Soulless Devil (Sons of Valentino #3)(36)

“Romeo, where are you?”

“I’m at Livvy’s place. I… I need you to come and pick us up. Now.”

“On my way. I’ll be there in five,” he says. No questions. No arguments. He knows it’s bad. He can tell. I hear the sound of his keys jiggling right before the sound of his engine roaring.

“Hurry,” I say, hanging up. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.” I look around and see a throw blanket on the end of her bed. Picking it up, I drape it over her head. She doesn’t need all the nosey bastards in these halls seeing her like this.

Her body calms and her fists clench into my shirt as I push to my feet and carry her out of the building. By the time I make it out back, Luca is pulling into the lot. He opens the door and I climb in, keeping Livvy on my lap. He jumps in the driver’s seat and looks back at her, then his eyes meet mine.

“What happened?”

I shake my head. I can’t talk. I’m barely holding it together. The rage I have coursing through me right now is unmatched. I’ve never felt like this.

Luca is calling the doc as we pull into the garage. I carry Livvy up to my room, sit on the bed, lean my back against the headboard, and hold her against my chest. Her quiet sobs are fucking breaking me.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I whisper into her hair. Her only response is to cry harder. “Tell me what I can do? Livvy, what do you need?” I ask her. I can’t just sit here twiddling my fucking thumbs. I need to do something. I need to fix this for her; however, I fear this is the one thing I’m never going to be able to fucking fix.

Livvy shakes her head. There are no words, only more sobs.

“Do you… want me to call your parents?” I ask her. Fuck, maybe I should call my mom, have her come here. I don’t know what the fuck happened, the extent of her… attack. And honestly, I can’t bring myself to fucking ask. Because without hearing the words, I know. Deep down, I fucking know what happened and the thought makes me fucking sick. Whoever did this, I will make them suffer like they’ve never imagined. I don’t care how long it takes me. I will fucking find them.

“I… can I use your shower?” Livvy asks.

“Of course you can. Come on.” I push to my feet with her in my arms. I can’t bring myself to let her go. Walking into the bathroom, I turn on the water. And lower Livvy to the floor, catching her when her legs buckle beneath her. “Livvy, when did this happen?” I ask.

“Last—last night,” she says.

Fucking hell, she’s been alone all this time. This happened last night. I should have been there. My men should have been there. But they weren’t.

Because. I. Was. Supposed. To be there.

This is all my fault. I did this to her… How… how did I fuck up so completely? “I should have been there.” I say it aloud this time. “I should have been with you. I’m so sorry. I can’t… I’m sorry.” I don’t know what to say.

This is my fault, I remind myself. If I’d been with her, this wouldn’t have fucking happened.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault,” she says, as if reading my thoughts.

“It is. I should have fucking been with you.”

She jolts at my harsh tone. Fuck. “I’m sorry. I… let me help you,” I tell her, reaching for the hem of her shirt.





Chapter Twenty





Romeo reaches for my shirt. My crossed arms hold the fabric against my body.

“No, I can’t. I don’t want… you can’t see me like this, Romeo. Please.” I fall to the ground on my knees, hissing as pain radiates through my body. Romeo sits down in front of me and takes my hands in his, holding them still. Firm but not capturing, a grip that tells me he’ll let go if I want him to. His eyes focus in on the bruising that wraps around my wrists. I feel his fingers tremble as he inhales a breath.

“Nothing will make me see you any differently, Livvy. Let me help you… please.” His voice is quiet. He says that this won’t make a difference in how he sees me, but it will.

How could it not? I’m dirty, used, abused. Why would someone like Romeo want anything to do with me now? That isn’t even what I should be worried about. Not after everything. I just can’t help but think those men took more from me than my choice. They’ve taken a future I didn’t know I wanted.

Romeo lifts my shirt over my head. I can’t look at him. I don’t want to see the expression of pity in his eyes. I don’t want to see the disgust there.

“Come on,” he says gently, pulling me up. His fingers grip the waistband of my sweatpants. “Livvy, I will never hurt you. You know that, right?” he reminds me before he pulls the pants down my legs. He curses in Italian. “Fucking dead. They’re all fucking dead,” he hisses under his breath.

I don’t want this. I don’t want what happened to me to impact others. I should just leave. Even as I think this, I can’t deny that being with Romeo is like being wrapped in a safety blanket.

He steps into the shower fully clothed. I follow him and stand under the warm water. I reach for his bodywash, and the moment the scent fills my nostrils, something calms me. Just a little. Romeo takes the bottle from my hand and squirts some on a loofah; he then proceeds to run the suds over my skin. Laying gentle kisses over some of my bruises. Tears flow freely from my eyes.