Page 54 of Brutal Revenge

Especially when Vanni says, “If this is purely part of a ploy, I’ve got tips on how you can have Antonio falling on one knee sooner rather than later.” He twists to face me. “But if you’re not wanting to return to your normal life anytime soon, I’ll?—”

“It’s a ploy. That’sallit is,” I interrupt, lying through my teeth.

Dante’s nostrils flare like he can smell the deceit on my skin, but he remains quiet.

After a beat, Giovanni says, “All right. As long as you’re sure?”

I take longer to reply than I care to admit. “I’m sure.”

He twists his lips before he moseys to my open bedroom door. I hate what he sees, but it’s gospel. “If you want anyone to believe tonight’s event isn’t a sham, you need to fix her flushed cheeks and neck. There’s a big difference between a sexually relieved face and one so tied up she’s seconds from snapping.” He returns his eyes to me, hot and heavy. “Azra’s is the latter.”

I go still, then nod once, the fight to defend my reputation lost to a hunger so strong it’s deadly.

Chapter 14

Azra

Valentina, Lucia, and Camille’s footsteps fade down the hallway when they finally leave me alone with my thoughts. When the door of Matteo’s room clicks shut, the silence is deafening. I haven’t experienced the noise and chaos of the past eight hours for over four years. I didn’t realize how much I missed female connections and blossoming friendships until now.

Although I’d give anything to bask in their nonjudgmental attention for a few more hours, the memories their unexpected help conjured solidified the reason I’m in Sicily, endeavoring to marry a man I hate.

This isn’t for me.

It’s for her.

After twirling my friendship bracelet around my wrist, I spritz some perfume on my neck and stare at my reflection.

For two women who claim not to be professionals, Lucia and Valentina did a wonderful job polishing me for the gala. They smoothed my hair into soft waves, applied understated yet flawless makeup, and ensured my dress fit perfectly. I look like someone who belongs at a gala—someone elegant, composed, and untouchable.

But inside, I feel hollow.

I am a meticulously made object with a hollow interior.

My fingers tighten around the vanity sink as flashbacks of my time in the abandoned field with Matteo filter through my mind. The way he looked down at me and how his breath caught when my lips hovered over his fat cock have kept the furnace inside me well stacked all day.

The knowledge triples my fury.

He left me hanging. Again!

I shouldn’t care that he’s displaying the selfishness I’ve been surrounded by my entire life, but it’s frustrating the hell out of me.

Is all the tension I feel around him only in my head? The pull, the spark, the way my pulse stumbles when his eyes meet mine—are those feelings solely mine? If so, he should consider a new career. He would make a killing as an actor.

I swallow hard before remembering the reason I’m thousands of miles from home.

With my spine hardened with resolve, I drink in my reflection again. Something is missing. What it is, I can’t say, but it’s as obvious as the ache between my legs that hasn’t eased for a minute over the past eight hours.

“Maybe earrings will help?” I mumble to myself. “Something bright and distracting.”

I push away from the sink and hurry out of the bathroom, crossing the room to my suitcase stashed in the mammoth dressing room. Kneeling, I rummage through a small velvet pouch tucked into the front pocket of my luggage until I find a pair of gold drop earrings.

Perfect.Hopefully they’ll make my outfit feel less unfinished.

I stand too quickly and stumble into someone. A hand steadies my elbow, and although that shouldn’t be enough to identify the person assisting me in staying upright, there’s no mistaking the zap darting up my arm.

Matteo.

He stands so close that his aftershave infuses with my perfume and each breath batters my nape. I pivot to face him, my footingunbalanced. Partway around, my pulse kicks up a notch. Matteo is wearing the full ensemble of a gala attendee: a bow tie, a crisp dress shirt, onyx cufflinks that catch the light, and a tuxedo that showcases his physique in panty-wetting detail. He is devastatingly gorgeous, and I can’t help but drool.