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Page 3 of Hostile Cravings (Wicked Cravings #3)

Tyson’s body was so rigid, his hold on me so suffocating that I could barely talk.

I pushed against him, and he loosened his hold.

My next move needed to be perfect, or this sham would fall apart, a war would break out, and I could end up with Joey’s hands on me.

The thought made me sicker than being this close to Tyson.

Because as much as I despised Tyson, I feared Joey Tirenti.

Looking up at Tyson, I turned his face to mine, letting my fingers brush along his firm jaw.

The amber in his eyes highlighted the green flecks, and I realized I’d never noticed how beautiful his eyes were.

My heart pounded in fear at both that thought and the magnitude of what rested on my next words.

“He’s my everything now.” My stomach rebelled, and I tried not to get sick.

“As I sat in that car when he took me home, I realized my hatred for him had only been a cover for my true emotions. That I loved him, and I never wanted to be away from the safety of his arms again. I confessed my love for him right then.”

There was a twinkle of humor behind his eyes before he pulled me closer and said, “She straddled me, and I fucked her so hard she knew no other man would satisfy her again.”

I wanted to punch him, but I knew he was playing the part, although he was adding his own sting to it because he was as uncomfortable with this as I was.

My father cleared his throat, but stayed silent, something I knew was killing him with the way Tyson had just talked about me.

But he had no choice but to let Tyson direct the action.

“Isn’t that right, little viper?”

“Mmm, that’s right.” It was hard to answer because his hand had moved up my back, his fingers twisting in my hair.

Goosebumps lined my skin. I’d been with aggressive men who had firm touches and took me hard, but I suspected they were nothing compared to the intensity that Tyson brought.

The thought made me uncomfortably warm, the pull of my hair making me more wet than I wanted to admit.

He shoved my lips to his, our mouths smashing with a force that had me gasping. I couldn’t help but kiss him back, not liking how my body responded.

“I think that’s enough of that. My sister knows I don’t like seeing men touch her, Raines,” Tony said, and I could hear the disgust in his voice.

Tyson released me and I teetered slightly, my legs too weak for my liking. But he pulled me against him, keeping me upright. I couldn’t think. The way that kiss had worked its way through my body had me discombobulated.

“Any other questions, gentleman?”

Tirenti crossed his arms, looking between the two of us.

“Why am I just hearing about this, Donelli? I set this meeting up between us, and Raines is suddenly here to claim your daughter is his?” He turned on my father, storming over to him.

Tony reached for his gun, our men doing the same, but my father rose from his seat, standing tall and facing Tirenti.

I had a surge of pride. Almost losing Tony and me had left him wounded, and he hadn’t been the same since the events with the Bad Omen weeks earlier.

He was aging, one of the original bosses who remained in the provinces.

He’d married our mother late after his first wife had been murdered in a territory war, so even though I was only twenty-five, my father was in his seventies.

I’d never thought much of it. He’d always been a powerful figure in my life until recently.

Seeing him stand up to Tirenti, proud and terrifying, warmed my heart.

“You dare come into my house and threaten me?” His words were like gavels dropping, each one stressed with a growl. “I will not have you question me or my family.”

“My son wants your daughter, Donelli, and I thought I made that clear.”

“That’s too bad, Tirenti,” Tyson said. “Because she’s mine and your son will need to go through me to touch her, and I can promise you that won’t happen.”

Tirenti snapped his head to Tyson.

“Go home and take Joey with you. He’s not laying a finger on my wife.”

His muscles flexed on the word wife, and I could sense it was as hard to say as the words I’d said.

Tirenti snapped his jacket and motioned for his men and Joey to leave.

“And Tirenti,” Tyson said, stopping him in his tracks. “Keep your son on a tighter leash. I hear he’s leaving bruises on the women he plays with and there’s talk of bodies in the river with worse marks. Mason doesn’t stand for that kind of shit and neither do I.”

Tirenti glared at him. He shoved Joey out of the room, then followed, their men right behind them.

The door closed, and we all stood frozen, staring at it and waiting for them to leave the house.

I realized I had Tyson’s jacket bunched in my hand, clinging to him, my body having slowly moved closer to him with his revelations about Joey.

