Page 14 of Claimed By Him

His voice echoed down the street, above the music pumping from the house. I could see the pain and anguish on his face. I understood a little; I definitely did not feel like my life was my own. I didn’t want any of the things my father wanted for me either. But at least I didn’t have such massive responsibilities on my shoulders. I sniffed and wiped my cheek again, reaching out to take his hand.

“Freddie, I—”

“No! Just… just forget this night ever happened.” He held his hands out to stop me from coming any closer to him. “Just move on with your life, okay?”

Then he turned, got into his car, and raced away. I was standing on the road, crying, completely frazzled, and he was driving away. My breathing grew heavy, my tears wouldn’t stop, and I stared after him bleakly. I was crying for his pain and for mine. I hadn’t expected that at all, and I wondered if he was going to pull out of our engagement because of what I put him through tonight. I wondered if I’d just fucked everything up.

Then, I heard my name.

“Fiona.”

I turned around, recognizing that deep voice and feeling dread seep into my chest.

It was Tony Romano. The dark, brooding Romano prince who’d grown up alongside my brothers. He was the next Romano don, and he certainly acted the part, except, he spent a lot more time worrying about me than I figured he should.

Sometimes, I didn’t mind so much. He was the hottest guy I knew, in a whole different category from Freddie. He had short dark hair that matched his long black eyelashes and dark brown eyes. He accentuated those features by always wearing black and a sexy black earring in his ear. Some might have thought him to be a kind of emo guy, but I found it beyond intriguing.

As a young girl, I watched him when the boys played soccer together and blushed when he looked my way. But he was six years older than me, so I always saw him as a sort of older stepbrother that looked out for me—that I found undeniably sexy. When he started getting inked, I thought I might faint. Even if I hated violent and intimidating mafia men, he pulled it off deliciously.

We only ever spoke when he was saving my ass out in the city or reprimanding me for being out without my bodyguard, so it didn’t surprise me that he was here tonight. He always popped up at the worst—and best—times when I’d sneaked out of the house, but I truly didn’t know how he knew where I was.

I tried not to read into it, but God I wished I could. A deep, dark part of me wished I could believe that he actually liked me, that he was doing this because he wanted me for himself. But I knew that he would never; he was just a control freak who saw me partying at 14 and made it his life’s mission to keep tabs on me after that. I was sure that he enjoyed the control of telling me what to do, but I didn’t think he did it for any romantic purpose.

I mean, I was 17 and he was 23,anda Romano; it would no doubt be entirely forbidden. Especially by Huxley who I knew hated his guts. I had to shove away any feelings I had for him and his God-like features. Or was it demon-like? I didn’t let myself dwell on that. Besides, I had Freddie. Well… I thought I did.

“What the fuck happened?” Tony asked, but I wasn’t about to fill him in on anything.

“Why the hell are you even here, Tony? What do you want?”

I always gave him shit because it was a whole new level of annoying when it wasn’t my brothers or bodyguard following me but some other guy who wasn’t even paid to do it. I also did it because I was distraught, my tears wouldn’t stop, and I knew I looked like complete shit. I felt embarrassed and that pissed me off once again.

Just as I’d feared, his eyes took in my smudged makeup and what I assumed was wild hair. I hadn’t even pulled my dress on properly. His chest started to heave with anger, and his eyes grew dark. He looked livid. I began to wonder if Ishouldtell him what happened because he was starting to get the wrong idea, but before I could act, Tony had made up his mind.

His lips turned up as he hissed, “I’m gonna kill that motherfucker.”

Then he turned around and headed toward his car. I panicked; I didn’t know if he would actually go through with that, but I knew he’d killed before. I’d heard the stories my brothers told when they got home drenched in blood. All I knew for sure was that Frederico definitely didn’t deserve any of it.

“Tony! Leave him alone!” I shouted after him, but he was already in the car and revving the engine to life. I stepped out into the road to stop him, but he only swerved around me.

His dark eyes connected with mine as he passed, looking angry as hell, then broke free as he sped up after Frederico. I shook my head in exasperation and wiped my face. Why didn’t the men in my life ever listen to me? If they would just calm down and forget their goddamn vendettas for a moment, they would know that nothing was what they thought it was. It exhausted me.

Fuck these guys. Fuck all of them. I wasthis closeto running away and living my life under a false name, but I knew I’d be running for life. And not even from enemies, but from my own family. My father would never let me disappear on him like that, and my brothers would no doubt devote their fucking lives to finding me, that’s how controlling they were. I wondered for a second, but only a very quick second, if Tony would come after me, too.

I took a moment to compose myself before taking a deep breath and walking back into the party with my head held high. Even though I knew why Freddie refused me, I couldn’t let anyone else know. That was his secret to tell. It seemed I just had to ignore the sneers and giggles and try to salvage my night. These bitches would only laugh harder if I left now. I had a reputation to uphold.

“Fiona!” Ari appeared from the crowd as I walked inside. “What’s going on? I thought you were upstairs with Frederico?”

I had to tell Ari something, she was my best friend and wouldn’t accept it if I told her to just drop it. She was waiting for me to lose my virginity too, so I needed to spin a good enough story for her. Luckily, I was already upset as hell, so it wouldn’t be difficult.

“I was,” I said blandly, then pulled her by the hand to talk it over outside with our feet in the pool. “Ari, I really thought tonight was the night. I was so fucking ready to not be a virgin anymore, and I figured, who could be better than my actual fiancé? But he didn’t want to do it.”

Most of my words were true; I would just have to pretend that I didn’t know why.

Ari frowned, lifting a hand up. “I’m sorry, I thought I heard you say hedidn’t want to do it?”

“Yeah.” I clenched my jaw and watched the water bob against the tiled pool edges. “I mean, I could pick out a few guys here who’ve literally begged me before.”

“Um, try all of them, honey.” She looked around. “Even if they didn’t say it, they’re all begging with their eyes.”

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