” I said.

Alto nodded. “Vince was a treacherous fuck, but he was my brother-in-law.” He glanced down at the dead man. “I’m sure you understand the alliance between us can no longer go forward, not now. There will be no wedding between your brother and Gaia.”

Declan shifted beside me. “Agreed,” I said.

Too much had passed between our families. Any alliance would have to wait until everything died down, and that could take years. We strode out of the restaurant. “Gather the men,” I said to Conor.

I was going to get Sophia.

* * *

Sophia

I paced my old bedroom in my father’s house. Scared out of my mind. Was Cillian okay? Goddammit, I needed to know.

He had to be all right.

Please let Cillian be okay.

My gaze slid to the dress hanging on the wardrobe door. Paolo had chosen it. He wanted a proper wedding. This felt like deja vu, only this time my new husband would make my life a living hell.

The annulment would have gone through this morning. I was no longer married to Cillian O’Rourke, and it felt as though a part of me had been ripped from my chest and set ablaze.

Cillian may not know what it was to love, but he’d made me feel more loved than I had in my whole life. I didn’t want to leave him. I wanted to stay. I wanted to keep shining light on the shadows inside him. I wanted to keep bringing to life parts of him that he only shared with me. I just wanted him. I didn’t need him to love me, not when whatever it was he did feel for me was more than enough.

I’d been locked in my room since we got here last night. I would find a way to escape, though. I had to, and I was taking Tommy with me.

There was a tap on the door, then the sound of the lock. I scrambled back as the door opened.

Paolo walked in, a wide smile on his face. “Soph.” His gaze slid over me. “You look a little rough, sweetheart. I hope you’re going to clean yourself up for our big day tomorrow. If you embarrass me in front of my men, looking like dog shit, I won’t be happy.”

“I don’t give a fuck if you’re happy. I’m not marrying you, I will never marry you—”

He backhanded me, sending me across the room. I hit the floor, and he strode over, straddling my hips and fisted my hair. “You do not speak to me that way, ever, understand?”

I stared up at him in shock. I could taste blood, the inside of my lip split, and pain radiated through my cheek and jaw.

“Nod if you understand,” he said and used his grip on my hair to force me to do as he said. He leaned closer, swiping blood from my lip with his thumb and sucked it off, then grinned, flashing me his bloody teeth. “I can’t wait for our honeymoon, Soph. The things I’m going to do to you.” He shook his head. “Poor thing. You won’t like it, any of it.” He dragged his mouth over mine, then bit my lip, making me cry out. He fisted my hair tighter and looked into my eyes. “But the thought of you screaming in pain makes me hard as fuck.”

He shoved away from me, stood, and straightened his jacket, an obvious tent in his trousers now. I shrunk away, and he chuckled.

“Shame I have some things to organize or I might give you a little taste of what’s to come,” he said, staring down at me.

He was breathing hard, the look in his eyes sending a shiver down my spine.

“Fuck it,” he said and took a step toward me. “I should make time, right? I deserve some fun after everything I did to get you here.”

I scrambled back.

“Paolo,” someone said from the door. “You’re needed downstairs. Now.”

He turned to the guy standing there. “It’ll have to wait.”

The other guy shook his head. “This can’t wait.”

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