Page 26 of Surprise Pregnancy for Villain

I look down at her bare feet as they dangle off the edge of the bed and see the angry welts that the plastic ties have left on her ankles. How do I make her understand I’m saving her from a situation much worse than she’s in now? I need to change tack.

“Congratulations on freeing your feet. They look sore.” I bend down and touch my fingertips to the affected skin, but she flinches in response and jerks away. “I’m sorry I had to tie you up,” I say. “It was for your own good. I said I won’t hurt you, and I meant it, so let me help you. Make you feel better.”

“I’ll feel better when I’m the hell out of here,” she snarls.

With a sigh, I drop into a crouch so that her eye level is above mine, hoping it might defuse her combative demeanor. “You don’t understand. Out there, your life is in jeopardy. In here with me, you’re safe. No harm will come to you.”

She doesn’t say anything but still looks unconvinced. I reach out again, this time firmly wrapping my hand around her ankle, my fingertips nearly touching as they encircle it, the delicate bones shifting in my grasp. Her skin feels chilled. “You’re cold,” I comment, as I start to gently massage the angry red marks. She allows it, though her face still registers mistrust and suspicion. I press the palm of my other hand to the sole of her foot to warm it, softly kneading the pressure points with my thumb. She seems to relax a bit, closing her eyes briefly as I switch to her other foot and repeat my ministrations. “Better?”

“Yes,” she says, after a pause. I look down at her foot, which looks pretty small compared to my hands; brutal hands that can kill in an instant but can also deliver exquisite pleasure—

No. No, no, no.

There’s no thinking of pleasure when you’re touching her like this.

“I have to leave again,” I say, continuing to rub her ankles and massage the pads of her feet. “But I will be back. I suggest you make yourself comfortable until then. Take a shower, and I’ll bring fresh clothes when I return. If there’s something else you want me to bring, tell me now.”

Nicki’s eyes open to small slits. “How about my phone?”

I snort a laugh. “Nice try.”

“Then leave,” she says, sounding disgusted. “I want nothing from you. Just leave me in peace.” She turns her face away and looks toward the window as if dismissing me from her presence.

“Fine,” I say, releasing her foot. If she wants to play the Princess in the Tower, so be it, but as I start to get up, she lunges at me like a tiger on an antelope, claws out and goes straight for my face. She almost knocks us both to the ground, but my reflexes are honed from years of fist fights, and in a few quick movements, I have her spun around and her arms pinned behind her back.

“You’re hurting me,” she mutters, soft pants coming from her mouth.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but youwilldo as I say. You decide.”

“Go to hell!” she cries through gritted teeth.

Fucking hell. I thought we’d made some progress just now. No, we’re still stuck at the starting point.

With a frustrated sigh, I release her in the direction of the bed and quickly back my way out of the room. I barely get the door latched before she’s pounding on it from the other side. “You let me out of here, you nutjob! “I’m a Borelli, and I’ll have the family curse put on you! Let me out of here, now!”

“I’m sorry, no can do. In time, you’ll understand.”

“Fuck you!”

I lean my back against the door, my temple throbbing again, absorbing her barrage of blows until they begin to weaken and slow, her screams dissolving into exhausted sobs. Only then do I move away, the echo of her cries ringing in my ears. I don’t want to leave, but I must because of family obligations, and in a way, also of hers. It won’t be long before they turn up the heat against all the mob factions in the territory, looking for her. But I knew what I signed up for, from the moment I pulled her from the back of that car. I’m going to see this through, no matter what it takes. I have to throw all of them off the scent and make my father and brother abandon their plan. How, I don’t know. As usual, I’ll find a way.

Pushing the speed limit, I drive back to the city and back to our estate. I’m barely inside the door when Alessandro accosts me.

“Decided to show up, eh?” he says, looking me up and down. “You look like shit, brother. What the fuck happened to your face?”

I glance in a mirror that hangs above an oak credenza in the foyer.She got me good.A rosy bruise blossoms under the scratched and swelling lump on my left temple. “She was a wild one,” I comment. “Likes to play rough.”

“Another reason you’re unfit to rule the clan,” he jeers. “Imagine a weak woman doing this to you.”

I ignore the comment, consider my reflection in the mirror, almost not recognizing the face staring back at me. The swelling aside, my eyes are hollowed from lack of sleep. I haven’t shaved since yesterday. The unruly bull’s forelock I normally take pains to groom away drapes down over my forehead. I’ve been careless with my appearance. Unacceptable.

“Next time, tie her up,” Alessandro says . I look at him sideways, tempted to break his nose. “And get your shit together. Stefano’s looking for you.”

“What for? Aren’t you the one on assignment? Worry about your own shit,” I call after him as he walks off, his arm upraised and flipping me the bird.

After straightening up, I make my way upstairs to my father’s office and find the Don seated behind his desk, talking on his phone. He waves me in as I close the heavy paneled door behind me. I take a seat opposite his desk while he finishes his call.

Stefano disconnects and swivels to face me directly. He sets the phone down with an air of finality and rests both hands on his massive marble desktop as he looks at me with his unnerving and intense stare that has turned the knees of many an adversary to jelly.

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