“I don’t know what game you’re playing, Allegra.” I stop her in the foyer as we both head to the dining room. “But I don’t like it.”
Her eyes widen. “What game?”
“Alessa,” I hiss.
“This isn’t a game, Torino. This is the way of the world. She has to go to an important family, one that will solidify our holdings and give us an even bigger share of power.” When she says it, it sounds right. Matter of fact. Reasonable.
But nothing inside me agrees with any of those assessments. Alessa should never be handed over to the likes of the Perths, especially not that piece of shit Finnegan.
“She’s too young,” I counter.
“She’s older than I was when I married the first time.”
“She doesn’t even know him.”
“She’ll get to know him in time. That’s how these things work.” She pats my hand. “In time, you’ll see my plan was the best way for all of this to work out.” With that, she turns and swans toward the dining room, her designer dress flowing out behind her.
I grit my teeth and try to calm the rampaging beat of my heart. Alessa is my world. Always has been. Just the thought of having her ripped away from me opens a vein inside me, one that I fear will bleed and bleed until I keel over and die. I can’t be without her.
Licking my lips, I pick up her taste again. That hint of sweetness, a promise of more to come. No, that perfect spot between her thighs belongs to me and no one else. If Finnegan even looks at … My hands fist. I have to stop that thought. Because if I let it go on, I’ll walk into the dining room, grab a butter knife, and use it to saw off that asshole’s head in the slowest, most painful way imaginable.
“You coming?” Dad stands at my elbow.
I hadn’t realized he’d walked up.
“What’s wrong with you? You look like you’re about to go on a murder spree.” He shakes his head.
“Nothing. I’m good.”
“Keep your cool, son. Until the wedding is done, the Perths are still our enemies.”
“And after?” I ask.
“After, we’ll all be drinking from the same bottle. We just have to get Alessa to the altar.” His eyes soften just a little, so minutely that only I would notice. “You need to be strong for her, Torino. This isn’t easy for her, you know?”
I swallow hard. There it is. My duty to my family. I’m selfish to want to keep Alessa for myself. My father has no idea the depth of feelings I have for her. If he did, he’d probably boot my ass off the property. After all, she’s my stepsister. I’m supposed to love her like a brother, not like a man who wants to rut into her cunt and fill her with his seed. Jesus, I want her now. All of her. That taste I got isn’t enough.
“Son?”
“I’m fine. All good.” I fix the lapels of my suit coat. “Let’s get this over with.” Schooling my face into a mask of indifference, I follow my father into the dining room.
Allegra is laughing at something Finnegan said, and he smiles at her with a wolfish look in his eyes.
“Finnegan, welcome.” My father strides to him, and they shake hands.
“Your home is lovely. I’ve only ever seen it through recon photos. But the real thing is much better.” Finnegan gives that fucking grin again.
My father laughs. “The cheek on you.”
Finnegan’s gaze flickers to me. “Torino,” he says coldly.
I don’t respond.
The tension in the room spikes as the silence continues. I stare him down, my mask of indifference likely failing to hide the disdain curdling my blood.
“Oh, I hear her footsteps.” Allegra takes Finnegan’s elbow and leads him past me. “Yes, here she is.”
Alessa walks in, her gaze on her mother and then me. She doesn’t even look at Finnegan.
She’s wearing a dress. A different one from earlier. One that makes my fucking mouth water. It’s smooth and silky, clinging to her tits and hips. I know instantly that she’s not wearing panties. Not with a dress like that. And with the way her nipples are pointed through the fabric, she’s not wearing a single damn thing under there.
My cock hardens like a fucking piece of granite, and I can’t take my eyes off her.
“Oh.” Her mother clears her throat. “That’s … I didn’t realize you liked that dress. When I bought it, you said it was too—”
“Sexy.” Finnegan reaches out and takes Alessa’s hand.
I step forward, intent on breaking his fucking fingers.
My father makes a warning noise in his throat.
Finnegan glances back at me, then kisses her hand. Puts his filthy goddamn mouth on Alessa’s hand.
I reach for my gun.
My father’s hand comes out and grips my forearm. “Son.” His voice is a low warning.
“It’s nice to meet you, Alessa. You’re just as beautiful as they said.”
“Thank you,” she says demurely.
“Did you not like my ring?” he asks. Just like a petulant little bitch, his tone is pouty.
Finnegan releases Alessa, and her gaze returns to me. “It’s very distinctive.”
“But you aren’t wearing it?” he presses.
“We had to get it resized for her,” Allegra cuts into the conversation. “We want a perfect fit.”
“Yes.” Alessa nods. “It wasn’t quite right.”
Her eyes cut back to me, and there’s a little challenge in her gaze. In her red lips, in the fucking barely-there dress, in the way her nipples push at the fabric, the way her hips bear no panty lines. My innocent little siren.
She disobeyed me. Wiped my cum off and took off her panties.
She wants to be punished. And she will be. This dinner is going to be torture, but when it’s over … When it’s over, I’m going to rectify the situation. She’ll be wearing my cum inside and out before the night is through.
6
Alessa
How is it possible that no one else feels the tension in this room? It’s so thick, like swimming in jelly. Yet Mom and Carlito are acting as though everything is normal. Both of them are lost in their own little world at the moment. I watch as Carlito lifts his hand to feed her a bite of his dessert and then kisses the side of her mouth to clean off the cream that was left.
What they have is what I hope to have in a marriage. I want to be hopelessly in love with the man I’m going to marry. Before we became part of the Rossi family, I never imagined I would get to see real love. That wasn’t the way things were done.
I knew one day a husband would be picked for me. Then I watched as my mom and Carlito’s love grew. They made me want more for myself. They showed me that true love is possible. The way that Carlito respects her is so different from a lot of the families I’ve seen in the past. To him, she’s a partner, and he trusts her opinions.
“Have you started preparations for the wedding?” Finnegan asks from beside me. I don’t have to look Torino’s way to know he’s staring at me. I can feel his eyes on me. He’s been watching my every move since I came downstairs earlier.