Page 13 of Tower of Temptations

"Do you?" He moved closer, and I caught that expensive cologne that made my head spin. "Like what?"

I hesitated, then decided to risk it. "How big is this place? Do you live here alone?"

His lips curved slightly at my obvious fishing. "The compound spans several acres to the shore. And no," his voice took on an edge, "my father still maintains the west wing. He's the Barbieri family head, though he never seems to trust my judgment."

Something in his tone made me want to know more. "And the others? The men who..." I gestured vaguely at myself, not wanting to say 'kidnapped me.'

"They have their own places in the city." He settled into the chair across from me, every movement controlled yet somehow predatory. "But there are plenty of rooms here for when business requires their presence. Like now."

The way he looked at me when he said 'business' sent heat flooding through my body.

"It must be nice," I said carefully, "having so much space. Vittorio kept everything... contained."

I found myself leaning forward slightly. "Why am I really here, Giuliano? What do you want from Vittorio?"

Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. "Your stepfather has taken things that don't belong to him. Territory. Operations." He paused, studying me with an intensity that made my breath catch. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"I suspected." I wrapped my arms around myself, remembering the snippets of conversations I'd overheard in Vittorio's tower."The port operations especially. He claimed they were always his, but..."

"But they weren't." His voice hardened.

"And now you want them back?" I asked carefully.

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Smart girl. Though perhaps you don't need to concern yourself with all the details."

"I am the detail, aren't I?" I met his gaze steadily. "Your leverage against him."

He leaned forward, close enough that I caught another wave of that intoxicating cologne. "You could be more than that, Pearl. Much more."

"What do you mean?"

"That's enough questions for now." His tone carried a finality that made me shiver. Not from fear—from something else entirely. "Though if you run out of reading material, we do have quite an extensive family library. First editions of classics, some rare romance collections..."

My eyes lit up before I could stop myself. "Can I see it?" The words tumbled out eagerly before I caught myself, lowering my head. Of course I couldn't—I was a captive, not a guest.

A low chuckle made me look up. "If you behave... maybe." His eyes gleamed with something that looked almost like amusement. "It's not like you're going anywhere, with all our guards and security systems. Those electronic locks are quite... thorough."

I watched him rise, his movements fluid and controlled like a predator's. At the door, he paused, glancing back at me. "Enjoy your breakfast. The twins seem very invested in your comfort."

There was something in his voice—possessiveness maybe?—that made my cheeks warm. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone with my cooling coffee and racing thoughts.

I drifted to the window, watching waves crash against the shore below. Could I run? The thought came automatically, like breathing. The guard rotation, the blind spots in the security cameras, the staff patterns—my mind was already mapping it all out. Giuliano had mentioned over breakfast how close we were to Providence. Just thirty-five minutes on the main roads.

I could go to Ella. She was my only real friend, the only one who might help without asking questions. But with no money, no car... And Vittorio had frozen my accounts the second I'd vanished. Going to Mills Creek would only put her in danger.

I pressed my forehead against the cool glass. The guards below looked like toy soldiers from up here, pacing their precise patterns. Another prison, just like my tower in Providence. The thought of going back there made my stomach clench. No. Whatever this place was, whatever game the twins were playing, it wasn't that suffocating hell.

Maybe that was the most dangerous thing of all—this illusion of freedom. This taste of what life could be.

For now, I needed to stay here. Figure out my next move. Build up resources. Maybe even understand what these men really wanted. The compound was safe enough, at least until I had a real plan.

My mind drifted to those snake tattoos I kept glimpsing. The way they all tensed when their father was mentioned, that flash of something dark in their eyes. Giuliano's casual power, Nico's quiet intensity... There were so many layers here, so many secrets.

Heat pooled low in my belly as I caught myself tracing the window's cool surface, lost in thoughts of them. Of all the questions I shouldn't want to ask, all the answers I shouldn't crave to know.

And I wondered if I'd already crossed a line I couldn't uncross.

9

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