Page 16 of Depths of Hunger

“Did she? And why is that?” he asks as he takes the glass from my hand and downs the rest of it. Then he throws the glass at the stone wall where it shatters into a million pieces. I try not to show my fear but a small gasp escapes my mouth. I bite my tongue. I don’t want him to know his violence turns me on. Then he runs his hand down my arm, grabbing my hand and rubbing my palm with his thumb. My knees get weak.

“Well…” I lick my lips again. It’s so hard to focus. “Because if I step in as the head and still have the backing of both my family and yours, we keep our spot as the ruling family of Northern Italy. If one of the others steps up, they probably wouldn’t back down when you got out of prison.”

“I see.”

His gaze holds mine hostage. I can’t look away. His emerald eyes seem to glitter, glowing from within. “It only makes sense,” I finish lamely.

“Does it?” he asks. He runs his knuckle along my jawline again, and my nipples harden in response. “You were doing it for me? For our family?”

I nod, unable to speak, my mouth too dry.

Renzo’s knuckle trails down my neck and into the hollow between my breasts. His fingers glide back up until they encircle my throat. His eyes darken, turning a deep green as he begins to squeeze. “Did you set me up? Did you marry me so you could be the head of the families? Was this your plan all along?”

I try to answer, but I’m struggling to get air into my lungs. Hisfingers dig into the skin of my neck as he lifts me off the stool. Renzo knocks it away, the stool clattering to the floor as he backs me up against the island.

Renzo’s grip tightens, the pressure on my throat cutting off the last remnants of air. Panic surges through me, but the heat pooling low in my belly is undeniable. My body’s reaction to his dominance is as confusing as it is real. The gleam in his eyes tells me he sees it too—he sees everything, damn him.

“Answer me,gattina,” he demands, his voice low, dangerous. His face is inches from mine, and his breath warms my lips. A pulse pounds in my ears, the frantic rhythm matches the turmoil inside me.

“N-no,” I manage to choke out, the word barely audible. “I didn’t… I would never…”

His fingers loosen just enough for me to suck in a desperate breath, but he doesn’t let go. “You would never what?” His unyielding gaze locks on mine. “Never betray me? Never take what’s mine?”

My heart hammers a wild, desperate beat. “Never betray you,” I whisper. “I’m not like that. I was raised in this world. I know the consequences of betrayal. I would never do that.”

“No?” His grip tightens again, and a moan escapes me before I can stop it. His eyes glitter like hard-cut emeralds, a predatory gleam in them. “Not like the others who would use me to get what they want?”

“No,” I gasp. “I swear.”

His hand loosens, and he releases me suddenly, leaving me gasping for air. I clutch my throat, the imprint of his fingers still burning against my skin. My knees wobble, and I brace myself against the cool marble countertop to keep from collapsing.

Renzo watches me, his expression unreadable, though the tension in his body is unmistakable. He’s struggling—caught between anger and something else, something darker that stirs between us like a storm ready to break. His chest heaves with the force of his breathing, and for a moment, neither of us says anything, the silence thick with unspoken words. He leans against the cabinet and stares at me.

When I finally find my voice, it’s hoarse and trembling. “Renzo, I stepped up as I was taught to do. I didn’t want to take over, but myparents, my mother, demanded I do it, and she was right. It made sense. We want to keep control in our family.” I curse silently. Somewhere in the last twenty-four hours, I started thinking of Renzo and me as a ‘we.’

The admission hangs in the air between us, a bitter truth that neither of us can deny. The marriage was a strategic move—a way to secure alliances to protect our families. Love had no place in it. And yet… somewhere in the last day, I found myself wanting more. Wantinghim. But those feelings are dangerous, and in our world, weakness is unforgivable. Opening myself up to Renzo will only lead to heartbreak. I know that. I have seen it time and again. Only my mother has stood strong. She never loved my father but has always respected him. That’s the key, she says, to a successful marriage. All I know is that I want Renzo badly, but I also want a life. I’m not sure how to balance those things.

The silence stretches on, heavy and suffocating, until I can’t stand it any longer. “Renzo,” I say, my voice trembling. “I’m trying to make this work. For both of us. For our families.”

His expression hardens. “Trying to make it work?” he echoes, his voice incredulous. “By taking over the business behind my back? By stepping into a role that was never yours to begin with?”

“It was mine.” I spit out the truth as if it’s poison. My truth, the one I’ve been holding back for years, pretending it didn’t exist. “I should’ve been the one to take over but I was born a woman. My father wasn’t strong enough to solidify my place so I was married off to you. And I didn’t do anything to create the situation, but you can be fucking sure that, given the opportunity, I will step up. That’s all I did. You were in prison, Renzo. What was I supposed to do? Let everything fall apart? I had to act—I had to protect what’s ours.”

“Ours,” he repeats, his voice dripping with disdain. “Tell me,gattina, what exactly is ours? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like everything is slipping through my fingers. I’m in prison for less than twenty-four hours and the whole world mobilized against me.”

I feel the stress inside me release and turn to anger. I am done withcowering. “That’s not true. We mobilized to save your ass. Angelo and the rest of your people worked to get you out of prison while presenting a united front. You know how this works. Show weakness and it’s over. You weren’t installed as head of the families for more than half a dozen hours before you were in prison. If I hadn’t stepped up. someone else would’ve, andwewould have lost everything. Yes,we.I am in this too. I might not have had a choice but that doesn’t mean I’m going to walk away from it. I’m not some weak pathetic woman. Get used to it.”

Suddenly, I realize everything I said is true. I had been forming an escape plan, but honestly, staying in this marriage gives me better options. This situation has awakened ambition in me. It was time to start thinking of it as a business not as a marriage. I am good at business. I can make this work.

Renzo pulls me to him and spins so my back is against the cabinet. His lips hover just above mine, and I can feel the tension simmering between us, a dangerous current that could either pull us together or rip us apart. I decide it’s time to take control.

“Kiss me,” I whisper, my voice trembling. I won’t beg but I will tell him what I want. What do I have to lose?

For a moment, he hesitates, his eyes locked on mine. Then, with a low growl, he closes the distance between us, his lips crashing against mine in a kiss that’s anything but gentle. It’s fierce, demanding, full of all the anger and frustration we’ve been holding back. But beneath it, there’s something else—something raw and desperate, a need that neither of us can deny.

I melt into him, my hands tangling in his hair as I kiss him back with everything I have. The taste of champagne lingers on our tongues, mingling with the heat of the moment, the fire that’s been smoldering between us for far too long. His hands roam over my body, possessive and rough, as if he’s trying to claim me, to remind me that I belong to him now.

I do. God help me, I do. Heat pools between my legs. That’s the only way this is going to work. We have to be a team. A united front that is impenetrable. Show no weakness.

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