Page 27 of Merciless & Mated

“Do you mean with the Rossis?”

“Yes. Their allies are already powerful. There’s not a lot of room in their ranks for the bottom of the barrel to take positions. I don’t blame them. Smarter and safer to rely on old alliances than to hope the new ones you bring in will give you what you need.”

I sighed and tipped her face up, looking at those perfect pink lips I had promised her I wouldn’t kiss. Honestly, it was criminal for lips like that to go untouched. I traced my thumb over the bottom one, savoring the rise of her scent and the flush of lust through the bond.

If I stayed here right now, I’d break my promise.

“I have a job to go out on. Don’t leave the room while I’m gone.”

CHAPTER 11

GIANNA

I hadn’t wanted him to go, but now that I had seen Bianca at work, I never wanted to see it again. No matter what, I would do anything not to see Marco in that same position. I’d believed the stories of Bianca’s cruelty, but seeing it, hearing the screams…

If behaving a certain way within these walls protected both of us from that, I’d do it.

When Marco was gone, I turned to the stack of boxes that contained the entirety of my old life. Lined against one wall, they sat like Tetris pieces. The suite should be big enough for everything, but it was a daunting task nonetheless. I desperately needed the distraction, though, and with nothing else to do to fill my time, I tackled the boxes one by one until my muscles ached and my stomach growled.

I broke into my stash of snacks, unsure what I was supposed to do for meals. Eventually I gave up and climbed into bed with a pair of pajamas I’d located, passing out almost instantly.

Arms wrapping around me woke me instantly, triggering my fight or flight. My elbow collided with someone and I tumbled off the bed, launching into the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind me and hitting the lock before flicking on the light.

With a hammering heart I sank to the floor, trying to calm my breathing.

A soft knock at the door sounded a moment later. “It’s just me.”

I flipped the lock open but didn’t move from where I’d curled up. My fingertips had gone numb, ice sliding through my veins until tears pricked at my eyes and slid down my cheeks.

Marco entered the room, a hand over where I’d elbowed him, and kneeled next to me, dragging me into his arms. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I thought—” I hiccuped. “I thought you were someone going to take me away again. All my dreams were blood.”

A crackly purr rumbled in his chest. “You’re safe in here.”

The stupid thing was that I felt safe, curled in his arms. I knew it wasn’t entirely real, but I clung to it anyway.

“Every other night with you, I was high off heat hormones. Now it’s just reality.”

His hand cradled my head. “Reality fucking sucks.”

I let out a broken laugh. “It kind of does.”

“I’ll try not to be too offended.” His voice was soft, like he was afraid if he spoke too loudly I might spook again.

I curled closer to him, breathing in the bourbon and smoke scent that clung to his skin. It was too faint for my liking. Climbing to my knees, using him as a ladder, I pressed my face to his throat and locked my arms around him. His scent there, where my bondbite marked his skin, was exactly what my omega brain needed to calm the fuck down.

I tucked myself closer, allowing this moment of weakness in front of him. Warm tears slipped over my cheeks, the salt burning after a while and I was forced to wipe them away. He didn’t say a word of judgment.

I hadn’t entirely lied to my father when I’d told him that Marco had been taking care of me. It wasn’t the life of a fairy-tale princess, but I was as safe as I could be.

When had the sound of Marco’s heartbeat, the steady rise and fall of his breathing, become something that helped me feel safe? I’d bitten him first in the heat. Maybe all those primal instincts knew something about him that I didn’t.

“Can I take you to bed or would you rather stay here longer? Maybe a bath?”

“Bath sounds nice.”

He scooped me up and awkwardly maneuvered to get the hot water running. “Unless you bought something at the pharmacy, it’s just going to be plain water.”

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