Reign A Romance Anthology - Nina Levine Page 0,111

husband.

And my father.

Now that I’ve told them everything, the air is tight with tension. My father is seething. Alberto is fuming with disgust, and Cristian is visibly angered. But it is Alessandro who is beside himself with white-hot rage. I have never seen his eyes so dark. Never seen his face so taut with fury. While we all sit, he paces.

“We take our time,” my father says. “Keep him waiting. Watching. Anticipating. And then we strike.”

Knowing my father is right, but itching for revenge, Alessandro lets out an anguished growl and punches the wall, over and over, before swinging back to face us.

“I want to make him pay now!” He stalks toward my father. “I know she is your daughter. I know you want revenge. But I want your permission to do this myself.”

My father looks at me, and I realize he is waiting for my consent to let Alessandro undertake my revenge.

I hate this life. This bullshit.

“If we call the police, he’ll go to jail,” I say, despite knowing none of the four men in this room will be willing to involve the police.

“This is no time for cops, Bella,” Alessandro growls. “This is time for family.”

“Luca Castabella must pay for what he did to you,” my father explains. “It was a declaration of war.”

“And war is what I will give him,” Alessandro snarls.

I look at my father and then to Alessandro. Once enemies, this moment is forging a bond between them.

I stand up. I don’t want any part of this. They’re going to do what they’re going to do. But I don’t want to know the details.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a shower and lie down.” I feel exhausted. It’s late, and hours have passed since I got home and called my husband. Now I need to wash the day away and crawl into bed. I doubt sleep will claim me, but I need the quiet so I can process what happened to me today.

In the shower, I let the water relax me and calm my mind, and by the time I’m dried off and pulling on my favorite cotton nightie, I’m already feeling calmer.

I walk to the bed and climb in. I don’t even bother with the covers. I sink down and curl into my pillow, praying the events of today will vanish into the deepest recess of my mind where all the bad things go and stay hidden forever.

After some time, I feel the mattress dip behind me, and feel Alessandro’s strong arms come around me and hold me to his powerful body.

His embrace is warm and comforting, and I clutch his hands to my chest as I fight the urge to cry.

He says nothing, but he doesn’t need to, his presence and his touch is enough.

When sleep steals me, my heart is calm and my fear is gone, because I am in Alessandro’s arms.

Exactly where I want to be.

17

Alessandro

Something pulls me from my sleep. My eyes open to a silent, moonlit room. I feel for Bella, but the space beside me is empty.

Rising up on one elbow, I see her standing at the window looking out into the night, the lights of the city moving across her sad face.

“Bella?” My voice cuts into the quiet and she turns to look. She’s wearing a short nightdress so sheer I can see her nakedness underneath. My body tightens and heat funnels through my veins.

She walks slowly toward the bed and climbs in. She says nothing. But I can see the mix of anguish and lust on her face as she slides her thighs on either side of my hips, her palms gliding over the deep grooves of my abs.

Immediately, my cock begins to throb with need.

“What are you doing?” My voice is thick.

Her lips part with a small gasp of pleasure as she feels my hardness between her legs.

“I want you, Alessandro.”

Leaning down, she seals her lips over mine and sweeps her tongue into my mouth. The kiss is deep and desperate, and the groan rumbling between us is laden with heavy desire. It’s my groan, and it is thick with lust and need because I am so turned on, I’m at risk of losing all sense and reason. I kiss her back. I’ve wanted this for so long and God, it feels like heaven.

Without warning, she breaks away to pull her nightdress off, and the sight of her nakedness almost does me in. Her ample breasts, her tight pink nipples, the deep tan