No wonder the man had given me the creeps.

And now it made sense why my father had asked for Tyson’s help.

Tyson’s arm dropped from me, and I quickly pushed away from him, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand and trying to brush the sensation of his body against mine away. He was staring at me as he straightened his jacket.

“You kiss me like that again, and I’ll show you what I did to that guy at the hangar when Casey and I were saving your ass,” I said .

His jaw tightened and a distinct sneer formed on his lips. “Trust me, I don’t plan to. It’s like kissing an inexperienced virgin.”

I shot him an annoyed look. “You go around having sex with virgins a lot?”

This time, the vein on his forehead popped. “I prefer my women experienced, baby. The men around here may not care, but I do.”

“You two are going to be a blast,” Tony joked. “You sure you don’t want to do this marriage thing here so I can see who kills who first?”

“Nobody’s killing anyone,” my father groused, rubbing his temples. “You two need to make this work. You promised me, Raines?—”

“I didn’t promise you anything, Donelli. Mason did, and that’s the only reason I’m here putting up with this shit. Tirenti’s not gonna back down, which is why I’m taking Angie to Treemont with me. The further we are from his scrutiny, the better. But that guarantees nothing. Watch your back.”

“And you watch my daughter,” my father said.

“I don’t have a choice. Angie, go get your suitcase. We need to leave.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Suitcases, and you can go get them. Isn’t that why you have all those big muscles? You wouldn’t want me breaking a nail before our honeymoon even begins.”

“Honeymoon? You’re delusional,” he said, storming past me and grumbling as he walked from the room.

His men followed him out, leaving me alone with my father and Tony. My father motioned for his men to close the door. I waited for it to shut, biting my tongue because I knew my father wanted privacy.

“You keep that shit up, Angela, and he won’t put up with you long enough to make this work,” he scolded me.

“Me? Daddy, he’s horrible. A low-class brute who?— ”

My father moved in front of me, anger etched on his features.

“Now you listen to me, Angela Rosellina Donelli. I came from an even lower class than Raines came from, working my way up the ranks to stake my place as head of this family. We had nothing, and I worked my ass off to ensure you have everything. You insult his roots, you insult mine. Watch your insults and play the part. I don’t care how much you hate him.

You’re safer with him than you are here. ”

I dropped my eyes, hating that he was angry at me. My father doted on me, never raising his tone with me, and it stung. “Sorry, Daddy.”

He took my cheeks in his hands and raised my face to his.

“You are my pride and joy, Angela. You and your brother, and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Until Tony and I can ensure the family is no longer vulnerable, until I can put that creep Joey in his place and I’m assured he can’t touch you, you stay close to Raines.

He may not like you, but he will protect you. ”

I nodded, forcing back the tears, knowing my father was sending me away for my safety, no matter how it hurt me to leave him, Tony, and my life.

“Now be a good girl and go wait in the car for your husband.”

I tried not to cringe, kissing and hugging him goodbye before doing the same to Tony, who gave me a massive hug.

“Be good, Anj, and don’t do anything stupid,” Tony said.

“Me?” I said, trying to cover the tears that were still pushing against the back of my eyes.

“Yeah, you.”

“Never. I wouldn’t think of it.” I turned, leaving them behind me and saying, “I wonder if they have any good clubs in Treemont,” as two of my father’s men followed me out of the room.

“Angie!” Tony yelled, and I shook my head, smiling at how protective my older brother was of me .

Head held high, I made my way to the waiting car, Tyson’s henchman opening the door for me.

Two of my father’s men loaded into the car behind mine, his precaution in case this turned ugly, and Tyson and I irritated each other enough to spark violence.

It seemed silly since he was handing me over to Tyson as if I was nothing more than a prized horse he was selling.

As I waited for Tyson to join me, I stared out the window, thinking about how I’d had no say in any of this.

No voice to decline this arrangement. It was business and I was the strategic play to ensure my family stayed safe.

With a reluctant exhale, I looked out at our estate one last time and fought the overwhelming pressure behind my eyes at the thought that this might be the last time I saw it or my family.

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