CATERINA


    She’ll kill me for calling him, but I don’t know what else to do. I’ve been knocking at the bedroom door in our suite for the past hour, and she won’t let me in. I could either call hotel security and have them unlock it, or call Gianni and hope he can get through to her.


    “Tatiana?” I murmur while knocking for the millionth time. “Sweetie, at least make a sound and let me know <b>you’re </b>okay. I’m really scared and worried.”


    Last night, she was hysterical over Luciano kidnapping me. Tonight, I’m talking to a locked door and hoping like hell she’s alive on the other side. I’ve never seen her like this before. She’s capable of anything, as painful as it is to think about.


    “Just leave me alone.” It’s so soft I can hardly hear it, but her muffled voice at least tells me she’s alive in there<b>. </b>


    Think, damn it. What set her off? She couldn’t have had more than two or three drinks at the bar, so she’s not wasted. I’ve seen her double–fist margaritas all night long. “Why won’t you let me in? Are you sure that guy didn’t hurt you?”


    “Leave me alone!” Something hits the door, and I jump back, cringing. I have no idea what could’ve happened or why she’s keeping it from me.


    Calling for help was the only thing I could do.


    It’s not like I wanted to go through with this whole running away thing by the time the sun came up this morning. We hung around the suite all day, watching TV, ordering room service, soaking in the big tub, and napping while I tried and failed to forget the horrors ofst night. Then, when we were both bored enough to scream, we figured we’d have a few drinks


    downstairs.


    Which was when everything fell apart.


    A sharp knock at the door makes me run across the living room half of the suite. A look through the peephole shows Gianni and Roger out in the hall. Big surprise, Gianni looks ready to kill someone. Roger nces up and down the hall, always the protector.


    I leave the chain in ce and open the door a crack. Gianni pushes on it right away. “Let me in.”


    “Shh.” I hold a finger to my lips, eyes wide.


    “Open. The door.” His eyes are nearly ck, burning with rage. “Now.”


    “She’s too upset for you toe barging in here,” I whisper. “I mean, really upset. I’m scared. She needs us to be calm with her.”


    When all he does is seethe, I add, “Please, Gianni. Don’t make me regret calling you.”


    Little by little, his features soften. “Fine,” he replies, teeth gritted. “Tell me what happened.”


    I have to trust him, <b>I </b>guess, for Tatiana’s sake. I’ll ignore the way my heart feels like it’s going to explode. This isn’t about me or how much I missed Gianni today. How I wished a hundred times I could call him and beg for forgiveness. I was feeling weak and lonely and regretting my decision. Seeing him now ready to bust a blood vessel reminds me why running seemed like a good


    idea<b>. </b>


    I close the door to remove the chain<b>, </b>then step aside and open it the rest of the way. Gianni looks around the spacious<b>, </b>tasteful room and sniffs the air before scowling deeper than before. The scent of cologne still hangs in the air.


    He keeps his temper in check, maybe because of the closed bedroom door. He jerks a thumb toward it, and I nod. “What happened?” he mutters while Roger presses his ear to the door.


    I gesture for them to follow me to the window at the opposite corner <b>of </b>the suite. He’s here as a father, not as the boyfriend I ran away fromst night. I remind myself of that.


    “I don’t know what happened<b>,</b>” I whisper while wrapping my arms around myself to keep from shaking.


    “Maybe start with why it smells like a bunch of frat boys were in here<b>,</b><b>” </b>Gianni says. <b>“</b>It reeks of cheap cologne.”


    “We were downstairs in the bar.” It’s easier to look at Roger since he doesn’t look like he wants to snap my neck. “We only had a couple of drinks. Three guys came in, and we started chatting, and…”


    “And?” Gianni’s face hardens.


    “And…” The words keep getting stuck in my throat. “And they said we should take the party upstairs, so we brought them up to the room.”


    “You what?”


    I will not cry. Even when I know how this must sound. “It was Tatiana who said yes,” I tell Roger. “I wasn’t interested. I sat out here with two of the guys. Tatiana took the third one into the bedroom.”


    I squeeze my eyes shut when Gianni lets out a feral growl. This is more ufortable than I imagined it would be<b>. </b><b>“</b>I swear, it couldn’t have been more than half a minute before she started screaming.”


