Chapter 10 Vows And Revenge

LENA POV

Marco, knowing he had lost, stopped fighting and only just looked at Lena with hard eyes.

"This won't end with me, Selene," he gritted. "You've made lots of enemies by mingling with this bastardo." He looked over his shoulder at Moretti as he said that.

Mortetti only just stared at Lena, his face blank. He handed Marco over to his men and they dragged him out of her house.

Lena returned Moretti's stare with one of her own. The adrenaline was still coursing through her veins and anger was mixing with them.

"They know we're going to get married," she said, her voice steady.

Moretti said nothing, the clenching of his jaw that only sigh he heard her. But Lena wasn't going to stop there.

She was frustrated and angry with everything that had happened that day, all because of the man standing in front of her, looking calm while she was crumpling. She wanted to rip that calm away.

She took a step closer to him. "Did you hear anything I said?" she asked. "They knew we signed the marriage contract. You have a rat in your den, Moretti."

"My men are loyal," he responded, his voice void of any emotions.

"Leale, il mio culo!" Lena snapped. Loyal, my ass.

She took another step closer to him until they were standing close, and even though she wasn't wearing her heels she could almost stare at him eye-to-eye. "This is the second time I've been attacked just this evening, Moretti. All because I was seen with you. Didn't you think a little warning would have been appreciated? Because I know you knew this was going to happen. Am I going to be looking behind my shoulders this one year I would be married to you?"

"Sí."

Just sí. As if he was answering her about the goddamn weather. And that was what snapped the fragile thread that was holding her temper together.

She stepped back, only to swing her fist, and landed a punch on his jaw. Caught off-guard, Mortetti staggered back but quickly caught himself. He stared at her with eyes wide with surprise and something else she couldn't decipher.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw one of Mortetti's men walking towards her. He raised a hand at them without looking away from Lena and the man stopped.

"Your right hook is impressive, piccola diavola," he said, his voice almost too calm for the moment, as if the punch had meant nothing to him.

Lena fought the urge to punch him again. Piccola diavola? Little devil? How dare he call her that?

Her breath had grown ragged, her fists clenching and unclenching by her side. She took a deep breath to calm her and when she spoke her voice came out steady. "You should have included that in the contract, Mr. Mortetti. Don't you think I have the right to know I will be putting my life at risk by marrying you? And it won't end once the contract ends. I will still be targeted even when we part well."

"Infatti," he confirmed. Indeed. "You will still be hunted even after we part ways. I'm a criminal, Selene. Did you think I would lay out every danger you'd face just because you signed a piece of paper with me? This is the reality you chose the moment you agreed to marry me."

Lena had gone red with anger, her entire body trembling with it. She raised her hand to land another punch but this time to that stupid lips that was smirking but Moretti caught her hand.

"Hit me again, Selene," he growled, his eyes burning into hers, "and I would hit you back. But it would be that lovely ass of yours that will receive the blow."

She tugged her hand away from him and stepped back, her face burning for a different reason. She took a deep breath and tried to rein her temper in.

This was not her. She leashed with her tongue, not her fists. When her breathing had finally subdued, she said calmly to Moretti, "Leave. And thank you for coming to my aid. I wi–" She paused, sprinting her eyes at Moretti. How did he know she was attacked? She knew the answer already.

Mortetti knew where her mind had gone because his smirk turned to a grin. Before he could open his mouth and say something that would make Lena lose her temper, she rushed and said, "I would like to organize my home and get some sleep if I still can before morning. Your help is appreciated but it's no longer needed. Have a good night, Mortetti."

She waited for him to turn and leave but he only regarded her with his hands in his pockets before he opened his mouth. "Go pack your things. You're moving to my place."

Lena's temper flared but she managed to tame it down with a deep breath. "It was written on the contract that I would move in with you after the wedding, and not even a day before."

"And I'm telling you now to go pack your things. You're moving in today."

Lena clenched her jaw. "And I'm telling you no."

Moretti looked at her with cold eyes. "This is not up for negotiation, Selene."

"Sí, it's not," she said calmly. "So take your men and leave my house."

Moretti took a step closer and she fought not to take one back. "Don't test me, amore," he said, leaning into her face. "Or I will throw you on my goddamned shoulder and carry you to my penthouse."

Lena knew that was not an idle threat, so she kept quiet and stared back at him.

He leaned back to his full height and once again put his hands into his pocket, staring down his nose at Lena. "Like Marco had said this won't end with him. And you already said before that you have been attacked before Marco. So clearly this place is no longer safe. So use that beautiful brain of yours, amore, and think."

Lena hated that he was right. Her home was no longer safe. They would keep coming until they managed to kidnap or kill her. Mortetti's place was safer.

Mortetti must have seen the decision on her face because he smiled, his cold expression vanishing. "Good girl," he practically purred. "Now, go pack. I'll be waiting."

Lena resisted the urge to cross her arms and demanded he didn't call her that. She turned and walked towards her room, feeling Mortetti's eyes burn into her back.

It was when she reached her room that it finally hit her that she had stood in front of Mortetti wearing just her thin, transparent nightgown.

Her face burned hot.