Page 6 of Love & Violence

And with that, she walks away. I know she’s right, but how the hell am I supposed to do this? Claim a woman that may or may not want me while trying not to start World War III. Usually, I am all action, not thought, but I need to find a way to keep everyone I care for alive and get the girl.

Fuck.

****

Aryanna

I return to the mansion and hurry to my room to dress before seeing my father, Stefano Esposito, one of the most feared mafia dons this country has ever known. It isn’t a smart thing to keep him waiting.

Being in the same room with him is the last thing I want to do. My nerves are strung tight, and my body is still buzzing with a sexual need I never thought existed. Also, I suck at lying, and I am terrified he will see right through me.

I race down the stairs and head toward my father’s office. Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door and wait.

“Come in,” my father yells.

I nod at the guard who stands by the door to open it. I can’t ever remember a time there wasn’t a guard here. Or any amount of armed people in and around the mansion I grew up in. I always knew her father was paranoid about being killed because many people would like to see him dead.

I stroll into the office and wait before my father’s desk for him to notice me. Oh, I know he’s aware I’m here, he’s just reminding me of his authority over me, and if I had the guts, I’d roll my eyes.

My father lays his pen down, sits back, and stares at me. It takes every bit of bravery not to divert my gaze.

“So, I hear you put the entire household in an uproar?”

I nod. “I didn’t mean to, Father. Isabel and I went for a run in the woods and thought we smelled the scent of another shifter. Since she is slower than me, I sent her back ahead of me, knowing I would easily catch up with her. By the time I realized what it really was, she was too far away for me to yell that everything was okay. It was only a small bobcat, not a shifter. I was headed back here when I stopped to get a drink, and that’s when Domenico found me.”

I can feel sweat gathering and sliding down my spine as my father stares at me. I know he’s trying to psych me out, but I hold strong.

“What have I told you about what will happen to you if one of my enemies catches you?” he asks lowly.

“I remember everything you’ve told me, and I promise I’m being careful…”

“Careful?” he yells. “That’s bullshit. You were how far from the mansion?”

“Just a few miles.”

His eyebrows spike. “A few miles. You’ve been pushing it lately, daughter, and I’m going to have to put a tighter leash on you.”

“Father…”

“No. If you don’t take your safety seriously, I will. Go to your room. I’ll have a tray sent up.”

“Father, if you’d only listen to me…”

“Enough! Get out.”

I stare at him for a moment, but he has already dismissed me and returned to his paperwork. I sigh and turn to leave. The door opens before I can get to it.

“Thank you, Benny,” I say to the guard outside the door.

“You’re welcome, Miss.”

My father’s second-in-command walks into the office as I exit, and I hear the name “West.” The office door closes behind me, making it impossible for me to hear anything else they say. If people hadn’t been around, I would have pressed my ear against the door to listen.

I don’t look or talk to anyone as I return to my room, closing and locking the door behind me. I lean against it and take a few breaths to calm my heart, which doesn’t seem to help ease my discomfort. I press my hand to my stomach, where the kernel of desire Draven sparked in me is still smoldering, and I wonder if it will ever be extinguished.

I walk over to my window and look out past the backyard of my father’s mansion to the forest beyond where I’d met Draven. For the longest time, all I could do was stare at it and pray my mate would find a way for us to be together because I won’t survive without him now.

I have no idea how long I stood in front of the window before there was a knock on my door. The last thing I want is food that my father sent up to me, but if I don’t take it, I’ll never hear the end of it.

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