It was one of Klaus’s brothers. The resemblance was remarkable. He was leaning against a glass wall in the lobby, smoking a cigarette.
They continued to the elevators, leaving all the guests behind.
“Aren’t we being rude?” she asked.
Now that they were going toward a bedroom where their marriage would be consummated, nerves assailed her, but not because of sex. He had yet to see all the bruises. He hadn’t liked what he saw on her face. How was he going to react to her ribs and stomach?
With each floor, they got closer to their destination. The elevator came to a stop, the doors slid open, and then they walked hand-in-hand toward their room. He used a key card, letting them in.
The room exuded luxury. The scent of roses hung heavy in the air.
Stepping over the threshold, she gripped her hands tightly together. The sound of the door closing echoed throughout the room, mocking her with how final it sounded.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to look at her husband.
There was no mistaking the feral need in his gaze. He wanted her. Klaus licked his lips as he raked his gaze down her body.
“Should we turn off the light?” she asked.
He stepped toward her, not speaking a word. “That dress looks stunning, but you’re never going to wear another wedding gown.” He pulled out a switchblade, flipping it open. She tensed up as he approached her.
“Klaus, I need to tell you something.”
It was too late.
He tore the binds that held her dress in place, and it fell around her body to her feet, mocking her with how easily it left her naked and exposed. The bra she wore was strapless, and her mother had insisted she wear a thong. She stood before him all but naked.
The bruises had to be obvious on her pale skin.
She didn’t dare look him in the eyes.
Silence.
His fingers, so light, danced across her skin.
“He did this.” A statement, not a question.
“I deserved it. I didn’t follow instructions. This is what I had to have for going on a date without permission,” she said. “It was worth it.”
Klaus put a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “No, baby, no one is supposed to do this.” He stepped back, a crazy look on his face.
“Klaus?”
He left the room, scaring her. Was he going to annul their marriage? Was this over? She’d be a complete laughingstock of the entire family. Everyone would know how useless she was. Being labeled a traitor to the family would be too much to bear.
Rushing to the en-suite bathroom, she sobbed, running the water and splashing it onto her face. One look in the mirror, and she didn’t feel like herself. The makeup tried to hide who she was as it ran down her face in thin black rivulets.
Using the soap bar, she scrubbed at her face until there was nothing left.
Once she finished, she splashed more water on her face. She patted herself with a towel just as the main door opened back up.
“Bella!” Klaus’s call made her tense. She hadn’t expected him back.
Maybe he should have turned the other cheek.
The first thing he did was seek out revenge.
His own father was no prize, but he knew firsthand how much he’d suffered since their mother passed away. He became the shell of a man, and then the addiction easily took hold of him. Although he planned to take his place as head of the family, he’d always give his father respect, especially in public. It was the right thing to do for the Accardi family.
Carmello Lastra … he was another story entirely.
He’d beat his daughter, humiliated her, shamed her, and had her living in fear every day of her life. Even though those days were over with now that Klaus was her husband, he couldn’t ignore the sins her father had committed—especially the ones since she’d been promised to him.