Page 9 of Crazed

The irony is I shouldn't feel anything for him. He's a Marino. My assumption is his family isn't any more law-abiding than the Petrovs or Abruzzos. And I may not know a lot about his affairs, but it's no secret he hates the Abruzzos. If he ever found out the truth, there's no way he'd still love me or protect me. I'd be his enemy, and he'd no doubt crush me the first moment he could.

If only I hadn't fallen for him. My life would be much simpler.

And I'd be lonely again.

It would be better than hurting him, which will happen eventually.

If only I could pull myself out of this situation and get away.

About eighteen months ago, Leo got bored and decided I was no longer suitable for his bed. He brought a new girl to his mansion. She was at least a decade younger than me. The moment I locked eyes with her horror-filled ones, my heart dropped.

I knew that look.

I was once that girl.

I wanted to help save her, but it was impossible. Guards filled Leo's estate, watching my every move. It's something I never got used to, either. Not that I believe Leo wanted me to. He liked the fact I lived in fear, even if I did my best to hide it. So there was no way to save the poor girl.

Within forty-eight hours of her arrival, Leo's thug escorted me out of his house. He took me to the brownstone I live in now. A new set of clothes was already in the closet. They were nothing like the designer ones Leo made me wear. A box on the dresser held a few pieces of non-flashy costume jewelry. Personal products you can buy at the grocery store were stocked in the bathroom. They were unlike the name brand, expensive ones I had at Leo's.

Within minutes of arriving, more of his goons came inside my new home. They sat me down and explained that I would be working as a librarian.

Everything they said was confusing. None of it made any sense to me. I had no training to do that job. There were no instructions other than to wait for their orders. They also said I would need to live off my salary. Besides my rent and utilities, they wouldn't pay for my food or anything else. Before they left, one of them slammed me against the wall and reminded me who owned me. If I ran or tried anything, there would be consequences. For weeks, I couldn't sit in a chair without feeling the sting of the bruise on my back.

After a few months, I fell into my librarian role, learning everything I needed to excel. I heard nothing from the Abruzzos and prayed they had forgotten about me. Most of all, I loved my job at the library. It was quiet and felt safe, which wasn't the case at the Petrov or Abruzzo estates. I also had a lot of free time when my manager put me on desk duty, so reading became a way to escape my reality.

Of course, I was only fooling myself. The Abruzzos didn't forget me. One day, a man named Donato came in. He made it clear he was with them and only came to see me. He wanted access to the basement rooms, which weren't public. I didn't even know how to give it to him at the time. I had never been down there.

Within a few weeks, I stole keys from my manager, made copies, then replaced her set before she knew they were gone. I gave them to Donato. From time to time, he'd arrive and sneak into the creepy space. But he always left me alone, so I didn't bother to learn what he was doing.

I later found out he used that room to keep Massimo's sister Arianna hostage. She got rescued, and Donato never returned to the library. I'm assuming Massimo's family killed him, but nothing was ever confirmed.

And that's how I got into the current predicament I'm in now.

Before Arianna's abduction, Massimo came to the library. I was putting returned books on the shelf, and a bolt of energy seared through my spine. When I turned, I had to hold my breath.

No one had ever affected me like that before. He oozed confident sexiness, but I knew he wasn't ordinary after being around so many dangerous men.

His twinkling, flirtatious eyes also screamed,don't mess with me.I had no doubt he'd kill anyone who got in his way. When he interrogated me about Donato, I played dumb, only giving him basic details. Whenever he returned to the library, my heart skipped a beat, even though I knew he was a Marino and I should stay away.

But that was impossible.

For a few weeks, it got harder to ignore his advances. It was like playing a game. He'd ask me out. I'd turn him down. He'd return the next day and we'd do it all over.

Yet his mesmerizing charm presented a problem I didn't anticipate. I couldn't help my face heating whenever he looked at me. It was as if he was undressing me with his eyes and debating what he wanted to do with me first. Plus, I'm sure my nervous laughter, the huge grin that hurt my cheeks, and my inability to tear myself away from his indecent ogle gave my feelings away.

Even when he'd lean forward and ask me to dinner, he'd also assert in his hushed voice what we'd be doing later that night in his bed. I'd only been with men who forced me to be with them. All I wanted was for them to leave me alone. But the electric zings lighting up my soul whenever Massimo was around confused me. I couldn't stop or ignore the chemistry between us. It's probably why I failed at turning him down in a way that made him stop trying. If anything, it made him try harder.

It was a problem for several reasons. One, I vowed never to let any man ever touch me again. Ludis and Leo were enough. Nothing about sex with them was fun or even slightly enjoyable. I had learned to block it all out during the event. So why did I imagine what it would be like to be with Massimo?

The second issue created a more serious complication. And I should have predicted it. I knew the Abruzzos were never far. They were watching me even though I never saw them. It wasn't long before they decided to use Massimo's persistence to date me to their advantage.

One day, Leo showed up at my brownstone. He laid out my new assignment. I was to find out everything I could about Massimo and who the Marinos' business contacts were. Leo wanted access to their jewelry suppliers, and he wouldn't rest until he had them.

Now, I'm officially dead meat. Not only did I convince Leo I'd get them, but I added more to my plate by promising him I'd find out how to contact them and where they reside.

It's the stupidest thing I've ever done. Massimo's never discussed his business with me, minus a few details anyone outside his circle could know. Plus, it doesn't help that we've had several angry conversations about the Abruzzos. His family doesn't trust me. And he didn't know I spoke Italian, so I overheard and understood several of his phone calls.

When he found out I was bilingual, he got irritated all over again, but I had already heard enough. It's clear the Marinos think I was involved in Arianna's abduction. It doesn't surprise me since Massimo is a smart man, and he knew I gave the key to Donato. Yet, somehow, I convinced Massimo I wasn't involved.

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