It’s just physical, Rachel. Nothing more.
“And you’ll stop being a fucking brat!” He seized my arms, shaking me slightly. Electricity shot through my skin at his touch, making me gasp slightly.
“And you’ll get your fucking hands off me! You can also attend weekly therapy sessions to get your temper under control!”
“Snap! If either of us has a short fuse, it’s definitely you!” He snapped back, but there wasn’t quite as much venom in his toneas there had been. He almost sounded soft, his lips hovering over mine.
“Fine,” I breathed, not knowing what else to say.
“Great. But first, we’ll seal all of this with a kiss,” he growled before his mouth closed over mine.
The months fell away. The pain, the hurt, the anger… it all became nothing the moment I felt his lips on mine. And in its place was… it almost felt like relief.
I pushed him away before that feeling had a chance to take root and explode.
“Are we in agreement?” He asked, not letting go of my arms.
“I want it in writing,” I said softly, stepping away from him and looking down at the floor. “I want a written contract stating that after six months, you’ll let me go.”
How had we got to this point? This man had once traced all my scars like they were holy. And now he was using every wound, every weakness, every mistake, against me.
I barely even recognised the people we had become.
“Done.”
“Perfect,” I glared back at him. “Now go get my fucking son.”
Chapter 11
Rachel
Dante went to get Axel, promising me he would have him back here within fifteen minutes.
I watched him leave, and then expelled a breath of air, ridding my body of the tension it had been holding in.
The last thing I wanted to do was to find myself stuck here again, but what choice did I have? As shitty as this situation was, making these stipulations seemed like the best way to handle it. Dante had me over a barrel, and if I wasn’t willing to play his games, I was going to be royally fucked. I had clawed back a fraction of control, so really, this was the best of a bad situation.
And what was six months in the grand scheme of things?
At least it was keeping my parents safe. I might have my issues with them—especially my mother—but I would not see them harmed because Dante wanted to throw his weight around and prove he was the “alpha” around here.
I could do this. How bad could it really be?
Six months, and I would be free. Sure, I’d have to live here—or at least nearby. But I would be free. I could live with Axel in relative peace without having to worry every five minutes thatDante was going to find me. I wouldn’t spend my life looking over my shoulder or jumping in fright every time I heard a motorbike. I could live as Rachel again instead of an alias. And I would get to have Bee with me! Really, this was more than I could ever have hoped for. I just had to get through the next six months and…
Dammit!
I suddenly realised I should have told Dante I still wanted to work. I would now have to ring my boss and explain to him I would not be returning to the office. Which meant going in and handing my two weeks’ notice to him. Which more than likely meant that Dante would want to follow me. He had promised my freedom, but I think if he knew I was planning on going somewhere that had been part of my life without him, he might want to come and check it out.
Not to mention I worked in Scotland. There was no way he was going to let me go back there on my own.
Shit.
Another thought came to mind… this one much more unpleasant.
I had gone on one or two dates with my boss. Nothing serious, and I think we both realised we were better off as friends—and as the old saying went, don’t shit where you eat. Workplace romances never worked. But if Dante found out…
I bit my lip as I pondered this. What could he realistically do? It’s not as if he’s been living as a eunuch whilst I’ve been gone. He has no right to be mad at anything I did during my absence.
