Page 26 of Savage Heart

As he has too many times since he dragged me back here, he grabs my upper arm and squeezes the flesh until tears fill my eyes. I cry out but his glare terrifies me, so I shut my mouth quickly.

“Good girl. You learn fast. I guess all that special schooling did do something for you after all.”

I don’t respond, even though I want to tell him to fuck off and that my time at Brown and Yale did not teach me how to act like he thinks a woman should. My brother is worse than a Cro-Magnon. He’s an animal, pure and simple, and while college didn’t teach me how to handle creatures like him, my common sense tells me not to arouse his anger more than I already have tonight, or he may do something truly terrible to me.

Well, more terrible than marrying me off to a man who had no qualms about seeing me tied up and held hostage in a chair for days.

He steps away from me, taking the two goons that were standing to my left with him, and I glance in that direction to see my reflection in the window across the room. Oh, God. This dress is so humiliating. Silver, as if that’s ever looked good on anyone, it barely covers my breasts and the slit up the side goes straight up to my waist. His men took my clothes from me, including my underwear, and when Matteo presented this lovely gift to me, it didn’t include any replacement panties.

So here I stand as still as a statue in the desperate hope that if I remain utterly immobile no on will see the goods. But I guess showing off my goods is exactly what the intent of this dress is. Subtlety doesn’t seem to be a trait Matteo or Lucius possess.

God, my brother is a pig. So must this future husband of mine be if he thinks dressing his fiancée like this is anything good.

I scan the room I’m in and see money in the décor. The white marble pillars alone set Lucius back thousands, I’m sure. Expensive Persian rugs in this room and the one next to it scream money, as does the priceless Etruscan vase collection I saw displayed in special alcoves in the entryway.

So I’m to be given away to a wealthy older man. This is exactly why I wanted to get as far away as possible from my family. Twenty-two years old and forced to marry a man I don’t love. For God’s sake, I don’t even know him, and what I do know I don’t like. If he’s friends with my brother, then he’s no one I’d ever want.

Focused on the gold and crystal dotting the decorations around me, I don’t realize someone’s joined me and my remaining guards until he steps so close to me that his chest brushes against my breasts. I instantly recognize him from when I was being held at the house. He’s the man who came in to talk to me that time. He’s dressed in a black tux and looks more civilized, but he’s the same person who joked that we’d have fun together.

My future husband, Lucius Angeloni, I presume.

He ogles me like I’m something he’s considering buying to add to his collection of expensive looking things. I try not to meet his gaze as I study this person, but he seems intent on looking into my eyes, as if there’s some secret in them he’s eager to learn.

There’s nothing you want behind these eyes, buddy. Just a brain, and why would you want a woman to have one of those?

His short, dark hair has enough gray in it that anyone can tell with a cursory glance that he’s considerably older than me. He exudes something that comes off as power at first, but a hint in his expression tells me it’s more cruelty than strength. No wonder my brother thinks so highly of him.

As I examine the man who’s to be my husband, he lifts his hand and trails his forefinger along my jaw. With a smile, he says in a low voice, “I hope you’re having a nice time here in my home tonight, Sienna.”

I want to say this is the last place on earth I want to be tonight, but I know better, so I force myself to smile sweetly and reply, “Thank you for your generous hospitality. Your home is lovely.”

More hollow words may never have come from my mouth, but he seems to enjoy them, if his broadening smile is any indication. Good to know. He responds to flattery. I’ll definitely have to keep that in mind.

He steps closer to me, eliminating the tiny bit of space that existed between us, and says in a low voice, “I think these guards can go away, don’t you?”

I don’t sense he wants my opinion on this subject and instead would like my appreciation, so I open my eyes wide like his offer is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever heard and pretend to be thrilled he’s about to give me some tiny measure of freedom. Not that I could do much with it, unless I want to flash his guests my girly bits on my way over to the bar.

Before I can mutter my thanks in a baby voice similar to the server’s before, he adds, “I’m expecting you to behave yourself, Sienna. Don’t disappoint me.”

His unspoken warning is clear, and fear rushes through me with each syllable he utters in my ear. Be good or get hurt. I’m a smart girl. I know how this works. I guess maybe I just thought he’d try something like charm on me before moving straight to threats.

Foolish me. But in truth, why would he try to be nice? He doesn’t have to be. He’s seen how my brother held me in that tiny room for days. Why should he do any better?

With a wave of his hand, my guards move away. My brother returns to my side not a minute later and instantly notices his men have been dismissed. Displeasure covers his expression, chilling me to the bone. Does he think I did something to make them go?

“Where are my men?” he asks me, as if I have the power to make them disappear.

Lucius answers for me. Turning his attention from his fascination with me, he looks at my brother sternly. “I sent them away. Sienna is to be treated as the woman of this house, not some criminal.”

And just like that, my brother thinks my not being guarded is a fantastic idea. “Oh, yes. Of course. It’s only right,” he gushes, as if it was his idea in the first place.

He’s not only a pig but an obsequious one.

For a moment, I breathe a tiny bit easier, but Lucius’s voice in my ear sends any comfort I felt fleeing when he says, “I’ll hurt you if you displease me, so don’t make me unhappy. This is your first test, Sienna.”

I wish I could make some snappy crack about being great at taking tests since I did so well in school, but I’m too afraid at this moment to try to sound brave. This man is far crueler than my brother, and I suspect he revels in hurting people even more than Matteo does.

So all I do is smile like his happiness is the only thing on my mind. Little does he know that even now I’m conjuring up ideas on how to find a way to get away from him. If that means he has to be hurt or worse, so be it. I might only be a woman in the Rossetti family, but I learned a few things from my father in his life. When the time comes for me to escape this marriage, I’ll do whatever it takes to get away.

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