Page 39 of Unforgivable Ties

He won the game. The other players tried not to be sore losers, and muttered their goodbyes as they walked away from the table, leaving their precious artifacts behind.

“I noticed you watching,” the man said.

All the people had dispersed, and I was the only one left around. I checked over my shoulder, just to be safe.

“Ah, yeah,” I said sheepishly. “I haven’t really seen anything like this before, so I couldn’t help but gawk.”

He stood up and walked towards me, his movements lithe and predatory, his icy gaze never leaving mine. With every step he took towards me, my heart pounded with more anxiety.

“Well,” he said, his voice as smooth as aged whiskey. “There’s a first time for everything.”

“Yeah...”

“David,” he said, extending his hand to me.

“I’m Stephanie,” I responded, somewhat hesitantly as I took his offered hand.

“Stephanie,” he rolled my name as though tasting it, “Are you interested in history, Stephanie?”

“It’s alright. I prefer medical things, mostly.”

“Oh? Do you happen to work with The Surgeon?”

The way he said “The Surgeon” made it sound like a person rather than a title. I had a feeling this “Surgeon” was an underground doctor, perhaps doing things darker than what Cesare and I did.

“Sorry, I don’t quite follow. I’m just a medical student.”

“Of course; my mistake,” David said. He changed his tone to something more light as he dropped the subject. “Tell me, Stephanie, what are you doing tonight?”

My stomach twisted in knots. The hungry look in his eyes told me he wanted to take me home, but there was nowhere I wanted to go with this man. The idea of having sex with him repulsed me, and I got the feeling he was also very dangerous. But not in the same way as Vincenzo; this man would throw me to the wolves if needed, while Vincenzo would always watch over me.

“I’m here with someone,” I said firmly, so he would get the hint and not push the subject any further.

“Leave him,” he ran his hand up the side of my ribcage and grazed over my breast.

Before I could think it through, I slapped him. My hand stung from the impact, but I got so much satisfaction from it. Who did this man think he was, groping a woman he had met five minutes ago?

Patrons close to us turned to look, murmuring to each other after witnessing the spectacle. David looked taken aback for a moment, before pure rage painted his face.

He backhanded me, the impact of the blow turning my head sideways. I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth, a searing pain originating from my swollen lip.

“How dare you?” he hissed. “Do you know who I am?”

I was pissed. Stars danced across my vision as I steadied myself. I didn’t give a fuck who this man was; he was not going to get away with touching me. But before I could lunge forward, a powerful arm wrapped around my waist.

I already knew who it was. I had memorized the tattoos on Vincenzo’s tree trunk of an arm and could even recognize them out of the corner of my eye.

“Lemme go!” I said, squirming in his grasp. David was going to pay for what he did, no matter who he was.

“Ah, Vincenzo,” David said snootily. “I was just talking to this woman when she attacked me. You really need to be more selective with who you let down here.”

“Look at me.” Vincenzo’s tone left no room for negotiation.

I turned and looked at him with blurry vision, my eyes welling up with tears. With a rough, yet gentle hand, he gingerly touched my bleeding lip where David had struck me and I flinched.

“He hurt you,” he stated, his dark eyes aflame with a fiery intensity.

I nodded, shamefully looking at the floor. I was embarrassed that I was too weak to protect myself from an asshole like David.

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