Page 151 of Sins of the Orchid

“Do us both a favor, Santi. Stay away from me. Make an excuse, be busy, go shoot someone. I don’t give a shit, just don’t come around.”

I attempted to sidestep him, but his hand curled around my wrist, forcing me to stop.

“Let go of me,” I hissed.

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll scream so loud that my brothers will hear it all the way back at our house. And trust me, they will shoot before they ask questions.”

His temper flared and he pressed me against the stone wall, the shadows hiding us from everyone in the house. Though why I had no idea because there was nobody around.

“Don’t fucking push it, Amore,” he whispered against my ear, his hot breath making my insides clench with need. That was all it took, his breath against my ear, and I melted like ice under the scorching sun.

This love for him was clawing at my chest, slowly destroying me, and I fucking hated it.

“Or what? You’ll shoot me?”

“Don’t you think I tried?” he growled. “Don’t you think I tried to break the engagement?”

My eyes snapped to his, and I looked for the truth in his dark amber depths. Santi Russo might be a lot of things, but a liar wasn’t one of them.

Maybe. I don’t know. Fuck!

“Your father is flat out refusing to break the contract.”

My ears rang. How long have I been hearing from Dad and my brothers what a Russo wants he takes? If he wanted me, he would have taken me from this unreasonable marriage contract and kept me for himself. There was a way; something Santi could have done to break the contract, but he didn’t deem me worthy enough to meet my father’s demands. If I thought my heart was hurting up until now, I was wrong.

Oh, how wrong I was!

Right now, his words tore at my heart, stabbing it a million times and ripping it to shreds. This pain felt like shattered glass against my skin, making me raw on the inside.

“Let go of me, Santi,” I told him in a cold voice and my head held high.

When he didn’t move, I jerked my arm out of his hold. I side stepped him, taking five steps, the buzzing in my ears drowning out pain.

“You want to know something funny?” I glanced over my shoulder to see him looking after me, his jaw pressed hard. “I would have given the entire Regalè Empire away if you would have asked me to.” Something dark flickered in his eyes and his teeth clenched.

“Goodbye, Santi.”

Without another word I strode away from him, my back stiff. I had to leave the room before I said something stupid. Grabbing my purse off the table on my way out, I opted to call Lorenzo rather than Uncle Vincent. My brother wouldn’t grill me and threaten to rip the Russo men apart.

I left their home and started down their long driveway. I didn’t get far. I was barely halfway down the driveway when a car pulled up next to me. It was Santi’s Aston Martin. His passenger window slid down.

“Get in the car, Amore.”

“No.” I continued walking when I heard the car door slam. “Lorenzo will pick me up.”

I couldn’t bear to be around him. He couldn't even bother to fight for me, and I wanted to beg him to love me. It was sad and pathetic.Iwas pathetic.

“I will take you home.” His big hand wrapped around my wrist and whipped me around.

“Get your hands off me,” I hissed. I tugged on my wrist, but it was futile. He was much stronger.

“Don’t be stupid.”

I narrowed my eyes on him. “You are the stupid one,” I gritted out. “I am sick and tired of being jerked around by you, Santi.” His grip on my wrist tightened and his expression darkened. “You want me. You don’t want me. You want me again, then you are done with me. Which one is it?”

“Amore—”