He must see my terror because he exhales, rubs his face with his hands. “Fuck.” It takes him a few minutes but when he speaks again, his voice is controlled. “What didn’t you intend?”

Someone clears their throat. Sergio takes a deep breath in, clearly irritated, and turns to Eric who’s standing beneath the arched entry.

“You need to see something,” he says, then adds something on in Italian.

Sergio walks over to him, and they both look at Eric’s phone.

“Fucking bastard,” Sergio mutters. “Give me a minute.” Eric leaves and Sergio comes to me. “I have to go.”

“Where?”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Are you fixing it? Is this you fixing it? Will you come back with another bruise on your knuckles? Maybe blood on your shirt this time?”

His eyes narrow and when he steps closer, I take two steps back. “Don’t fucking test me. Not now.”

I swallow. He’s warning me and for the first time since I’ve known him, I realize I don’t know the lengths this man will go to, the violence he’s used to. The violence he’s caused. I thought I did, but I was wrong. To think you know something but then to really understand it, to feel it, those are two very different things.

He clears his throat. “Natalie—”

I look away, fold my arms across my chest. “Just go.”

“There’s some food—”

“I’m not hungry. Just go. Go fucking fix it.”

“Trust me, Natalie.”

I walk away. I don’t want to hear anymore. I need to get Pepper settled. I find her in the kitchen eating the last of her dinner, oblivious to the shit storm in the other room. I don’t turn around when I hear the two men speaking in hushed tones in the hallway. The front door opens and closes, and I hear a car’s engine start. Pepper licks my face when I sit on the floor beside her. I don’t know if I’m angry or hurt or scared or what. Sergio takes liberties, assumes things, and thing is, I know that’s him. I know this is how it will be with him. Tonight is just a preview of what I’m signing up for.

Irritated with myself, I get up, take Pepper by the collar.

“Come on, let’s find ourselves a bedroom.” Because I’m not sleeping in his.

It’s four in the morning when I abruptly wake up, bolting upright in the strange bed, gasping for breath.

The nightmare is gone as soon as my eyes open but it takes me a moment to remember where I am. Why I’m here.

Pepper’s snore comes from the foot of the bed. I draw the covers back and get up. I don’t want to sleep again. I don’t want to go back to that dream.