    That’s what it does. The thread he was still hanging onto snaps, and he rages. “Son of a bitch-”


    Roger grabs him and holds him back while I blurt out, “No, no, the guy came out and swore all he did was try to kiss her. He had all his clothes on, and so did she. He was totally confused and freaked out. They left right after, and she locked me out of the bedroom.”


    Gianni’s breathing like a bull ready to charge. Roger’s gaze looks stormy, too, but he has a better grip on his self–control. “You believed him when he said nothing happened?”


    “There wasn’t enough time for something to take ce.”


    Gianni shakes Roger off and shoots me a disdainful look before crossing the room. All I can do is hold my breath and hope he doesn’t make things worse by throwing his weight around and acting like a possessive asshole.


    He raises his fist, and I brace myself. I’m afraid he’s going to pound on the door, but his knock is gentle. “Tatiana, sweetie? It’s Dad. I’m here. Unlock the door.” I’ve never heard him talk to her that way before. So tender and kind.


    Please, listen to him.My insides are churning, and I’m breaking out in a cold sweat. Seconds tick by. Then the lock clicks, and the door slowly opens.


    Tatiana’s face is tomato red and slick with tears. “Daddy.” She walks straight into the circle of his arms and presses her face to his chest before heaving out a sob.


    “What did he do to you, baby?” He strokes her hair with one hand and even sways slightly from side to side. Like he’s rocking


    her.


    “It wasn’t… him…” She shakes her head, crying harder.


    “Who was it?” Slowly, he walks her to the silk–covered sofa and sits her down before sitting beside her. He wraps a secure arm around her. “You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”


    A nce at Roger tells me nothing. He’s so intense, staring at the two of them<b>, </b>barely blinking.


    “I didn’t want you to know.” Her voice is thick, and she’s shaking so hard her teeth chatter. “I’m so ashamed. Please, Daddy, don’t kill him. Okay?”


    “Who, baby?”


    My throat is so tight, <b>I </b>can’t breathe, but I can mouth the name along with her. “Christopher.”


    Damn it. I didn’t think. I didn’t put it together. Now everything is making sense.


    Gianni’s nostrils re, and his eyes narrow to slits, but he keeps it together enough to mutter, <b>“</b>What did he do to you?”


    “He…” Her guilty gaze meets mine before darting away. “He hurt me. I didn’t want you to know. On the trip. In Europe.”


    He closes his eyes and breathes slowly and deliberately. “How?”


    “He…” She’s still weeping as she slides her shoulders out of her cardigan until her bare arms and their bruises are visible. Themp on the end table shines bright on the ugly marks. Roger makes a choked sound while Gianni only stares at the bruises, wordless. I’ve seen the look in his eyes. He might not be speaking, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t raging inside.


    “And…” She ducks her head<b>, </b>then covers her face with both hands. “One night<b>, </b><b>I </b>didn’t want to… but he wouldn’t stop… and he… I couldn’t make himstop!” Gianni pulls her against his chest and closes his eyes, rocking her again. <b>“</b>It was so bad, and he hurt


    me.”


    I have to cover my mouth to stifle my sob. She didn’t tell me that part. No wonder she lost it when a stranger tried to touch her. No wonder there were bruises on her thighs. Why didn’t she tell me?


    “Okay, baby,” Gianni murmurs, stroking her tangled blonde curls. He’s still holding on, but he could snap at any second.” Everything is going to be okay.”


    “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”


    “For what? You didn’t do anything wrong.” He kisses her sweaty forehead before brushing the hair away from her skin. “You don’t owe me an apology. I’m d you told me. You shouldn’t have to keep something like that inside.”


    “I’m ashamed of myself,” she admits in a whisper, running her hands under her eyes. “I lost it earlier, too. It wasn’t his fault. I just…”


    “You don’t have to exin. And you never have to worry about telling me things. When you need help, I’ll be here to help you Always.”


    “Dad.” She’s still shaking and sniffling, but looks him in the eye. I didn’t want to tell you because I was afraid of what you’d do to him.”


    Roger takes a step toward the sofa, his fists clenching. “You want to protect him after what he did?”


    べん