Page 259 of Kissing the Villain

“Oh, my God, girl.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “How did you survive those animals?”

“I knew Luca would come. I told myself it would all be over soon. It helped that they kept me sedated between beatings.”

She shook her head, eyes wide.

“There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Aiden rose from his chair, towering over me. Kali had a few inches on me, but my brother was still tall.

“You must be the twin brother I have heard so much about,” Kali beamed with a smile.

Aiden extended his hand. “That’s me. And you must be Kali.”

Instead of shaking his hand, Kali wrapped her arms around him. “It’s so nice to meet you, Aiden. I’m glad you’re alive.”

“Me too,” he said with laughter in his tone. “If it weren’t for Salvatore saving my ass, I don’t know if I would even be here right now.”

“So I’ve been told,” I chimed. “Seems your need for danger caught up to you after all. If only you’d listened to your sister, who is older and wiser.”

He smirked. “Some lessons you need to learn on your own. That was one of them.”

“Are you hungry?” Luca asked me.

“I can eat,” Aiden answered.

I nodded.

“How about a liquid lunch?” Kali suggested with a big smile plastered on her face.

Luca rolled his eyes. “Drink whatever you want, but Alex needs her strength.”

“Loosen your tie,” I fired back at him. “It won’t kill you to have some fun with us.”

Everyone stared at Luca, awaiting his response.

“Fine. I’ll get the wine from the cellar.”

I held out my hand. “Need some help from Betty Boner?”

My fake Bond girl persona.

Luca smirked. “Always.”

“What the fuck?” Aiden groaned.

Kali laughed. “Betty Boner? I want to know the story behind the name.”

“Inside joke,” I told her as Luca led me toward the house. “We’ll be right back.”

95

ALEX

Luca ledme through the hallway by the hand, taking one turn after another until we descended the stairs into the basement. A chill rolled down my arms when my feet hit the bottom landing. For a moment, the stone floor brought me back to the room where my kidnappers tortured me. Only time and distance would heal the physical and emotional wounds those monsters left behind.

I stopped to catch my bearings, and Luca tugged on my hand.

He noticed my hesitation and slid his fingers beneath my chin. “What’s wrong, beautiful?”

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