Page 90 of Lord of the Dark

"Your little fury nearly broke my damn knee," he growled, rubbing his leg pointedly. "Tell me, are you completely insane, picking a crazy bitch like that?"

I turned slightly toward him, my lips curling into an amused grin. "You’re getting old, Giovanni," I said dryly. "One kick from a woman, and you whine like an old man."

"One kick? It was a goddamn low kick. Who the hell taught her that shit? You?" He shook his head, muttered something in Italian, then sank onto the black couch with a deep sigh. "Good luck taming her. That woman is a nightmare, Alessandro."

"Not so long ago, you were wishing for a sister just like her." I let out a quiet laugh. "Gotta keep life interesting, right?" I said with a crooked grin, standing up. I smoothed my jeans and adjusted my shirt—an almost mechanical motion that steadied me as I prepared to face her. "Though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tense."

"Trust me, you’ll be cursing her before the night’s over," Giovanni added, leaning back with his arms crossed, as if eager to see what would happen next.

I turned toward the door, throwing him one last glance. "The plan is actually to fuck her before the night’s over."

"That psycho bitch is more likely to rip your balls off!" he called after me. And she would absolutely try.

The walk to Fiona felt longer than it was. With every step, the tension inside me coiled tighter. I knew she would hate me. I’d known it when I sent the message, when I took the steps to bring her here. But it didn’t matter. What mattered was seeing her. Finally.

I opened the door and stepped inside. The room was silent, the light cool and muted, yet the air itself felt like it was burning. Fiona sat on the chair, her hands bound behind the backrest, the fabric of her black dress straining at her shoulders. Her head was bowed, her dark hair falling forward like a veil. She hadn’t noticed me yet. Not really.

I stayed where I was, leaning against the closed door, letting the moment settle. It wasn’t just the tension in the room—it wasthe chaos inside me. The woman I couldn’t forget. The woman I’d broken because I’d had no choice.

Her shoulders lifted as she drew in a breath, then she raised her head and saw me.

Her eyes widened in shock. The scream that tore from her was sharp and full of pain, but the gag muffled it, turning it into little more than a whimper. Her breath came in ragged bursts, forced violently through her nose as if she were drowning in pure panic. Her eyes were drenched in hatred and contempt before she turned her head away, as if she could no longer bear the sight of me.

I pushed off the door, turning to the camera on the ceiling. With a quick tug, I yanked the cable free. Giovanni had seen enough.

Slowly, I walked toward her, each footstep echoing in the silent room. She turned back to me as I approached, her gaze locking onto mine. If she could have, she would have killed me on the spot with that look alone. It pierced me—not just because of the fury, but because of the pain beneath it. It wasn’t just anger in her eyes. It was an accusation. She must have been through hell these past three godforsaken weeks. Just like me.

I stopped in front of her, studying her as she barely moved, the restraints pulling slightly at the skin of her wrists. She stared at me as if she could destroy me with her gaze alone, and for a moment, it almost felt like she could.

"Fiona," I finally said, quiet, almost gentle—but her only response was a sharp, derisive snort, another flare of contempt.

I’d spent these weeks thinking about what I’d done to her. How I’d left her. But now, standing before her, one thing was clear: the pain I’d caused was worse than I’d ever imagined. And the chasm between us seemed impossible to cross.

I dragged a chair closer, its metal legs scraping against the floor before I sat directly in front of Fiona. She watched myevery move, eyes narrowed, full of defiance—and yet, there was something else. Something lurking behind her hatred. Vulnerability. Pain. Maybe even the shadow of longing.

"Fiona," I began calmly, leaning forward slightly, elbows resting on my knees. "I want to explain. All of it. Why I went dark."

I reached for the cloth Giovanni had tied over her mouth. "But first, I need to know you’ll actually listen." I carefully loosened the knot at the back of her head—but the second I pulled it free, she spat in my face.

That was Fiona—wild, untamed, and in this moment, ready to destroy me. I stilled, feeling the wetness on my cheek before wiping it away with the back of my hand, not saying a word. Slowly, I straightened, my gaze locking onto hers, cold and unyielding. "Do that again," I said softly, but with steel beneath it, "and I’ll shove it right back in."

Our eyes met, a battle of fury and silent challenge. She held my stare, her own burning with rage—but I saw the understanding there. She knew better than to test me twice.

"Good," I continued, leaning back again, my voice still calm, but the edge in my tone left no doubt who was in control. "Now. I can explain why I couldn’t reach out."

"I hate you!" she suddenly screamed, her voice shaking with raw emotion, fury ripping from deep within her. "I hate you, Russo. I hate you to the goddamn core!"

Her words hit harder than I expected. Part of me wanted to grab her, shake her, make her take it back. But instead, I let the coldness take over.

I leaned forward, gripping her throat with one hand—not hard enough to truly hurt her, but hard enough to make her pause. Her veins stood out against her slender neck, her eyes widening in shock and outrage.

"Then listen!" I snarled. "Let me fucking talk!"

I released her, watching as she sagged back into the chair, gasping, her cheeks flushed with anger—and maybe humiliation.

"You’re insane," she finally hissed, glaring at me. "You set me up with that bullshit, cut me off from Carter, and that fucking businessman—that was your idea too, wasn’t it?"

A short, cold laugh escaped me before I met her eyes again. "There was no other way, Fiona," I said flatly. "Would you have agreed to talk to me otherwise?"

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