Arranged love

MIA

“WHAT THE FUCK did you say?” I demand, looking at my brother.

He’s bent over, sweat covering his forehead, and he’s holding his stomach. He looks up at me through his lashes, sucking in a deep breath. All he’s done is yell at me, and he looks like he’s run a marathon. “It’s for the best,” he says vaguely.

“Luca-”

“Nite can take you somewhere.” He interrupts me. “Anywhere is better than here.” Mumbling, he lowers his voice to talk to himself. “Should have known Nite was a better choice from the beginning.”

“Lu-”

“He’ll stay there with you.” He interrupts me again. Glaring, he adds, “Do you think you can keep your hands to yourself with him?”

My mouth falls open at his question.

“If you have the urge, remember he is your adopted brother.”

Why am I being judged for what they have done all of their lives? Am I supposed to stay a virgin forever? Am I not supposed to be happy? Find someone to fall in love with? I’m not suggesting Dillan could ever love me. But there has to be someone out there for me, right? Otherwise, why even try to live? Why continue to fight?

“No!” I shake my head, and he arches a brow at me, thinking I’m answering his previous question, but I’m not. I refuse to even acknowledge it. “I want to stay here. With you.” With Dillan. He’s made me feel safe. He’s shown me what it feels like to be wanted. Even if it is a lie.

“This is not up for discussion, Mia,” he snaps, then takes in a deep breath. Lying down, he winces. “I need you to get the hell out of here and away from Bones.”

Tears sting my eyes. Why? What did Dillan say to him about me? That I’m in the way? Something that he doesn’t have time for? I know he’s been busy between Kingdom and Glass, but it’s not like I need a babysitter. I can take care of myself. He doesn’t have to be with me all the time.

“If what he said was true, and the family is after you, then you need to hide.”

“No,” I choke out, the word hide making my throat close. I’m a fucking Bianchi, and a Bianchi doesn’t hide in the dark. Not the ones that matter anyway. I’m so tired of not being noticed. Why my parents just didn’t give me away as a baby, I’ll never know.

“Yes,” he grinds out through gritted teeth.

The door opens, and I turn, hoping to see Dillan, but it’s Haven. “What the hell are you doing?” She rushes over to him.

“I need to get up,” he tells her. “And get the fuck out of here.”

“You’ve been in a coma, Luca,” she growls at him. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“I’m not leaving.” I meant to sound more assertive, but it comes out sounding squeaky due to the knot in my throat. He doesn’t even hear it. Instead, he continues to argue with his wife. I clear my throat and raise my chin. “I’m not leaving,” I say, fisting my hands this time.

They both look up at me, and before Luca can open his mouth to tell me what to do, I add, “I’m a grown-ass adult, and I’m tired of being treated like a child.”

“Mia-”

“I’m going to do what I fucking want!” My voice rises. “And that is stay here in Las Vegas. And your ass can’t make me leave.” With that, I turn and storm out of his room. My heels clap on the floor while I make my way down the hallway and to the elevator.

I pull my cell out, prepared to call someone to come get me, and I decide on Jasmine’s number. She seems to be the one who would keep me a secret. The others are married or engaged to a King.

The elevator dings, and the door slides open as I put the phone to my ear after hitting call on her number. It rings once, twice, three times. “Hey, you’ve reached Jasmine. Leave me a quick message.”

“Hey, Jasmine, it’s Mia. Can you give me a call when you get a chance, please?” I hang up, not wanting to give her very much information. I’m afraid she’ll call Dillan before she calls me back.

Stepping onto the sidewalk outside the hospital, I think of my options. I could get an Uber to take me to Kink. Or have it take me to Luca’s house, but I don’t want to be caught there. He’ll ship me off.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

I can go to a hotel, but I don’t have any money. Well, that’s a lie. Dillan gave me a credit card, but he’d be able to track that. Which is probably why he gave it to me in the first place.

My best bet is Kink. If Jasmine isn’t there, maybe Alexa can tell me where she is. As I step off the sidewalk to catch a cab, something presses into my back, making me pause. My body stiffens, my breath escaping my lungs.

A hand wraps around my hair and gently gathers it together before pushing it to lay over my left shoulder. Goose bumps cover my body when I feel lips on my right ear. “You look lost.”

My eyes fall closed at the familiar voice, and I swallow the knot in my throat. “Matteo.” I whisper his name.

“Where is your King?” he asks, the hard object pressed to my back, digging into my spine through my shirt. It’s a gun. I know it.

Refusing to answer, I stay quiet. I will not give him the satisfaction of knowing where Dillan is. He’ll have to do the work himself to figure that out. But we both know he’s only one of two places-Kingdom or Glass. That’s all he cares about.

“So it seems he’s trained you well.” He chuckles. “A perfect little puppet.”

I spin around and slam my fists into his chest. His hand comes up, wrapping around my throat so tight it cuts my air off. I grip his forearm, trying to twist his skin to force him to let go, but it’s useless. I start clawing at his face, listening to him laugh while I manage to tear his skin. I’ll never beat him, but I’ll go down fighting.

Within seconds, my body starts to convulse, begging for air, and my arms fall to my side, unable to hold them up anymore. He watches my lips part as I try to breathe but get nothing. He lowers the gun to his side, and he smiles at me, so cruel it makes my blood run cold. Tears blur my vision, and just when I think he can’t hurt me, he says the one thing that terrifies me.

“It’s okay, Mia. Father no longer cares about his Kingdom. He has decided on another way you can earn the Bianchi name.”

My eyes grow heavy. My tense body relaxes, accepting its fate, and I welcome the darkness. It’s better than the alternative.

His chuckle is the last thing I hear before everything goes black.