goons in tow, and the two hulking men stood a step behind their boss. The hungry look in Aldo’s eyes made her want to vomit. “What are you doing here?”
He clicked his tongue. “What a rude greeting. I’m here to bring you home, dear sister.”
“I’m not your sister.” She spat the words in his direction as she surrendered to instincts urging her to find safety. Before she knew she was doing it, Mia moved toward Shane. He seemed startled when she pressed her body close to his, and his shock mirrored her own when she clutched the front of his shirt. “Please don’t let him take me, Shane.”
He blinked before any emotion disappeared from his green gaze. His voice was little more than a whisper when he bent his head to her level. “I want two things from you, Mia.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “What?”
He touched her cheek with his finger, and Aldo hissed his displeasure. “First, I want the full truth about why you don’t want to go with your stepbrother.”
She bit her lip before nodding. The idea of confiding in Shane was embarrassing, but she’d rather face that humiliation than go with Aldo.
A ghost of a smile graced his lips for a second. “Second, no more fighting.”
Mia glared at him, her voice a low whisper that was full of annoyance. “You can’t expect me to give in to you.”
He curled his lip. “If you’re expecting me to go to war to keep you, I expect you to be worth it.”
Mia stiffened her shoulders. She wanted to tell him to go to hell, but a quick glance at the cold anger in Aldo’s expression reminded her of what was at stake. At least with Shane, she would enjoy some of it. Or all of it if she accepted a role as his lover instead of his captive , a traitorous voice whispered in the back of her mind. Her lips barely moved when she said, “Fine.”
He stared at her for ten seconds or so, as the tension mounted in the room. With a decisive nod of his head, he turned back to Aldo. “Mia doesn’t wish to accompany you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We both know Vadim forced her into this arrangement.” Aldo’s dark eyes grew cold. “It took him several days to admit what he had done, but he finally confessed what had happened to my Mia.”
She shuddered at the possessive note. “I’m not yours.”
“You are.” Aldo scowled. “You aren’t this Mick bastard’s, Mia. There is only one man to whom you belong.”
“Get out.” Shane spoke the words softly, but with full sincerity.
“Things could get messy, O’Mara. You should think carefully about—”
Shane waved a hand. “Don’t make me repeat myself, Peretti.”
The other man swelled up like a toad, and his anger made his handsome countenance ugly. Mia had always found him ugly though, knowing what lurked inside the monster. “You might not live to regret this decision, O’Mara.”
Shane’s grin looked sharp at the edges. “I’ve lived to regret all kinds of things I’ve done, Peretti. Keeping Mia won’t be one of them.”
Aldo pinned Mia with his gaze. “You’re only making this worse for yourself, Mia.”
She couldn’t hide her repulsion. “Knowing what you want, there is nothing that could be worse.” Her words rang with sincerity, and she moved even closer to Shane. Despite the things he had done to her, he was the safest choice, and she knew he would protect her from Aldo. It humbled her to know she needed someone else to defend her, but a cursory glance at her stepbrother had revealed his sick hunger for her had only deepened over the past few years.
With an angry hissing sound reminiscent of a startled goose, Aldo Peretti turned on his handmade Italian loafers and stalked from the room, his goons running to keep up though they had longer legs.
She sagged with relief when the front door slammed a moment later, but it didn’t take long for that feeling to fade. As soon as Shane’s hand fell on the back of her neck, she stiffened.
“It’s time for a talk,
He clicked his tongue. “What a rude greeting. I’m here to bring you home, dear sister.”
“I’m not your sister.” She spat the words in his direction as she surrendered to instincts urging her to find safety. Before she knew she was doing it, Mia moved toward Shane. He seemed startled when she pressed her body close to his, and his shock mirrored her own when she clutched the front of his shirt. “Please don’t let him take me, Shane.”
He blinked before any emotion disappeared from his green gaze. His voice was little more than a whisper when he bent his head to her level. “I want two things from you, Mia.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “What?”
He touched her cheek with his finger, and Aldo hissed his displeasure. “First, I want the full truth about why you don’t want to go with your stepbrother.”
She bit her lip before nodding. The idea of confiding in Shane was embarrassing, but she’d rather face that humiliation than go with Aldo.
A ghost of a smile graced his lips for a second. “Second, no more fighting.”
Mia glared at him, her voice a low whisper that was full of annoyance. “You can’t expect me to give in to you.”
He curled his lip. “If you’re expecting me to go to war to keep you, I expect you to be worth it.”
Mia stiffened her shoulders. She wanted to tell him to go to hell, but a quick glance at the cold anger in Aldo’s expression reminded her of what was at stake. At least with Shane, she would enjoy some of it. Or all of it if she accepted a role as his lover instead of his captive , a traitorous voice whispered in the back of her mind. Her lips barely moved when she said, “Fine.”
He stared at her for ten seconds or so, as the tension mounted in the room. With a decisive nod of his head, he turned back to Aldo. “Mia doesn’t wish to accompany you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We both know Vadim forced her into this arrangement.” Aldo’s dark eyes grew cold. “It took him several days to admit what he had done, but he finally confessed what had happened to my Mia.”
She shuddered at the possessive note. “I’m not yours.”
“You are.” Aldo scowled. “You aren’t this Mick bastard’s, Mia. There is only one man to whom you belong.”
“Get out.” Shane spoke the words softly, but with full sincerity.
“Things could get messy, O’Mara. You should think carefully about—”
Shane waved a hand. “Don’t make me repeat myself, Peretti.”
The other man swelled up like a toad, and his anger made his handsome countenance ugly. Mia had always found him ugly though, knowing what lurked inside the monster. “You might not live to regret this decision, O’Mara.”
Shane’s grin looked sharp at the edges. “I’ve lived to regret all kinds of things I’ve done, Peretti. Keeping Mia won’t be one of them.”
Aldo pinned Mia with his gaze. “You’re only making this worse for yourself, Mia.”
She couldn’t hide her repulsion. “Knowing what you want, there is nothing that could be worse.” Her words rang with sincerity, and she moved even closer to Shane. Despite the things he had done to her, he was the safest choice, and she knew he would protect her from Aldo. It humbled her to know she needed someone else to defend her, but a cursory glance at her stepbrother had revealed his sick hunger for her had only deepened over the past few years.
With an angry hissing sound reminiscent of a startled goose, Aldo Peretti turned on his handmade Italian loafers and stalked from the room, his goons running to keep up though they had longer legs.
She sagged with relief when the front door slammed a moment later, but it didn’t take long for that feeling to fade. As soon as Shane’s hand fell on the back of her neck, she stiffened.
“It’s time for a talk,
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