Page 63 of Forbidden Sins

Without thinking about it, my feet lead me down the path to the rose lattices. I pause in front of them, my chest tightening as I stare at the spot where Sebastian kissed me for the first time. The crushed roses have been clipped away, the vines once again pristine. Their scent fills the air, and I close my eyes, breathing them in. Tears prick the corners of my eyes as I wonder if Sebastian has slipped away yet, if he’s already driving away from here, putting mile after mile between us with every rose-scented breath that I take.

The sound of footsteps on the stone makes me spin around, my eyes flying open. For one desperate moment, I think it might be Sebastian, and my heart drops when I see Vito walking toward me, his eyes gleaming with intent.

“I thought we could use a moment alone,bella.” He closes the distance between us too rapidly, his hands on my arms before I can gather myself enough to move away. “There are so many people inside, aren’t there? I want you all to myself, for a little while.”

His grip on my arms is firm, and he turns me before I can try to stop him, moving me back into the shadows.Not here, is my first thought, my senses swimming with the scent of the roses and the panic that Vito being this close makes me feel.He can’t have this. He can’t take this memory away from me.

But I can’t fight, even though I desperately want to. I feel his fingers pressing into my upper arms, the promise of strength there if I tried to get away, and I wonder what the point is. If I fight, he’ll force what he wants, and he’ll take it anyway.

I don’t want him to destroy this. Not this spot, where Sebastian and I?—

“No.” I try to twist away, reaching up to push at his chest. “No, Vito, please—I want to go back inside.”

“You wanted to come out here so badly a few minutes ago.” His breath is hot, scented with alcohol, and I can’t stop myself from cringing away as he brushes his lips against my jaw. “Why is that,bella? Were you hoping you’d find your guard out here waiting for you?”

“No.” I shake my head desperately as he slides one hand down my arm, gripping my wrist as he moves my hand to his groin. “No, I just was overwhelmed. I wanted to bealonefor a minute, Vito—please?—”

“I told you that I planned to teach you how to please me,bella. And what would please me right now is my fiancée showing me how badly she wants to touch me.”

He presses my hand against his erection, trapping it there. He pulls back just enough to look into my eyes, his dark with lust and a warning too. “You should try to please me, Estella. If you keep disobeying, it will only get worse for you.”

I close my eyes, tears burning behind the lids as Vito starts to move my hand against him, on the outside of his suit trousers. I know it will only be a moment before he escalates things, and I don’t know how to get out of this, how to stop this nightmare that I’m trapped in?—

“Get your fucking hands off of her, you piece of shit.”

21

SEBASTIAN

Icouldn’t leave her.

I know she thought she was doing the right thing, telling me to go. And it was a smart plan, on the surface. I’m well aware that if Vito isn’t going to allow me to go with Estella to her new marital home, Antony Gallo isn’t going to just cut me loose and let me go on with my life. That’s been a ticking clock since I got caught out here kissing Estella in the roses, and the only real question has been whether my death will come quick or slow.

Leaving while everyone, including her father, was occupied with the announcement might have worked. Antony might even have been convinced to let me go if his daughter capitulated fully to his wishes. Estella was ready to sacrifice herself so that I could live a life free of all of this, and while that told me more clearly than any words ever could how she feels about me, that’s not what I promised her.

I promised I’d protect her, no matter what. That I wouldn’t leave her side.

And it’s a damn good thing that I didn’t.

The moment I saw her go out into the gardens, it took everything in me not to follow her, not to repeat what happenedat the last party. When I saw Vito follow her, I knew I had to make sure that she was safe.

When I saw him grab her, when I saw his hands on her, I fucking snapped.

The moment I see him shove her hand against his cock, I lunge forward. “Get your fucking hands off of her, you piece of shit,” I snarl, grabbing the back of his suit jacket with one hand as I haul him backwards, away from Estella, who is cringing against the lattice as if she’d rather die than let him touch her for another moment.

“You—” Vito starts to growl something into my face, twisting around, but I don’t give him the chance. I don’t want to hear what he has to fucking say.

I draw my fist back, driving it into his face hard, knocking him to the ground. I follow him down, punching once, twice, a third time, until he’s out cold, blood dripping down his face from his nose and mouth.

With Vito unconscious, I go straight for Estella.

She’s gripping the lattice with one hand, looking at me as if she’s never seen me before, her body trembling so hard that her knees look as if they’re about to give out. I catch her before they can, my arm going around her waist as I pull her up against me, pushing her hair gently away from her face.

“You were supposed to leave,” she gasps. “You were supposed to be gone by now?—”

“I couldn’t.” I look down at her beautiful face, her wide, dark eyes staring up at me. “I couldn’t leave you.”

Estella’s eyes go glassy with unshed tears. “My father will kill you?—”

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