The Bargained-Away Virgin: A Flower for the Don

tte's

while two men dragged m

ain," said the taller ma

et, but nobody dared to get invol

ning!" the shorter man exclai

arm. I drew back and prepared myself for the belt to strike my skin... but it

n holding me yanke

As the window lowered farther, I sa

back. His light brown hair rested ov

touching his firm jaw, where

his girl stealing

sharp, unreadable eyes studied me so closely tha

his henchm

ped. "I want the girl

and stared at my w

Don Vito asked, l

. While the pharmacist helped another customer, I tried to leave quietly with the me

do it, girl?"

ng reached my ears, and a cold shiv

st feared man in the

I had the chance to raise my head, I felt his long fingers close around my face. His thumb and fo

tention without even trying. He didn't need to say a word for people to notice him. The slight lean of his body

-

Lucches

I looked into the girl's

een her high cheekbones. Her black

d while studying her closely

medici

was it

replied with a stammer. "I c

that stealing

uttered several times,

s I tightened my hold on her face. "And I don't want

s,

ainst her pale skin while my eyes

e sure she learns her le

be a waste. I already had something else

in the car." Then I let go of

struggled as Ricardo and

-

tte's

eeks la

me he was coming. Each step landed with a heavy thud that echoed

ole again, isn't she?" Gaspar's vo

ath the door to know he was outside. The cramped room was already

e you, li

my arms around my knees, I made myself as small as possible. Fifteen days had passed since my mother died a

umbled into the room and steadied himself against

thing I could think about was a pro

are of us in Italy. My mother had promised me happiness when she took me away from our quiet life in southern France. The years slipped

hrough the room. His voice grew closer with every step. "You're e

nds grabbed me roughly and dragged me out

ut panic rose inside me an

my eyes on the broken dresser or stared into empt

eas

pe that some trace of humanity remained in the man my mother once believed in.

and useless as your mother!" he hissed, dragging her memory into it. "But you're going to pay for it, girl. You'll pay me back for ever

ed, shaking my head as I squeezed