Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 48854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
I smile this time. “Perhaps it is only a sad outlook that this life has afforded me.” And that’s when he approaches me.
Chapter 7
Domenico
She’s devastatingly beautiful.
I never imagined I would be so enthralled by a woman—no, a girl, before. Her face is framed perfectly with gentle waves of gold. Those eyes that shimmer are the same shade as a sun-filled sky.
She looks nothing like the women in any of the clans I’ve come across. I’m not sure who she is, but I’m speechless. At least somewhat. Her lips are full, pouty, with a soft shine of lip gloss or something. Her body is draped in silver as if she were a prized trophy.
“What are you doing out here alone?” I ask, hoping to turn that darkness she’s exuding like a goddamned aphrodisiac into something bright. A girl like her shouldn’t be sad. She should be smiling, celebrating.
“I needed to breathe,” she tells me earnestly. There’s no hint of a lie in her tone. I doubt she even knows how to lie. There’s something so pure about her, and I’m dying to dirty it up.
“This life can get rather stifling,” I agree with a nod. “But you’re far too young to be feeling so distraught.” Even though I don’t for sure know her age, I can tell by her pristine appearance there aren’t any chemicals in her veins. She hasn’t had injections; she also has never seen the sharp end of a scalpel.
“I’ve always basked in the sweet sorrow of life,” she tells me with a smile that has my chest tightening. Then she pushes to her feet, and as she straightens to her full height, I take in her small frame. She just about reaches my chin.
“I understand that.” It’s not a lie; I completely get where she’s coming from. My life may only be starting, but my future path has been already paved for me. But she’s younger; there are choices for girls her age.
My father will never let me out of the family. Even though I wouldn’t walk away—my loyalty lies with the Montesano name—there are still things I wish I could do. Things I will never get to do because of who I am.
“You should get back to the party,” she says to me with a gesture of her chin. “You’re missing out on all the excitement.” There’s a slight bitterness to her tone, and I’m curious as to why. But I don’t ask. I don’t want to delve into the heartache of this girl.
“What is it you’d like to achieve in life?” I ask her, needing to know about her innermost thoughts. I find myself craving to know her soul, rather than her jilted mind.
She’s silent for a long moment. I can tell she’s trying to find the words to explain as best as she can. This girl is nothing like those I’ve met before. She’s intelligent, that much is clear, but I have a feeling she believes in those fairy tales she scoffed at earlier.
“I want people to remember me because of me, not because of my parents, or because of a name. I want to be me. And I hope one day I can create something that will allow anyone and everyone to recall my name with fondness.”
I smile then. I can’t help myself. I tend to brood a lot. More than my father likes me to do. But she’s got a genuine grin cracking on my face. “Art? Poems? Clothes?”
She shrugs. “I’m not sure.” This time when she looks at me, the blue of her eyes seems to sparkle like stars bursting in her irises.
“Then perhaps you should think about it more deeply.”
“Maybe.”
“Unless you’re too afraid to do so?” I challenge her, and that gets a fire sparking in her sky-blue eyes.
She steps up to me then. Her gaze draws me in like a flame and I’m a simple moth. “Don’t judge a girl before you know her.”
“Don’t judge anyone before you know them. Some people do things to survive, others do it because they enjoy it.” It’s a confession. I’m telling her exactly who I am. But she doesn’t step away. She also doesn’t seem to fear me.
“Everyone has a choice.”
“Nobody decides their own fate.” I can’t stop myself from throwing back challenges at her. There are things I’ve done and things I will do that will ensure I end up in hell when I die. And I’ve come to terms with it.
At first, I was convinced I was evil. I enjoyed my job in the clan. My father trained me from a young age to extract information and instead of running and hiding, I basked in the splatter of blood.
She turns her head away, but I can’t help myself and reach for her chin. Pinching it between my thumb and forefinger, I hold her steady so she can’t look away. Her lips part on a soft breath that smells like berries.