Page 67 of Blood and Vows (A Twisted Duet 2)

As he stepped back, I took a deep breath in a bid to gain control over my needy body. By the sting on my ass, I knew there was a big, red handprint blooming for Castello.

I grabbed the dress and turned. “I choose this one.”

Castello looked at the dress and then turned his unamused gaze at me. “Funny.”

I shot him a sly grin while I held the exact same dress he had chosen for me originally. I was starting to love this game.

Chapter 22

TATUM

I stood by the front door, and I was nervous. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why I would be nervous. It had been months since I’d seen the outside world. The trip here to Uncle Gino’s estate the day all hell broke loose at the Fattore mansion was all just a blur. I didn’t remember seeing anything, just hearing the screams, and the echo of gunshots resounding over and over inside my head. And then the memory of my father’s lifeless body, everything in black and white except the red that seeped through his clothes, pooling around his feet. That was the only thing I remembered clearly from that day. Everything else was just flashes and blurry images.

“At my side the entire evening, understood?”

I glanced up at Castello who stood next to me. I nodded.

“And you keep your mouth shut. You only speak when spoken to.”

It was amazing how he could go from gentle, passionate, and caring to a controlling, fierce, and demanding boss. But I’d come to love both sides of him. He was ferocious, intense, and strong when he needed to be, but gentle, compassionate, and attentive when I needed him to be. The way he controlled his need to rule every aspect of my life and allowed me more freedom little by little was enough for me to know that he loved me. Men like Castello Fattore didn’t give up control for anything. They didn’t change for anyone. Yet Castello had changed for me.

There were three black SUVs lined up at the front. Castello guided me down the steps with his hand at the small of my back. A security guard dressed in a black suit opened the door of the SUV in the middle, and Castello towered over me from behind as I climbed in.

Castello moved in next to me, and the second his door closed, the SUV pulled off.

Two men sat at the front, both wearing earpieces and looking scary as hell.

Castello seemed tense, edgy, his fingertips tapping anxiously on his knee. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked to come along. He had made it clear that I was his weakness, and now I could see how it affected him. Inside the walls of the estate, he had more control. Outside, not so much.

We drove in silence. It was dark outside, and the heavily tinted windows made it impossible to see anything. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, adjusting the short skirt of my dress. Then Castello reached out a hand and placed it on mine.

“By my side at all times.”

I smiled. “I promise.”

He gave me a half-hearted smile just before the guy in the passenger seat turned around.

“Sir, we’re almost there.”

Castello nodded, and his fingers wrapped around my hand, squeezing tight.

I turned to look out the window, but all I saw was the vague flashing of city lights through black windows.

The car stopped, and the door on Castello’s side flung open. He didn’t let go of my hand and pulled me out behind him. Everything happened so fast. Security guards cocooned us in, and I was literally dragged in to one direction. It was insane.

Within seconds, we were led inside a building, and once the door got shut behind us, the frenzy seemed to calm.

“That was insane,” I said to Castello as I fell into step next to him.

“Get used to it. That’s how it’s going to be every time you go out.”

I glanced up at him. “So there will be a next time?”

He glowered at me. “Don’t count on it, little mouse.” But the tiniest hint of a smile on his face told me otherwise.

As we walked down a hall, music started to become louder and louder. I followed Castello up a flight of stairs, two guards walking in front of us, and two behind. I felt like a fucking celebrity—and not in a good way.

At the top of the stairs, we reached huge double doors. The two men in front opened the door and gestured for us to stay put. When they came back out, they nodded toward Castello, and he visibly relaxed, still holding my hand as we walked inside.

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