Page 29 of Now and Forever

“She is.” It was the final word.

Near midnight, Dario stood and reached for my hand. He didn’t need words to tell me what he wanted. His stony façade of indifference had morphed throughout the night. Each kiss. Each look. Each display of his possessive nature. They all combined in a melting cauldron of desire, his wanton hunger glistening within his dark orbs.

“Bed her,” Dante said. “Bed her.”

I closed my eyes, expecting the same chant as with the kisses; instead, there was silence. Dario’s expression quieted even his brother. Clinging tightly to his hand, I let Dario lead me away from the remaining guests up the staircase and toward a wing of the house I hadn’t seen.

Releasing my hand, Dario opened the double doors to a beautiful bedroom. “Mrs. Luciano.” He gestured inside.

Was this how those queens felt as they walked up to the executioner?

I stepped inside and Dario closed the door.

ChapterNine

Catalina

The clicks of the door’s locking mechanism reverberated throughout the bedroom suite, reiterating that Dario and I were alone. Fighting the growing panic, I inhaled, turning a complete circle and taking in the room. Large windows displayed our reflections. My breathing hitched at the sight of the large king-sized bed. Doubts and worries filled my thoughts.

How many women had Dario brought to this bedroom? Women who knew what they were doing, or maybe women who didn’t want to be here. I’d convinced myself I was prepared for what was about to happen, but as the blood drained from my body to my feet, even I couldn’t believe the lie.

Em’s warning came back to me. ‘The whore was in bad shape. Dario paid extra for her missed work.’

My movement stopped as I was once again facing Dario, still standing near the double doors. The unreadable expression from earlier was gone, replaced by a possessive, predatory aura. The deal was done. The cartel did its part, giving the famiglia a sacrificial virgin. Such as a lamb ready for slaughter or perhaps a queen waiting for her execution, I was now left defenseless.

Removing his jacket, Dario exposed his white linen shirt and the holster strapped over his shoulder. Taking out the gun, he set the safety and laid the weapon on a nearby table.

“You felt the need to be armed at your own wedding?” I asked.

Dario’s grin inched higher. “The only places I’m unarmed is in my bed and shower.” Removing his tie, he laid it and the holster next to the gun and came my way.

I craned my neck upward to maintain eye contact, unwilling to show my fear.

“What about you, Catalina? When and where do you let down your guard?”

“I’m not armed.”

My body tensed as Dario reached for my shoulders. Yet despite my concern, his touch was gentle. “What I told you before is accurate. I believe in honesty in a relationship. It’s the most important quality.”

I swallowed.

“I chose you, not only because Roríguez promised my father you were beautiful and untouched but also because I saw a fire in you that I respect. Did I misread you?”

A fire.

When I didn’t answer, he continued, “Honesty, Catalina. You’re standing as if you’re ready to bolt or to fight and at the same time, I sense a frightened doe. It’s true I’m the predator, one who knows the stench of fear. I’ve smelled it from men before I kill them, enemies and famiglia alike. I trust very few people.”

“Is that what you’re going to do—kill me now that the deal is done?”

He scoffed. “That would be counterproductive to our marriage, don’t you think?”

“I have fire.” I met his dark gaze. “I also have a sense of self-preservation. The second dictates when I show the first.”

Dario nodded. “You wore white, making my mother and the other women in the famiglia very happy. That’s self-preservation.”

“I wore white because I’ve never been with a man.”

Dario released my shoulders and took a step back. “You’ve been to college. Surely you dated?”

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