ie

he feeling that this was all just gonna come back to haunt me. Kahlo... his death was supposed to be the end of the nightmare, right? So wh

, barely above a whisper. "I'm gonna have nightmares fo

dear ol' dad. He spent the entire day with me, going over the restaurant finances, like everything was

a thing. Not on

ut the frustration bubbling under my skin. But instead, I stood there like an idiot, trying to tell

be okay. I

, he could be just as much of a monster as Kahlo was. Maybe worse. I bit my

hrough that again. There's gotta

joke, a rough voice c

a sm

en his fingers, half-smoked, like he wasn't even trying to look cool. He just didn't give a damn. His cheekbones were sharp enough

d a time as a

ike it was some kind of ali

t another one and took a slow drag, l

eached out and took the d

, even if it was just this stupid cigarette. I brought it to my lips, inhal

ugh. "Inhaling's probably no

y it cool while my lungs screamed at me. He seemed amused

s if he was commenting on the weather,

as the guy my father had decided was my next groom. I glanced at him, trying to size him up without being obvious about it. Dark hair

e shrugged like we were talking about choosing a sa

of course, it didn't. My life wasn't my own, and this wasn't the

I took another drag, slower this time, and the smoke wasn't as harsh. The dizziness from before settled into something more bearable, almost comfo

Didn't matter. We were practically strangers, whether we were getting hitched or not. I crushed the ci

way. He was even taller up close, broader, his presence damn near suffocati

" I asked, trying to

e gently, but firmly, tugged it down, exposing my neck. Panic shot through me.

my voice shaking despite my

cupped my chin, tilting my head back, and his eyes zeroed in on the bruises I knew were still fa

ge to it, like he was already planning whatever hell h

ected. Not from him. The concern in his voice, the way his eyes

I whispered, barely

ger. My mind was racing. I couldn't decide if this marriage was going

r of his physique hinted at an

rely a whisper, the weight of

what the imprint of a man's hands on a woman's neck looks like." As he speaks, his thumb glides over her skin, tracing the spo

vement pressing her throa

ver down her spine. Kylie licks her lips, acutely aware of his e

ges, but there's a quiver in her

ecause I'm going to kill the bastard." His fingers continue their slow, unsettling caress along her n

n fear and an odd thrill

ands, the urgency in his t

n their twisted world, murder isn't a simple answer-it's a l

s the heat radiating from him. "Why not?" The

now. She meets his gaze, defiance mingling with a flicker of f

voice dropping to a dangerous whisp

g her resolve. "You don't get to decide that for m

s Kylie's defiant expression. The tension between them

is grip on her neck loosening slightl

elf. "I'm protecting you, Roberto. From c

nic. "You think I haven't

This isn't some calculated move in your world of power plays and vendetta

doesn't step back. His presence looms over her

he says, his tone a mix of threat and.

ot. But I know what I'm capable of. And I wo

lent battle of wills. The air feels charged, heavy

nd through his hair in frustration. "Fine," he s

e knows better than to relax completely.

s softly, meaning it

ined fury. "Don't thank me yet," he mutters. "I still i