Page 30 of Where Quiet Hearts Scream
His unequivocal response knocks me backward and even Trilby sucks in a breath.
“Why? What could I possibly give you that another woman couldn’t?”
I’m suddenly filled with so much anger that he is seemingly able to get whatever he wants without anyone considering if it’s whatIwant, and I don’t have any choice in the matter.
“Why would you choose me when I have my own life to live? Why me? You don’t need me to get your hands on a major city. You could have Boston with or without me.”
He shoves his hand back into his jeans pocket.
The kitchen—normally abuzz with clanging equipment and chef chatter—is eerily silent.
“An alliance between me and the Di Santos will create anempire. And, I’m afraid, a signature and a handshake don’t carry the same level of commitment as a wedding band.”
His eyes are cold. His words are cold. Standing in front of me is not the man who made me smile and listened to my astrology-obsessed waffling. It’s a man who wouldn’t know a smile if it smacked him in the face.
“You could have chosen anyone at the wedding. Most of the women here are related to the Di Santo’s in some way.”
His eyes twitch slightly but the rest of him remains as still as a rock. “I wantyou.”
I feel like I’m going around in circles and not getting anywhere. I shake my head, suddenly devoid of the energy or inclination to fight.
“And I wanted Andrew Stone,” I say, tipping my chin defiantly. “Not you.”
Something behind his eyes disappears and his shoulders stiffen. He runs his tongue along his teeth, then begins to fasten his jacket.
“The wedding will take place in New York in exactly three months, Sera. We’ve agreed it’s probably best that you return to your parents’ house in Port Washington until then. We’ll spend our wedding night at the Americana and after that you’ll be moving to my home in Massachusetts.”
“What?” My heart bangs against the wall of my chest. “In three months? No! I’m not leaving the Hamptons. I haven’t even finished my internship!”
Surely he’s not serious.
Unfortunately, Andreas’ expression isdeadseriousas he assesses me coolly. “You’re going to be my wife. And my wife will not be an intern.”
I grip the sides of my face to contain the fury that’s threatening to perforate my skull. “But… this is my dream! You know it is. I told you!”
He continues, seemingly unaffected by the minor stroke I’m having. “You will have much to do as my wife. My reputation is good, and will benefit from having a wife at my side. You might hate this right now, but I assure you that in time, you won’t.”
My arms flop to my sides, helplessly. His face swims beyond the blur of my tears and he runs a hand through his hair.
“I’ll see you in church,” he says dryly, before spinning on his heel and walking away, with Cristiano not far behind him.
To anyone else, those words from that man would bring unadulterated joy. To me, they’re just the prologue to a life filled with nightmares.
PART II
ANDREAS
Andreas
It’s the sound of weeping that fills my ears when Cristiano and I walk back into the main function room. His men have moved the bodies but the survivors are still standing, sitting, wandering aimlessly, trying to wrap their heads around what just happened.
Serafina’s aunt is cradling a smaller, darker version of Trilby, so I assume she’s the youngest, Bambi, but my gaze is drawn instinctively to a pair of familiar dark eyes spearing me from across the room.
My earlier ‘chat’ with Benito was brief, contained multiple uses of the word ‘fuck,’ and culminated in an agreement to move forward as an alliance but only because of the inroads I’ve already made and the fact I could take Boston right now if I wanted to. I have bootson the ground, waiting for my command. I’m offering to take the Di Santo’s with me.
But the conversation was unfinished, and the fact remains, Benito thought I was dead. I didn’t step forward to tell him I wasn’t. The trust between us isn’t great. I owe him more of an explanation if this alliance is going to work.
He sees me approach and whispers something into his girlfriend’s ear. She flashes a hateful glare in my direction then stomps away to join her aunt.
