“I gave you a choice,” I said, opening the passenger-side door and dropping her into the seat. She immediately tried to spring out, but I pressed her back with the flat of my hand against her chest. “You chose wrong.” I clicked her seat belt and shut her door, locking it until I got into the driver’s seat. I hit the gas, propelling us forward.

“You can’t just…take me like that!”

“Put your seat belt back on.” She’d unbuckled it. What did she think she’d do, jump out of a car going sixty miles per hour?

I made sure the door was locked just in case.

“I swear, Lucia, if I have to pull over to discipline you—”

“Slow down!” she screamed as I took a turn.

“Fasten your fucking seat belt.”

“I hate you.”

She fastened it as I merged onto the highway. “You say that a lot. Mostly when you’re turned on.”

“I’m not turned on!”

I glanced from her face to her nipples and back. “No, obviously not,” I said, returning my attention to the road.

She covered herself with her arms. “You have no right, Salvatore.”

“I have every right. You signed a contract.”

“I was sixteen, and I had no choice!”

“And what’s your choice now? Huh? Break it? Risk your family’s safety?”

“You wouldn’t hurt them.”

I glanced at her again, some part of me glad she knew that. But I wasn’t the only danger. “I may not, but others would.”

“Are you going to threaten me with that for the rest of my life?”

I just shook my head and concentrated on the road. I had more important things on my mind at the moment. Like figuring out what the hell had happened that afternoon.

By the time we pulled inside the gates and up the drive, the silence between us hung like thick, impenetrable fog. Rain still poured down. Since the garage structure was separate from the main house, I parked as close to the front door as possible and climbed out. Lucia had already opened her door and sat measuring the distance between the car and the house.

“Your feet are bare. I’ll carry you.” I leaned in to lift her, getting soaked for the third time that night.

“I’m fine. Don’t touch me.”

“Stop fighting me. The stones will cut your feet.” With one arm beneath her knees and the other at her back, I lifted her out.

“I said don’t touch me!”

Just as I leaned to close the car door, she hoisted herself out of my arms and fell to her hands and knees with a grunt.

“Lucia!”

“Stay away from me!” She scrambled to her feet and made for the front lawn.