Hurrying from the room, I didn’t wait for Scott to escort me. But my attempt to escape was futile. He caught up to me and snagged my hand in his. “Anyone would think you’re trying to get away from me.”
“I am,” I snapped.
“Tut tut, Principessa, you need to learn some respect. I am your fiancé. Your betrothed. Soon enough, I’ll be the one in your bed, the one between your legs.”
Bile rushed up my throat, making my eyes water. Defiance burned inside me. “I will never be yours,” I spat the words at him.
It was a mistake.
Scott tightened his hold on my hand and forcefully marched me into the stairwell. It was quiet in there, even less busy than the hall we’d just left. He pushed me up against the wall, curving his hand around my throat. “Say it again.”
“I’ll never be yours.” My eyes narrowed with hatred.
“You think you get a say in the matter?” Scott leaned in, inhaling deeply, running his nose along the slope of my neck in a way that had me swallowing a fresh wave of tears and vomit.
“I will be inside you again, and you will want it. You will fucking beg me after I’m through with you.”
“Get your hands off me,” my voice shook, betraying me.
“What are you going to do, baby?” He licked my skin. “Scream? Because you know it’ll only get me more—”
The door on the level below opened and voices filled the stairway. I used the moment to shoulder Scott out of the way and keep walking. His dark chuckle rolled off my shoulders, sending a shiver up my spine.
“The clock’s ticking, Arianne.”
I marched down the stairs and into the hospital foyer. Luis shot up the second he saw me. “Arianne, what is it?”
“Nothing, can we please go?”
He’d stayed down here to give me space. Of course, I hadn’t anticipated Scott being here or him being crazy enough to try something in the hospital.
I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“Vitelli, fancy seeing you here.” Scott strolled up to us wearing his usual smug smirk.
Luis glared at him before glancing to me. “Are you sure everything is okay?”
“Everything’s fine.” The words almost choked me.
“We had some things to discuss,” Scott said. “But I think she got the message.”
It took everything in me not to reply. I swallowed the words. I wanted to fight him, but I had to choose my battles carefully because I would need my armor in the coming weeks.
“Come on.” Luis laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. “The car is waiting.”
“What, no goodbye?” Scott pouted.
I walked away from him with my head held high. Scott could push me and taunt me, but I wouldn’t let him break me.
I wouldn’t.
As soon as we were clear of the hospital, Luis grabbed my hand. “What happened?”
“Just Scott being his usual creepy self.”
“Did he do something?”
“It doesn’t matter.” I shrugged him off, fighting the tears threatening to fall.
“Arianne, it matters. If he’s—”
“If he’s what?” I hissed. “He holds all the cards and he knows it.”
“Your father negotiated—”
“My father isn’t in control here, they are. So no, I’m not okay. But I have to be. Because if I give Scott so much as an inch, he’ll take everything from me, and I can’t let him do that again, I won’t.”
“I won’t leave your side again. I knew I should have—”
“Luis, this isn’t your fault. We were in the hospital. You weren’t to know Scott was here.”
“Maybe we need to know.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe we should start having him tailed.”
I rolled my eyes. “If you think that’ll help.” I didn’t, but I could see Luis wanted to do something, anything, to try to fix this.
“I’m going to speak to Roberto again, maybe he can—”
“No, you can’t. We can’t trust that he won’t go to Mike with this, and if he does...” God only knew where that would land me.
My father was not an ally.
He was a pawn.
“I can handle Scott.”
“You shouldn’t have to deal with that piece of shit.”
“You’re right, I shouldn’t. But what choice do I have?”
Indecision flickered in his eyes and then he leaned in and said, “I want you to carry something.”
“What?” I gasped. Surely, I’d heard him wrong.
“Just a switchblade. Something discreet. You have self-defense training. I know your father made you take lessons after the attempt at the school.”
“Luis, I’m not sure...”
“I know we need to bide our time, but you shouldn’t be around that