His Stolen Bride - MINK Page 0,8
want to do it so badly that I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself. I only stare at him.
“You’re hungry.”
“It’s late. I’d like to get the wedding over with.” The sooner we get this part done, the sooner I can start to make him think I’m falling into line. Then his attention won’t be on me.
“You’ll eat first.”
My stomach clenches at his persistence to feed me. A good meal might do me some good, but I don’t want to make anything easy for Santino. The only thing I want from him is freedom. I don’t know why he’s so worried about my well-being. I’m only an accessory to him, a shiny pair of cufflinks or a sports car that’s soon forgotten in favor of a newer model.
Giuseppe had put me on a very strict diet from the moment I arrived here. “Your hips are obscene,” he’d said and turned his vile nose up at me.
I’ve felt like I’m starving to death. If Gianna knew, she would’ve lost her mind. Then she would have tried to sneak me food, which would have gotten her in trouble. Worse, she would have tried to give me her own. She’s eating for two now. She needs all the nutrients she can get.
“I’ll eat tomorrow. I’m sure Talia is gone already.” I suck in a deep breath as I stand from the bed. “Where am I?” I look around the room. It feels nice to be out of Giuseppe’s room. Out of that makeshift prison. It’s a shame my freedom will be so short-lived.
“A spare room,” he answers. His eyes are all over me. I think he’s studying me. “I can cook.”
“Good for you. Where’s my sister?”
“Throwing up.”
“Did she eat some of your cooking?”
My hand flies to my mouth as Santino throws his head back and laughs. It makes him more handsome than he already is. Between that and his kiss, maybe having to go to bed with him won't be so terrible. But no, he’s just another boy playing at being boss. The same as Giuseppe.
When he meets my gaze again, a sparkle dances across his dark irises. “Get ready. I’ll get you something to eat, and then you’ll become my wife.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? Just like that?” He raises a brow. “I don’t need to dig anyone else up?”
“No,” I answer quickly. “No, thank you. You’re clearly not going to leave me alone until I eat. I don’t know if it’s to make yourself feel better but I know—”
“Bella!” I turn at the sound of my sister's voice. She comes rushing into the room. “You were gone.” She hurries over to me but not before giving Santino a glare. He doesn't pay her any attention. He’s still studying me.
“I was worried he’d done something to you.” She cups my cheeks.
“Like what?” he taunts, his gaze locked with mine.
Why are my thighs heating? They shouldn’t be. Not for the killer who’s stolen my future and ruined my escape plans for Gianna.
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.” I grasp her wrists gently. “There’s going to be a wedding tonight.” I change the subject, giving her something else to focus on.
“Right. A wedding.” She starts to play with my hair. I pull my eyes away from Santino and lose the staring competition.
“Thirty minutes,” Santino says before leaving the room. Gianna grabs my hand and pulls me back toward the bedroom. The last place I want to be. Leo stands at the door, Gianna always in his sights.
I stare at the bed as she fusses with my hair and makeup, all three of us wondering what tonight will bring.
“Your lip is almost healed. I bet lipstick would cover it over.”
“No.”
She lets out a huff and starts braiding my hair. “Are you going to wear the same wedding dress?”
“No,” Santino says as he walks back into the room. He drops a plate on the table in the sitting area. My stomach growls again when the smell reaches me.
“Then what should she wear? It’s not as though you're giving her time.”
“I don’t give a shit what she wears as long as it’s not that dress.”
“I don’t understand why it matters.” Now Gianna is getting worked up.
I grab her hand. “Stop.”
Her eyes fill with tears. She hates that I’m doing this. Again. “You know it’s not that kind of wedding.”
“That kind of wedding? It’s a wedding. A wedding that will be had when you have eaten everything on this plate.”
What if it were a wedding that every girl dreams about? Every girl