Page 37 of Desire and Revenge

He’s as still and silent as a statue as he watches me freak out. My hands are shaking too much to up the buttons on my dress.

With a cry of dismay, I race past Nero, hands clutching the front of my dress together. I don’t stop running till I’ve burst into my bedroom and turned the lock on the door.

Oh God.

The bedside lamp suddenly comes on and I let out a startled shriek.

Sebastian raises his head from the bed and stares at me. “Where were you?”

I clutch at my dress nervously and clear my throat. “I was out for a walk alone, and then it began to rain, and I had to wait it out, but it was getting late, and so?—”

“Christ, woman, I didn’t ask for a rundown of the entire night. Take a shower and come to bed.”

My stomach drops to the ground as I inch towards the bathroom, because I don’t think I can bear my husband’s touch tonight. Obediently, I step into the bathroom and take a shower robotically, trying to keep Nero and the unbelievable pleasure his hands had brought me out of my mind.

By the time I walk back into the bedroom in a pale green nightdress, I’m a nervous wreck.

I slide into the side of the bed as far from Sebastian as possible and then I wait for him to reach for me, prepared to do my duty. My heart only resumes beating at its normal pace when I hear a soft snore coming from his direction.

I let out a sigh of relief and then lay wide-eyed for a long time in the dark, thinking about the one man I shouldn’t be thinking about.

CHAPTER 12

Sofia

“Princess.” His lips brush against my jaw, and a sigh escapes me. “Wake up, Princess.”

“I don’t want to,” I murmur breathlessly. “I?—”

Dream Nero’s brow furrows, and his next words cut through the haze. “Wake up!”

I shoot up in bed and the first thing I notice is that I can’t breathe. I cough as smoke begins to pour into my nostrils and mouth.

What the hell is going on? I can barely see ahead of me with how thick the smoke in the room is, and I know I should be trying to escape, but my body has frozen with panic.

“Sofia! Sofia!”

I raise my head, eyes flaying around the room to pinpoint my husband’s location. “Sebastian?”

“Sebastian…” I cough. “I’m here. What’s going on?”

“Why are you still in there? Get out!” he shouts urgently.

“Where are you?” I cough, the smoke clouding my senses. Finally detangling myself from the bed sheets and staggering to my feet, arm over my nose.

I hear someone rattling at a door, but it’s not from the direction of the front door. Why is Sebastian trying to open the door to the adjourning room?

I cough again, forcing the words out. “What are you doing? We need to leave.”

“I’m not repeating myself,” he snaps. “Get out. Now!”

I’m beginning to feel lightheaded from the smoke, and the voices that are screaming my husband’s name from outside the room sound like they’re coming from miles and miles away. Feeling around for a wall, I cling to it and start to make my way out of the room.

“Vittoria, I’m coming for you!” I hear Sebastian roar.

My eyebrows fly up.Vittoria?

I finally get my hands on the handle of the front door and unlock it. The door swings open violently, nearly knocking me over. I shift back in time as people burst into the room, throwing the smoke-filled room into even more pandemonium.

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