Page 52 of Wicked Games of Desire

I give him side-eye, wondering what he’s talking about. “What the hell?”

“She’s still in there. Sassy Harley. I thought we might have broken you.”

I flip him the bird, then pull my legs up so I’m staring out the side window facing away from him. The view is a much safer option to look at than the pretty-boy doctor laughing next to me.

Silence falls over us again, and he turns up the radio, and some nineties pop song I don’t know the name of spits through the speakers. I close my eyes and rest my head on the window.

“You don’t know what you mean to him. To us.” His voice is softer this time.

I huff, my eyes flicking back open abruptly. As if I mean anything real to him. I’m his ticket to all the power he wants. That’s it.

“He loves you.”

I stiffen, my heart kicking up a beat. Is he talking about my brother now or Alessandro?

His hand comes to my thigh, and I shift my attention toward him, wondering what he wants from me.

His eyes meet mine just for a second, then they’re back on the road. “He’s been in love with you for years. Since your papa found the two of you together and sent you away. This wedding isn’t just about him, it’s about you both.”

I look him over, wondering why he’s confessing all this to me today. Was it an order from his boss or is he trying to help out of the kindness of his own heart? His eyes flick to me again. “Oh yeah? He has a funny way of showing it. Control isn’t love,” I snip back, making sure he’s crystal clear where I stand on the topic.

If he loved me so much, why hasn’t he made any attempt to fix things between us? For the last two nights he’s slept right there in the bed next to me, but he might as well have been on the other side of the country because we never once touched or said a word to each other.

“He doesn’t want to control you. He’s been backed into a corner. He’s trying to do the right thing.”

I huff again, not believing a word of this shit. Actions speak louder than words, and his actions tell me all I need to know. He’s in this for himself, just like my papa was. Just like his father is. And I’m sure both Ricky and Maddox are as well. I don’t know what exactly they get out of all this, but it has to be something for themto be so loyal to the family. I guess the perks of all the money they could imagine and all the fancy toys that come with it must sweeten the deal.

“If he wanted to control you, do you think he would allow you to have a relationship with me? Or Maddox?”

That little complication has me curious. I always wondered how a control freak like him would be so happy to share.

“He loves you, and he knows we do as well.” His lips turn up as he says the last part.

A strange tingle runs through me. Is Ricky admitting to being in love with me? What the actual fuck is going on in this car today?

He shuts off the engine, and I realize he’s parked. His hand brushes my face. “Baby doll, you know it’s true.”

I glance back at him, my forehead creasing. “No. This isn’t love. I don’t know what it is, but it’s not love. If it was, then that would make me just as twisted as the rest of you.”

“Maybe you’re just that fucked up.” He smirks, his piercing eyes filled with playfulness again. His hand moves away from my face, and he steps out of the car, coming around my side to let me out.

I step onto the street, my head still spinning from that little nugget of fuckery. He takes my hand before I can stop him and leads me toward a stunning bridal gown boutique.

“Where the hell are we?” I ask, glancing down the street I don’t recognize. A main street of some kind, with just a few shops and cafes lining the sidewalks.

“In the middle of nowhere,” he answers me cryptically.

“Looks like it,” I mutter. But as we step inside the store, I’m overwhelmed with the beauty of the gowns on display. The town might be a nothing sort of a country town, but this place looks like it belongs in the city. I glance around, my eyes wide, wondering what dress Alessandro has selected for me.

A stylish woman in her late thirties wearing an elegant white pantsuit approaches us. “Can I help you, dear?” Her ruby lips form a sweet smile.

“We have an appointment,” Ricky says for me. Because of course I’m not capable of talking for myself anymore.

“Ahh, Miss Harley. I’ve been excited to meet the girl who’s stolen Alessandro’s heart.”

I cringe as she says it. Why do people keep saying that? It couldn’t be further from the truth. He stole me, yes, and locked me up with a fucking tracker in my arm so I can’t escape, but I haven’t stolen anything from him.

“I’m Lauren. I’ll take care of you today.” She looks me over with kind eyes. “You’re every bit as beautiful as he described you.”

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