Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 136731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
I would never be affected by that smile again. That smile was dead to me.
Reaching down, he fisted the woman’s blonde hair and pushed her down harder, forcing her to work harder. And she did, gagging but moaning all the while.
Shame on me. I stupidly forgot how people reacted to men like Dino. And secretly, somewhere deep inside, I wished I was affected by him the way this woman was. But I wasn’t.
And now, I never would be.
His words slurred, he uttered a cold, “Hey, baby. Wanna join us?”
The woman turned to face me, and I lifted a hand to my mouth. She was no older than me. Her brows furrowed, and she asked, “Who’s that?”
Dino and I responded in unison. “My wife.” “His wife.”
Heart aching at the betrayal of my husband and friend, I forced a smile and managed to get out, “Have fun,” before turning and walking away. I heard Dino grate out, “Get the fuck out of here,” followed by a feminine gasp and light thud as he pushed her to the floor.
It would be the first of many identical incidents.
The front door opened then closed as the woman let herself out. Footsteps followed me down the hall. As my foot landed on the first step, a strong hand grasped my elbow and pulled me back harshly. Not used to this kind of treatment, I shouted an outraged, “Hey!” Then I was up against the wall with a threatening hand laced around my throat.
The hand rested there in warning and Dino’s eyes blazed. “Jealous?”
Jealous? No. Feeling betrayed and angry? Yes.
I swallowed hard at the look in his eye, and whispered, “No.”
The impact of his palm across my cheek had me letting out a surprised yelp.
I looked up at Dino Gambino and quickly realized I was in trouble, and I didn’t know my husband at all. I tried again, “Dino, what is this?”
The hand around my neck tightened slightly. Leaning into my face till we were nose to nose, he growled, “You were meant to love me.” He kissed me then. He tasted of whiskey and lemon candy. Before this night, I liked that taste. Today, I was petrified. Against my lips, he asked, “Do you love me?”
I didn’t answer, that being my answer.
Dino’s non-verbal response was a slap across my face, harder than the last.
A surprised gasp tore through me. Throat tight, I blinked through my tears and tried desperately to get a grasp on this rapidly declining situation. Struggling to breathe, my chest heaved as my heart beat out of my chest.
I was in deep trouble, and no one was coming to save me.
“Do you love me, Alejandra?”
I would have told him I did that time, if I had been given time to answer. Opening my mouth a second too late, the impact of a different kind of blow shook me.
Dino had punched me. He punched me right in the mouth.
I had never been punched before that night. The overwhelming amount of pain radiating from my throbbing face was also new. There had been the odd occasional fight with my sisters when I had been hit in a moment of anger, but those times were always followed by immediate remorse from the person responsible. I had never experienced anger like this. I was visibly shaken. I couldn’t think of anything other than, who is this man?
Thrown to the cold, hard floor, the metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth. My lip tingled and began to swell, and my teeth felt loose. I tried to swallow, but his hand tightened around my neck, lifting me by it. Stars exploded before my eyes as Dino slammed my head back against the wall. There was no way out of this.
I had given my vows. This would be my life until Dino decided to take it for his own.
The realization that only I could change how this went down hit me with a force like no other.
Dino asked me a third and final time, “Do you love me, Bella?”
This time, I answered with no hint of hesitation. My body trembled. Breathing rapidly through my bleeding nose, I lied on a fearful whisper, “Yes, Dino. I love you.”
Pausing, he laughed then, a cold sound. Loosening his hold on me, but never letting go, I heard relief line his voice. “I knew you did.” His lips descended, and he kissed me hard. I shuttered my wince. I was still frightened of Dino, but some of the gentleness I’d known had returned. He nipped at my bleeding lip, pulling back to look me in the eye. He stared unblinking before confessing a desperate, “I love you, too, baby.”
His hand brushed my bruised cheek, and his knuckles passed over my split lip, forcing a hiss out of me. Looking somewhat concerned, Dino placed his arm around my shoulders and walked me upstairs. He took me into the bathroom and, gently as possible, wet a cloth and cleaned me up. Lacing his fingers through mine, he attempted to escort me to bed. I hesitated. Dino’s eyes met mine, brow raised in question.