Page 107 of Lies like Rubies, Part One

When I was a step away from him, he blew his curls out of his eyes, frustration clear in his expression, backed by emotions I didn’t dare name. “Take a walk if you need it. Take a walk without me or Nico or Lorenzo, but for the love of all that is holy, please take someone to protect you. I couldn’t—”

He stopped abruptly and pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You’ll take the bodyguard and go have a drink or a coffee instead of walking far.”

I pursed my lips together in a thin line, furious at the lack of control over my life. “I’ll take the bodyguard,” I agreed, ignoring the warmth in his eyes, the concern, still angry about men making life-altering decisions for me without checking first.

It didn’t matter if Papà created a multi-million dollar trust for me. I wanted to choose my husband, not have my father select the least offensive option out of a pool of businessmen who considered me damaged goods because Sergio knocked me up. Men who wouldn’t care for Lizzie like their own daughter, who’d ask me to choose them over her, time and time again.

And these new men in my life. Jesus.

I was a confused mess about Dante and Nick, and Lorenzo wasn’t helping. When they were near, I drowned in them. Their overwhelming physical presence distracted me, making me want to accept their comfort rather than stand on my own two feet.

After half a block, I hadn’t gotten over my ire, but walking away from the men—mymen—was stupid, both in terms of what we hoped to accomplish to draw out Sergio and in terms of my physical safety.

Still pissed, I turned on my heel, intending to walk right back to Dante and give him a piece of my fucking mind.

Surrounded by the busy lunch crowd, my bodyguard was nowhere in sight.

Shit.

40

SERGIO

So arrogant,so stupid. Sofia stormed away from Oscuro in a frothy wave of frustration and anger. I signaled to Gio’s men to drive ahead, then hopped out of the van, slipping in and out of the lunchtime crowd, hidden from Oscuro, her bodyguard never thinking to turn around and check behind them.

God, it was so fucking good to be home, back in America, where everyone minded their own business in a crowd. On stealthy feet, I pushed my gun into the bodyguard’s back.

“Don’t fucking move,” I growled.

Because the bodyguard was an idiot, he whirled around, attempting to knock the gun out of my hand. Another soldier knocked his feet out from under him, and then we hustled the man into the van, where he’d be drugged enough to knock him out. The crowd barely noticed the commotion.

Shit, where did she go?

Scanning the crowd, I slipped around the busy lunchtime shoppers, looking for her blonde hair and that sea-green dress that made every inch of her creamy skin look delectable enough to bite.

She whirled around, as if finally realizing something was wrong. Those beautiful blue eyes searched the crowd for her bodyguard, for safety. She didn’t know I’d snatched him away just as I was about to take her for myself.

She’d escaped me once, but she wouldn’t again.

Two of Gio’s men approached behind her on silent feet.

“Sofia, my love,” I murmured, offering my hands to her. “Come with me.”

Her eyes widened.

“Fuck you, Sergio.”

When she jerked away from me, my men grabbed her arms. Moving quickly, I removed a syringe from one of my pants pockets and uncapped it. Stepping forward as if to embrace her, I plunged the needle into her neck before anyone could see.

Sofia whimpered as her entire body went limp. I slid one of her arms over my shoulders, and my man took the other. Together, we walked her to the van, letting the bustling crowd provide cover.

In moments, the van pulled away, with her bodyguard lying in the back and Sofia on the ground before me, unconscious. Her limbs were spread apart, and her lips were parted, a tempting delight as we sped through the streets of Yorkfield.

I ran my hand up and down Sofia’s smooth thigh, my thumb inching higher and higher until I pushed her dress up so high I could see—

Fuck me, her cunt was bare and displayed for me to fucking devour.Nnnnnnngggg.I didn’t bother holding in my moan at the thought of fucking her again. Sweet, innocent, Sofia wasn’t so innocent anymore. That fucker had corrupted her, and I would enjoy the fruits of his wicked labor.

Never mind that she’d led me on a merry chase for five years. Her bare lips, the vision of her cunt as she lay bound and unconscious on the floor of the van—all mine.

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