Page 108 of Sin & Sapphire

“Because she’s a cousin of yours—a Russo. And the only reason she’s still alive is that you’ve been murdering Tchérnov’s bastards while I’ve been away.”

“She called Ana a slut?” Luca murmured.

“Sir,” I whispered, tugging on my master’s pants, hoping I’d spoken so quietly Luca couldn’t hear me. “She’s practically a child—young and foolish and doesn’t know any better.”

“You never got the luxury of being a child in the Costa household, did you, baby?” Luca’s voice softened. Fuck, he’d heard me. “Shoot her, Costa. I’ll clean up afterward.”

“No!” I shot to my feet. “Don’t fucking shoot her.”

I stood between the barrel of his gun and Chloe, my heart pounding out of my chest with the realization that Angelo had defended me without giving a thought to the consequences. Because he didn’t care. I was his priority. Always.

“Angel,” he growled, his grey eyes furious.

I stepped forward, pushing the gun down so I could press up against him with fucking hearts in my eyes. “Please, sir, for me.”

Angelo’s glare promised retribution, but he lowered his gun.

“Chloe, get the fuck out of here,” I snapped.

“My angel needs everything,” he said to the quickly retreating woman. “So bring everything for her to try on.”

“Wait.” Luca’s voice cracked out over the phone. “You said you were buying clothes for Ana?”

Angelo’s smile was cruel. “Starting with the most important bits.”

Luca scoffed. “I’m sure.”

Moments later, Chloe returned with armfuls of lingerie and shoved them into my arms, before disappearing out the door again.

Angelo defended me.

He defended me to someone who worked for the Russos. He threatened to kill her and spark a war between our families. Again. Because he didn’t like that silly child calling me a slut.

And so did Luca.

The wound in my chest cracked right open and let the light of their affection for me in.

I stood in the middle of the dressing room, Angelo sprawled out on the couch, my arms full of lace and silk confections, unable to breathe with the realization that nobody had ever fucking done that for me before.

Certainly not my father.

My brain ran in circles as I tried on sets of panties and bras, unable to stop myself from wondering if Angelo would like what he saw. Would Luca, if he saw me now, wearing underpinnings designed to catch and hold the attention of men?

And yet, Angelo didn’t barge in on me when I disappeared behind a door to change. He didn’t leer at me as I walked back and forth to show off the lingerie. He didn’t even assert his authority and make sure I bought exactly what he wanted me to wear.

What was wrong? I’d given him everything last night. Fuckingeverything. And he’d defended me. He threatened to kill someone for me. And now he was ignoring me so he could dick around on his phone.

Didn’t he want me? Wasn’t my fuckability what all of this was about? His stupid obsession and his stupid need to keep me obedient and under his stupid thumb?

Hurt streaked through me, insidious and cruel, and I didn’t stop to think about why it was so painful to think about him turning his attention elsewhere.

How dare he use me, defend me, and then discard me because his phone was more interesting than me?

I narrowed my eyes, then stalked out past him to the shop. A small part of me recognized that I was acting out because I was insecure and unhappy. The larger part of me said fuck it. He knew what he was getting when he kidnapped me, and if he thought I was changing for him, he could fuck right off with that.

I grabbed a couple of sets of outrageously revealing lingerie—the kind meant to be seen, not worn under clothes, then walked back into the changing room.

Black. I’d wear black to suit my darkening mood. When I’d finished dressing, I looked in the mirror. Fuck, I looked good. Long legs in sheer black stockings, garters that dug into my barely covered ass when I bent over. I winced at the curly hair that continued to grow between my legs. I’d have to get waxed.

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