Page 64 of His to Ruin

“Yes.”

“Silly man!” Renata shakes her head. “Only a shallow fool would care about that. What should I do?”

“Ask him to dance.”

Renata bites her bottom lip. “It’s not proper, is it?”

“Who gives a shit about proper.”

I get up and leave her to think about it. As I resume my seat at the table my sisters-in-law have now all vacated to dance with my brothers, I turn to see Renata approaching Jimmy. They talk for a moment and then they get up and he leads her to the dance floor. He scowls at me as they pass me, but he’s not really mad.

“I saw what you did.” Piotr appears behind me and nods toward Jimmy.

“You’re not going to tell me off for interfering, are you?”

“No, I’m going to ask my wonderful, considerate wife to dance.”

We get up and join the thirty or so others on the dance floor. My mother hired a band that’s playing an eclectic mix of songs. I don’t know the one they’re playing right now, but it has a slow, sultry tempo. I put my hands on Piotr’s shoulders and he grabs hold of my waist. We sway in time to the sensuous beat. I have to admit the man has some moves, but the dance floor is my domain and Piotr soon releases me to watch as I let the music seep into my soul.

As I wiggle my hips, an icy chill goes through me. Dario Maroni is here. Standing by the door leading out to the lobby, he’s staring right at me. When he sees he has my attention, he motions for me to come outside.

“Olivia?” Piotr asks and I realize I’ve frozen in place. “Are you okay?”

“Uh, yes, I just need to go to the ladies’ room.”

He frowns with apparent concern. “You want me to come with you?”

I shake my head. “Don’t be silly. The place is swarming with my brothers’ men and yours. Nothing will happen to me.”

Piotr looks unconvinced, but before he can stop me, I rush from the room. When I get into the lobby, I don’t see Dario at first. Then I spot him at the entrance to the corridor where Emilia and I were attacked on the night some asshole tried to abduct her.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter.

There is no way I’m going down there with Dario. I don’t trust him not to drag me out of the building and there’s an exit down there. I follow him a few feet along the corridor, so I’m still close enough to the reception desk that someone will hear me if I yell for help.

“This is far enough,” I tell Dario. In his black pants and white shirt, he looks like a server. I wonder if he’s trying to blend in with the staff. “What do you want?”

“You got my message at the wedding?”

“That was you?”

“Of course. My employer asked me to get your attention. She still wants to sell you the photos.”

“And you came here to tell me that?”

“I couldn’t get to you anywhere else, Liv.” He steps closer and I back up against the wall. He reaches out to touch my face. “I want to help you, Liv. Come with me and meet my employer.”

“I can’t,” I hiss. “My husband is here. Do you have any idea what will happen if he finds us together? He’ll kill you.”

“Yes, I will.” A deep voice draws my attention. I turn to find my very pissed-off husband standing at the end of the corridor. Like a coward, Dario runs off, making his escape along the passageway. I put my hands on Piotr’s chest to stop him fromfollowing. Though I don’t care if he beats Dario to a pulp, I can’t risk him finding out about the photographs.

“Piotr, it’s not what you think.”

“You don’t know what I think, Olivia.”

Before I can speak, he grabs my upper arm and drags me to the elevators. He presses the call button and when the door opens, he flings me inside. Grabbing my throat, he backs me up against the wall.

“Piotr.” I try to soothe the violence I sense in him. “Please, I’m sorry.”

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