He didn’t get to finish because I rammed my knee upward and only his quick reflexes prevented me from hitting my goal. The sound of Gianna’s sobs rang in my mind, made me lose whatever rationality I had.

“Get out,” Luca ordered sharply. Romero did without protest. Luca’s blazing eyes met mine but I was past being scared. I would die for Gianna. I tried another kick and graced Luca’s groin this time. He snarled and pushed me down on the sofa, my legs pinned down by his knees and my arms pushed above my head. “For god’s sake, Aria. What’s gotten into you?”

I glared. “I know about Gianna and Matteo,” I spat, and then I lost it completely and I started crying, big gasping sobs raking my body. Luca released my wrists and sat back so I could move my legs. He regarded me like I was a creature he would never understand.

“That’s what this is about?” He sounded incredulous.

“Of course you don’t understand, because you never loved anyone more than your own life. You can’t possibly understand how it is to feel your own heart breaking at the thought of the person you love getting hurt. I would die for the people I love.”

His eyes were hard and cold as he stood. “You are right. I don’t understand.” The cold mask was back. I hadn’t seen it directed at me in weeks.

I wiped my eyes and stood as well. “Why didn’t you tell me? You’ve known for weeks.”

“Because I knew you wouldn’t like it.”

I shook my head. “You knew I’d be mad at you and you didn’t want to ruin your chances of fucking me.” I didn’t even blush, even though I never used the word.

Luca became rigid. “Of course I wanted to fuck you. But I got the impression you enjoyed our fucking sessions.”

I wanted to hurt him. He was so cold. Of course it had always been about taking what was his, about claiming my body. He didn’t give a shit about me, or anyone. “And you worried I wasn’t a good enough actress to fool everyone after our little trick in our wedding night. I even fooled you.” I let out an ugly laugh. “I made you believe I actually enjoyed it.”

Something flickered in Luca’s eyes, something that made me want to take back my words for a moment, but then his mouth pulled into a cruel smile. “Don’t lie to me. I’ve fucked enough whores to know an orgasm when I see one.”

I flinched as if he’d hit me. Had he just compared me to his whores? I said the ugliest thing I could think of. “Some woman even experience an orgasm when they’re being raped. It’s not because they’re enjoying it. It’s their body’s way of coping.”

For a long time Luca didn’t say anything. His nostrils flared and his chest heaved and his hands were clenched to fists. He looked like he wanted to kill me on the spot. Then the scariest thing happened, the anger slipped off his face. His expression became emotionless, his eyes as smooth and impenetrable as steel. “Your sister should be happy that Matteo wants her. Few men can stand her gab.”

“God that’s the reason, isn’t it?” I said in disgust. “It’s because she told him that he’d never get her hot body that day in the hotel. He didn’t like it. He couldn’t bear that she was immune to his creepy charm.”

“She shouldn’t have challenged him. Matteo is a determined hunter. He gets what he wants.” Still not a flicker of emotion, not even in Luca’s voice. It was like he was made from ice.

“He gets what he wants? It’s not hunting if he forces her into marriage by asking my father for her hand. That is cowardice.”

“It doesn’t matter. They’re getting married.” He turned his back to me, as if he was dismissing me.

Luca didn’t get it. He couldn’t. He didn’t know Gianna as well as I did. She wouldn’t go into this union quietly like I had. I stormed toward the elevator. “Aria, what the fuck are you doing?”

I was in the elevator before Luca could reach it and was on my way one floor down. I stepped out into Matteo’s apartment. It was basically a mirror image of our own, except that it wasn’t a duplex. Matteo had sat in an armchair, listening to some kind of crappy rap music when he saw me. He rose, eying me cautiously as he came toward me. “What are you doing here?”

I pushed my palms against his chest when he stopped in front of me. “Take your proposal back. Tell my father you don’t want Gianna.”

Matteo laughed. “Why would I? I want her. I always get what I was want. Gianna shouldn’t have played games with the big boys.”

I lost it and slapped him across the face. My stupid Italian temperament. I usually reigned it in, better than my other siblings at least, but not today. He gripped my arm, shoved me back so my spine collided painfully with the wall, and trapped me between it and his body. I gasped. “You are lucky that you are my brother’s wife.”

The elevator bling-ed as it stopped and opened. “Let her go,” Luca growled, stepping out. Matteo back away at once and gave me a cold smile.

Luca walked up to me, eyes scanning my body before facing his brother. “You won’t do that again.”

“Then teach her manners. I won’t let her hit me again.” Teach her manners? His marriage to Gianna would end in an utter catastrophe.

Luca’s voice dropped an octave. “You won’t touch my wife again, Matteo. You are my brother and I’d take a bullet for you, but if you do that again, you’ll have to live with the consequences.” They faced each other and for a moment I worried they’d pull knives and fight each other. That wasn’t what I’d intended. I knew how much Luca cared about his brother, more than he cared about me anyway. Matteo was the only person Luca trusted. For a while I’d thought I might be that person, but if that were the case, today would have gone very differently. I knew his protecting me was a power game and not about emotions. By touching me, Matteo had shown disrespect toward Luca and of course Luca couldn’t let that slide.

“I won’t hit you again, Matteo,” I ground out, though the words tasted foul in my mouth. “I shouldn’t have done it.”

Both men turned to me in surprise. Matteo relaxed his stance. Luca didn’t.

“I’m sorry if I hurt or scared you,” Matteo said. I couldn’t tell if he meant it or not. He had the emotionless mask down just like his brother.

“You didn’t.”

Luca smirked, then he stepped up to me and pulled me against him possessively. Our eyes met and as if he remembered our earlier words his smirk disappeared and his lips tightened. He didn’t release me but his hold on me loosened.

I turned away from him, not able to bear his expression any longer, and faced Matteo. “Don’t marry, Gianna,” I tried again, and Luca’s grip on my waist tightened in warning. I ignored him. “She doesn’t want to marry you.”

“You didn’t want to marry Luca either and here you are,” Matteo said with his shark grin.

“Gianna isn’t like me. She won’t come to terms with an arranged marriage.”

Luca dropped his hand from my waist.

“She will become my wife the moment she turns eighteen. No power in this universe will stop me from making her mine.”

“You disgust me. You all do,” I said. With that I stepped back into the elevator. Luca didn’t follow. He didn’t even watch me to see if I was returning to our apartment. He knew I wouldn’t go anywhere. Even if I still wanted to run, I couldn’t. My heart belonged to him even if he didn’t have a heart that he could give me in turn.