Page 24 of Scarred Heir

“It’s not going to work that way,” Milo said. “Sable comes with me. That was the deal.”

“Why are you such an asshole?”

Why couldn’t Chance control his temper and shut his mouth for once? Wasn’t my sacrifice enough? Why did he insist on making this worse?

“I’m an asshole?” When Milo lunged forward, I grabbed his arm. He glared over his shoulder. “Let go of me.” His low, threatening tone should have made me retreat.

“Please don’t hurt him,” I whispered as he glanced down at my fingers still clutched around his bicep. My hold on him wasn’t some struggle for power but more of a plea to leave my brother alone. I had brought Chance here to protect him, even if he didn’t understand that. “Take me inside.”

“You two have a lot to learn if you’re going to survive here.” He turned back and looked at Chance. “For the record, I’m not the one who put Sable in this position.” Heslammed the SUV door and tapped on the top, indicating for the driver to leave.

“I wouldn’t let him come between us if I were you.” He slid my backpack off my shoulder. “It won’t end well for either of you.”

“Understood.”

“You say you understand, but I don’t think that’s true.”

“He needs time to adjust. Neither of us know what to expect by being here.”

“All you need to know is that I agreed to help you when you asked. When dealing with men like me and Bello, there are always consequences. You borrow money, you have to pay it back. If you don’t, you get hurt.”

“You made sure that didn’t happen.”

“But you sought my assistance, so now you are bound by the terms of the agreement. Asking me for a favor comes at a high cost.”

Wasn’t me being here enough for him? We didn’t try to run. I intended to pay my debt.

“Where’s the rest of your stuff?” He placed his hand on my lower back and guided me up the steps that led to a beautiful wrap-around porch.

“I didn’t know how long we would be here.”

“Longer than what you packed for.”

“I don’t really have that much,” I said. “How long am I going to be here?”

“You’re not even inside and you want to leave?”

“I didn’t say I wanted to leave, but I don’t have any idea what you expect from me.”

“That’s why you don’t frantically barge into a restaurant and demand to see me to ask me for something that only I can provide for you. That gives me the upper-hand, and it’s exactly why you don’t have any idea why you’re here.”

When he opened the front door, my legs were weighted down with fear. If I stepped through the threshold, my life would change. I would belong to Milo. I didn’t even know the full extent of what I had agreed to. I did what I had to do to save Chance, but what would that cost me?

“Come in.” He widened the door. “With the exception of Antonella, we’re alone.”

“Antonella?”

“She takes care of everything around the house. I couldn’t manage without her.” He nudged me inside and closed the door. “She’s been traveling back and forth to Italy, because her mother isn’t well, but she’ll be here for now.”

Once the latch on my prison door caught, the sound echoed throughout the elaborate foyer and I was reminded that I had given up my freedom. I didn’t know what to focus on first. The Italian marble shimmered beneath my feet and flowed down a hallway that never seemed to end. To the right of that hallway, there was a grand staircase that split on either side, leading to two separate landings, and one continuing up the center with more steps.

“You live here by yourself?” I asked.

“No, my brother and father also live here.”

“Oh.” I gazed up at the moonlight that drifted in from windows surrounding the foyer. “Where are they?”

“My father is away on business, and Marchello and his wife Lissia are on their honeymoon.”