“I have to find us a new car and get you new clothes and I can’t risk you leaving.”
“But I could return to my brother. Then you wouldn’t be there and you wouldn’t be killed by him. I could tell Enzo how you saved my life. He’d repay you. He’d help you with Marco.”
“You could but I also can’t risk Marco finding you again. So you will stay here and the only way is for me to tie you to the bed. I’m sorry, Gianna.”
“I won’t be your prisoner any longer.”
“It’s just for your own safety.”
“No. You saved my life today and I’m grateful. Show me trust in return. I won’t leave. I know it’s too dangerous.”
“I just can’t trust you. I’m sorry.” He grabs a knife from his boot and cuts off a piece of fabric from the bed sheet. “I need to tie you up. I’m sorry.”
“I hate you. Our kiss doesn’t change anything. The fact you saved me doesn’t change anything.”
“Then I can live with that. As long as you’re safe.”
I glare at Will as he ties my wrists to the bed and then leaves the motel room, taking all my hope with him.
Chapter Twelve
Gianna
Will returns after a few hours. I can’t stop myself from glaring at him as he unties me. He doesn’t even comment on it.
“Why can’t you just let me leave?” I ask. “Why keep me here?”
“Because it’s not safe.”
“It would be if you returned me to my brother.”
He turns his back to me. “You should take a shower. It’s been a long day. We both could use some sleep.”
“You’re going to sleep with me untied? You trust me not to run?”
“I don’t know, Gianna. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing,” he admits, running his hand down his face. His confession startles me.
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s nothing,” he grumbles. “Just go take a shower. I won’t tie you to the bed tonight.”
“You confuse me. You saved me from Marco and yet, you won’t let me go. None of that make sense. You don’t care for me.”
“You think I don’t care?” He finally turns to me and looks me in the eye. There’s an intensity to his gaze I’ve never seen before. It makes a tingle move down my body. “I wouldn’t have kissed you if I didn’t care about you. I wouldn’t have saved you from Marco if I didn’t care. I risked everything by saving you from him. What the fuck am I doing?”
Slowly, I stand up and approach him. For once, Will doesn’t seem terrifying. He just seems… lost. And that’s a feeling I can relate to. “Why did you save me?”
“I care for you,” he admits. “Maybe I shouldn’t. Hell, I know I shouldn’t and yet… I do.”
“Why do you care for me?”
“Because you’re innocent. You don’t deserve this. I couldn’t stand back and let you get married to Marco when you would be miserable your entire life. I just couldn’t do it.”
“So then why not let me go? If you want me to be happy, just give me back to my brother.”
“Because I don’t want to let you go.” His words draw me up short. They’re powerful and intense and real.
“You don’t?”