Page 68 of Massimo

Her breaths are shallow little pants, and her pupils are fully blown now.

"Every. Last. Drop. Of my cum goes into you, Nova. And we need to get you on a contraceptive first."

Her slender throat bobs as she swallows. She is clearly aroused, but darkness passes over her face. "Why would you want a snake's spawn?"

Bile pushes into my throat, and panic flares within me that she somehow overheard my false words to Vito.

And I didn't mean those fucking words; I only said them to throw my predator brother off the scent of potential prey.

I've referred to her father as a snake before,I try to rationalize her specific choice of phrase. And both my office and the safe room are soundproof.

Her dark look eases. "I don't want an illegitimate child, either, Massimo. Once this is all over with my father, the Mancinis and Santoros are done. Your family will be free of my kind."

She says it so matter-of-factly, it shreds my heart inside my chest. "Nova…That's not what I meant."

Her smile is sad as she cups my face. "We are who we are, Massimo. Your family will never want a Mancini around; I wouldn't either, even if a quarter of what you suspect my father is guilty of is true.

"All I ask is that, once this is over, if I'm still alive"—more bile pushes into my throat at her words and her look of acceptance—"I just ask that I might be able to live my life in peace. To be free of all the monsters."

The last words are said with a broken whisper.

On the inside, I'm screaming and raging, 'Hell no!' because there's one monster she'll never be free of, but I'm outwardly stoic. I'm more convinced than ever of my plan.

"Are you already on a contraceptive, princess?"

Even if she is, I'm still not having sex with her tonight. One, because I want her to have time to decide if this is what she actually wants. And two, because in less than twelve hours, I'm leaving on a plane for a few days and won't have her feeling abandoned and used.

Another dark look passes over her features, but she shakes her head and looks away.

I gently turn her face back to me. She doesn't try to turn from me again, but she still won't meet my gaze.

"No more hiding from me, Nova. What is it?" When she doesn't answer, I press, "Is it about the contraceptive?"

She finally glances at me, and there's pain that she's trying to hide. "My father always told me my purpose was to serve my master and be bred by him."

That motherfucking son-of-a-bitch.

I'm going to rip Silvestro Mancini apartslowlyand make it as fucking painful as possible.

Her eyes shimmer with tears, but she fights them back. There's still pain there, along with something else—she's not telling me all of what's weighing on her about this.

"Nova. Please, what is it?"

Her eyes lift to study me for a long moment. "When you forced me to strip…"

God, if there was one thing I could take back in my life, it's that moment.

"You asked me if I shaved…my…"

I understand the something else that's in her eyes now: shame. I understand because it's raging inside me.

"I was wrong to do that." I nearly choke on the words. "And to say what I said."

"I was forced to get lasered…" She speaks through uneven, stilted breaths. "For my future…husband."

"Fuck." I hang my head. The only thing that could make this worse was if I were the one who forced her. "I'm so fucking sorry, Nova. Can you ever forgive me?"

I lift my head, to beg her for forgiveness, but the hope in her beautiful big eyes makes me lose all words. Then that fragile hope fades, and her walls are coming back up.

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