Page 33 of Savage Heart

I don’t bother asking that question because the less I have to deal with my brother the better. “What can I do for you, dear brother?”

My less-than-subtle snideness doesn’t make him happy, and his frown deepens. “You cannot ruin all my plans simply because you don’t want to accept what your responsibilities to our family are.”

Such a tool.

Rolling his eyes, Matteo shakes his head in frustration with me, as ridiculous as that is. “I swear our father spoiled you, and now I have to deal with the fallout from his mistakes. He should have never let you go to America for school. That’s where you got all these silly ideas in your head.”

As much as I know I shouldn’t take the bait, I can’t help myself and blurt out, “Ideas like believing I should have the choice to marry or not and who I might want to actually spend my life with? Heavens, Matteo. You act as if I wouldn’t have had those ideas if I stayed here in Italy. Your world here may still exist in the Middle Ages, but it’s the twenty-first century for the rest of us. As for our father, considering what he tried to do to me, I don’t think he’s a good person to credit for my loving freedom.”

My comment about our father makes my brother laugh, although I don’t understand what the hell would be considered funny about a man wanting his only daughter killed. It’s like the men in my family live in an alternate universe where women are nothing more than pawns to be moved around their chess boards, and when they no longer have any use, they’re thrown away permanently.

“Father was always too fond of you, if you ask me. Now let’s go find your fiancé and see what he wants you to do. It certainly won’t be standing out here ignoring his guests.”

Matteo wraps his meaty hand around my upper arm, squeezing my bicep until I cry out. Immediately, he leans down in my face and snaps, “Not another sound out of you, Sienna, or I swear to God I won’t have a problem handing you over to Lucius with bruises all over your body. Now let’s go!”

My brother drags me through the house and past guests who don’t even blink an eye to a hallway. It's dark and ominous, like a precursor to what I’m about to experience with his buddy Lucius.

“Matteo, you don't have to do this,” I say, my voice verging on begging him to stop before it’s too late.

He looks back at me with anger in his eyes, or maybe it's just frustration since I'm clearly nothing he wants to deal with. “Sienna, this is your responsibility. I'm tired of fighting you on this. You will do this. You will marry Lucius Angeloni. That's it.”

I look up at him as he yanks me by the arm down this hallway. “I'm not fighting you. I just don't need to be treated like some kind of animal. You never had to kidnap me. None of this should have happened.”

As we walk, I look at guests as they pass us and wish just one of them would do something to put an end to this madness. Don't any of them wonder why I'm being dragged down this hallway?

Obviously not. Between the drinking and the food and the women barely clothed in tiny bikinis serving all these people, they probably can't even be bothered to notice me.

I look for Alaric, desperate to see his face or Gideon's face. Anyone from the Rule family, but they're nowhere to be found.

Matteo stops in front of a large wooden door at the end of the hallway and turns around to face me, glaring an expression of hatred down at me. “You will go in here, and you will do what you need to. Remember your responsibility is to your family. You abandoned us, and now it's time to right that wrong. Our father died thinking that you had disappointed your family. You can change that now.”

I open my mouth to snap that my father died merely disappointed his goddamned hitman hadn’t killed me like he ordered, but before I can say another word, Matteo opens the door and shoves me into the room, slamming it shut behind me. I look around and see a bedroom that's decorated nearly entirely in gold. It's completely gaudy. I can't imagine what kind of person would want to sleep in a room like this.

Then again, I know whose room this is. My intended husband’s. Lucius Angeloni.

I look around for him, but he doesn't seem to be here. In fact, I seem to be alone. I take a step toward the balcony door.

And then another. And then, I feel a hand touch my shoulder. Oh, God. I spin around and see Lucius standing there staring at me.

He looks so old compared to me right now.

And the first thing that comes into my mind is this man knew my father and now I'm supposed to marry him. To hear my brother talk, he’s interested in me. Why? It can't just be because I'm young. There are dozens of young women at this party tonight. Every one of them is beautiful. He could have any one of them.

I've noticed a fair number them eyeing him up like he’s a prize. Any one of those women would happily marry him.

So why me?

I know the answer. It has to do with our families joining and power and Matteo taking over where my father left off in his life when he died. I thought I escaped all of that when I got away from here two years ago.

I stare at Lucius and wonder if this is the moment when I'm going to be expected to sleep with him. Terror races through me. I can’t sleep with this man. I won’t marry this man. Alaric has to find a way to get me out of here.

“Hello, Sienna. Welcome to my bedroom.”

I wait for him to reach out and touch me or do anything, but he simply stands there staring at me. Dressed in his black tux, he looks very formal, almost as if this is some kind of costume he wears for occasions like this. I'm not his first wife—I'm not even his first fiancée—so I wonder if this is all choreographed.

I haven’t forgotten this is the same man who saw me tied to that chair at the villa and did nothing to help me. He can dress up like a distinguished gentleman with an impressive pedigree all he wants. He’s nothing more than a vicious thug, just like my brother.

Lucius stalks around the dimly lit room, never taking his eyes off me. He studies me like I'm some kind of prized possession he's examining now that he's bought me, like another of his Etruscan vases he intends to put in some beautifully lit alcove to show off to all his guests.

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