Page 62 of Ruthless Touch

I close my eyes, but then I feel his palms against my cheeks as he cradles my face. It’s a tender gesture so wrong for what’s happened here tonight. I so want to believe he’s done beating me that I lean into his left hand for some warmth and kindness.

“You always know how to make me want to be nice to you, Aria,” he whispers in my ear. “What is that power you have that even now I don’t want to hit you anymore?”

Too afraid to answer, I keep my eyes tightly shut as I silently hope this torture is over. I don’t know what may happen next, but at least if he stops beating me, I might be able to survive.

“So tell me, Aria. What made you run away from him?” Franco says in a low voice that sends chills racing up and down my spine.

I can’t tell him the truth. It’s too humiliating to admit my jealousy got me here, bruised and beaten tonight. So I lie and say something I know he’ll believe.

“He scared me, so the first chance I got, I escaped.”

Franco moves back from me, and I brace myself for another punch. When it doesn’t come after a few seconds, I slowly open my right eye and see him staring at me. I can’t tell if what I said made him angry or if he doesn’t believe my lie.

“I’ve seen him. I can’t imagine him scaring anyone. Not even you,” he says with a sneer.

So I take the chance he might believe me if I explained more.

“He has a way of being silent for so long you think he’s dead, but then he finally speaks and says the most terrifying things imaginable.”

“Oh yeah?” Franco says in a tone full of skepticism. “Like what?”

My mind scrambles to come up with something he won’t doubt. In truth, Gideon never frightened me. If I’m being truly honest with myself, he never did anything to harm me. Even tonight with Sasha wasn’t hurtful. I don’t know why he included her in our time together, but I don’t think he meant to harm me.

None of that matters now because if I don’t tell Franco something genuinely awful, he’s going to hit me again. So I conjure up a lie from my time with Gideon’s brother, who I definitely know is capable of hurting people.

“He never raises his voice, but it’s the words he chooses that frightened me. One time he came to the penthouse and threatened to take me away so no one would ever find me. I knew he meant it too, but thankfully, someone on his staff interrupted us and he left me alone.”

Franco seems to think about that for a few seconds before he folds his arms across his chest. “So that night at the ball, you two weren’t happy?”

“No, not at all. I wasn’t happy the entire time I was with him. I swear. He terrified me. I never want to see him again.”

I try to make my voice sound like even thinking of returning to Gideon frightens me, but I’m not sure I’m a good enough actress to make it convincing. The only wish I have right now other than to be free of Franco and the pain he inflicts is to be back in Gideon’s arms, safe and sound in the penthouse or his villa away from everyone in the world but him.

The sound of a door opening sends utter dread racing through me, and I quickly turn to look at who’s walked in. Marcello Angeloni slowly walks toward me, his head shaking like he disapproves of the sight of me.

“Such a beautiful face with such terrible bruises. What a shame.”

I can’t decide if he’s unhappy that Franco has been beating me senseless for the past hour or if torn up women just bother him. Whichever it is, Marcello’s arrival appears to calm Franco, at least for the moment.

“Let’s talk for a little while, Aria. I think you can answer some of my questions,” he says in a slick voice that does nothing to calm me. “Give me what I want, and I won’t kill you. If you don’t, I’ll put a bullet through your skull. Understand?”

Nodding, I don’t say anything because I can’t imagine what I could possibly know that would help him. I just know if he’s talking, then Franco isn’t hitting.

“Now tell me, where are Gideon Rule’s father and brother tonight?”

As I suspected, I don’t know the answer to his questions. But if I don’t give him something to keep him happy, Franco will begin punching me again.

“I think they went home,” I say, intentionally vague since I don’t know where home is for Helix or Alex.

“So they aren’t in the country anymore?” he asks as he pulls up a chair and sits down in front of me.

I slowly shake my head as I pray to God I’m not telling him something that will hurt Gideon or anyone in his family. “I don’t think so, but I don’t know. Nobody told me any of their plans.”

Marcello smiles like he’s happy with my answer. “You’re doing very well, Aria. Now tell me. What kind of security does Gideon have at the Villa Aurelia?”

What kind of security does he have? Do these men actually think anyone, including Gideon, ever included me in on discussions of topics like the security at the hotel? I barely left the penthouse until this week, and even then, I wasn’t clued in on the inner workings of the place.

“I don’t know. There’s a guard stationed outside the penthouse at all times. I know that. And there are guards positioned at all events. That I know. But otherwise, I don’t know where they are. I just know they’re there at all times.”

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