Page 34 of The Viper

Chapter nine

Rose

I’m not sure I can ever look at Dominic again. The bathroom incident was hot, but still. What the fuck happened?

If for no other reason, I have to push past this internal embarrassment and head downstairs because Eliza will be arriving soon. My shopping trip this afternoon started out somewhat okay considering my bathtub scene with Dominic. That all changed when Marco informed me that I wasn’t allowed to spend my own money on clothes. So I did what any reasonable girl would do under duress. I bought no more than a few items of clothing because I didn’t want to owe Dominic a single thing.

Staying in his lavish home is enough without having to owe him for clothes too.

There’s a knock on my door, and my shoulders tense, hoping it’s not Dominic. “Yeah,” I call with a voice crack.

The door opens and Frank announces, “Mrs. Sacco has arrived.”

I bolt past him, down the stairs and see my sister standing awkwardly in the foyer. I throw my arms around her and kiss her cheek. “I’ve missed you,” I say as I tighten my arms around her.

She winces and attempts to step back. “I’ve missed you too.”

I pull back and run my eyes down over her body. She looks different. Eliza’s wearing a long, flowy blue sundress, with oversized sunglasses and a big sunhat. “Why are you wearing sunglasses at night?”

“It goes with the outfit,” she says, though her voice conveys something else.

“Take them off.”

“There’s my sexy sister-in-law.” Adrian’s voice makes my skin crawl. I turn to see him waltzing out of Dominic’s office. Dominic doesn’t follow him. “Come give me a hug,” he says and stands with his arms open.

Fucking creep. “Adrian,” I say in a flat, unimpressed tone. I turn my attention back to my sister and completely ignore him. I refuse to touch the filthy pig.

“Are you hungry?” I hook my arm through hers.

“Not really.”

Adrian hovers, watching us intently. I need to get her away from him. “Come upstairs and see where I’ll be staying until I can get an apartment of my own.”

Eliza slightly turns toward Adrian. I follow her line of sight, and he gives her a small nod. What the actual fuck? “I’d love to see your room.” She grips me tighter as we head up the stairs.

I can feel his eyes glued to my ass. Not Dominic’s, but Adrian’s. My stomach tenses as vomit curdles in my gut. I turn to look at him, and sure enough, he’s standing in the same spot, his head to his side as he watches us head up the stairs. Something tells me it’s not Eliza he’s looking at with hunger. Fucker.

We get into my room and I close the door. “What’s happening?” I ask once we’re alone.

“Nothing.”

“Take off your glasses.”

Eliza sighs slightly and lowers her chin. “You have to understand that...”

“Take them off,” I repeat with assertion. It’s clear she’s hiding something from me. “Eliza.”

She takes the sun hat off, then slides the glasses down her nose. I lift my hand to cover my mouth when I see both her eyes encircled with a faint yellowing. She’s attempted to cover the bruises with makeup, but I can still see them. I shake my head as I stare at her, speechless. “It’s not what you think.”

My body begins to tremble as I stand staring at my sister’s marked face. “No? Then what is it?”

“I’m clumsy...”

“You walked into a door? A wall? Tripped? Which one of those is it?” There’s a pounding in my ears as I wait for her reply. Eliza is gentle and wouldn’t hurt anyone, how can he do this to her?

“I’m...”

“Bullshit! Don’t you dare say you’re clumsy again, Eliza. He did this, didn’t he?” I point down gesturing toward where my pig brother-in-law is.

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