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Dedicated to our toxic, red flag loving readers.
Today is my wedding day. No one knew except for my father. I didn’t want to make a big deal about it; after all, it wasn’t as if I was doing this because I wanted to. No, it was to help secure the Vitale name, tie us to more legitimate businesses, and increase our wealth and viability. All in all, my father was right; it was a good move. The cherry on top was that it would keep the peace between two families. I’d take peace over war any day.
A man like Benito couldn’t love, and I had no plans to ever love anyone. That shit was for suckers and dreamers. My dreams had died a long time ago.
I snickered as blood dripped down my chin. I spat the finger out of my mouth. That thing was dirty as hell. It hit Benito square in the chest before rolling onto the floor. His hard gaze shifted slightly. His brows dipped as his mouth turned down in a frown.
The cold metal of Benito’s gun pressed to my temple didn’t combat the rage that filled my chest. How in the fuck did I get here? I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. In the end, I’d survive like I always did by killing everyone else around me. “Say I do,” Benito said.
I would either drive my knife into his neck repeatedly or strip out of my clothes and fall prey to the devil.
He thought he could put me in the guest room out of sight and out of mind. I thought the fuck not. Benito would think about me every second of every day. I would burrow so deep into the man’s psyche that he would start believing we were one and the same.
I was no longer a Hayashi; I was a fucking Vitale.
“I’m your husband. Do you need me to spell it out for you? I am now Harlow Vitale. H. U. S. B. A. N. D. Till I get the chance to kill you.”
It was pure insanity how we went from blood lust to unfiltered desire.
Everything happened at once. Benito’s hand wrapped around my wrist, and I reacted on instinct. We tumbled, and Benito’s back hit the door. A bead of blood kissed the sharp end of my blade. Benito stared at me with a bored expression as we sat there at a standstill. His gun pressed against my temple, my knife to his throat.
Chaos and tea, was there a better way to start the day?
Benito’s head snapped up, and he fixed me with a glare. Fuck, he is so hot when he’s angry.
Benito’s hand was around my throat, and it was quickly becoming a familiar weight. I smiled up at him as we crashed into the bed.
“One day you’re going to push me too far, and I’ll break your pretty little neck.” Benito squeezed my throat before letting it go and backed up.
Benito dragged our mouths together. The moment our lips touched, an instant spark ignited between them. The fire blossomed over my lips and traveled down my body, encasing me in tight hot desire.
For the next however many years we’re stuck together, Benito Vitale is mine.
I lifted his hand as our gazes stayed locked. I could easily lose my sanity in Benito’s dark eyes. They were soul-sucking. That was how intense they were. And for some fucked up reason, I wanted them aimed at me.
Nothing felt as exhilarating as Benito’s hands wrapped around my neck and the promise of my death whispering in my ears.
Harlow looked up at me, raised a brow, and then his lips cracked into a genuine smile. I abruptly stopped laughing. That smile lit up his whole face. It was different from his smug looks or the taunting expression he so often wore. It was almost enough to knock me off my feet. Fuck. He’s beautiful.
“It’s so hot when you threaten to kill me.”
Motherfucker had to be a hot piece of shit and a sex god all in one. What kind of bullshit universe was I living in?
“What’s your favorite color?” I sifted through my options. “It’s about to be the shade of blue your lips will be when I get my hands on you and strangle you to death.”
Shit, he sounded hot when he spoke Italian.
Hunger flashed in Benito’s molton brown eyes. “Mostricio. Se continui a spingermi, ti spezzerò.” I had no idea what he said, but I muttered in Japanese, knowing damn well he didn’t understand me either. “お前を嫌いだ。今ここで俺を破滅させろ、この悪魔め！I hate you. Destroy me here and now. Devil.
“You’re mine. No one will ever have you again,” Benito growled against my lips before he kissed me viciously.
It felt so good to kiss Benito, almost like I was always meant to.
He whispered into my ear. “Sei un mistero per me, mostricio. Non so cosa fare con te.”
I held on tighter to Benito. “何かを欲することが怖い。いつか全ては奪われるであろう。。。けど俺は多分あれ望んでいるかも” I am afraid to want anything. Someday, everything will be taken away, but I think I want this.
“You’re insane.” “No more than you, mostricio.”
As I stared at Harlow, he glanced at me and shoved up a middle finger. I chuckled at his antics. Okay, so he’s insane, but… he’s almost sweet.
“You are such an asshole.” “Yeah.” I shrugged. “But I’m your asshole.”
My lips crashed against his, stealing all his protests. He sank against me, and I felt that stupid, illogical flip-flopping of my heart again. Everything seemed better when Harlow was in my arms.
“I would never get cold feet,” Benito said. His lips brushed against my ear. “I’m the only man who can handle you.”
Benito always glared or looked menacing; his smile almost made him look happy. I could fall for that smile.
“Hai delle bellissime mani delicate. Sembrano e si sentono bene avvolte intorno al mio cazzo.” Any moment now, my heart was going to give out. And there was no one to blame but Benito fucking Vitale. “ 俺死にそう。。。一体何してるんだお前？” I’m dying, what the hell are you doing?
“Are you trying to piss me off?” “You’re cute when you’re angry.”
His hand wrapped around my throat and pressed against the sides. My heart beat erratically as heat flowed through my veins. His dark eyes were focused on my throat. “What?” “The rings look even better around your neck.”
“You stop, and I will stab you.” Benito laughed, and it sounded so sexy. “What’s new, baby? You stab me all the time.”
“Fanculo a quello che mi fai.”
Harlow produced a knife from his pocket. I wasn’t even surprised anymore. Every time I tried to confiscate one of his knives, he found a way to get two more. It was fun to see where he’d pull one from next. As long as they weren’t pointed at me.
Being around the man felt like a needle in the vein. When he wasn’t around, I had fucking withdrawals. It was a problem. He was a problem. I don’t want to be away from him.
“There’s that look of pity again. Don’t make me kill you.” My chest tightened. “I don’t pity you, mostricio.” “Then what is that look?” “Understanding.”
It was probably bad that I found him being jealous hot. But there was something undeniably sexy about Benito when he became possessive over me.
Quincy’s hazel eyes were pinned behind me. “Meglio tenerlo stretto o lo porto via.” “Non c’è posto al mondo in cui tu possa nasconderti se tocchi ciò che è mio,” Benito said.
Benito chuckled against my throat. The sound echoed inside of me and filled a part of me I hadn’t known was empty. I wanted more. I wanted to hear him laugh even when the world was burning down around us.
Shit, fuck, damn. I think I like Benito Vitale.
Harlow was mine. That man, that demon, belonged to me in every single way. I didn’t know when it had happened, when he’d wormed his way underneath my skin and turned my lust to something altogether more, but he had. As much as I wanted to keep distance between us, to save my sanity and the shriveled-up mess that I called a heart, it felt impossible when Harlow was around. He’d started breaking down my walls, and I was the fool left waiting, wanting, desiring too fucking much that I hadn’t even known I needed.
I wasn’t stupid; I was falling for Benito. No fuck that. I’d fallen for him. I was so far gone I was at the bottom of the pit.
I was in love with Harlow Hayashi. Yes, he was everything I hated, everything I wanted to strangle on a good day, but he was mine. I’d fallen for the small bits of him, the ones other people had never and would never get to see.
