10
DALLAS
Utter silence suspended in the air.
Sensing the dark mood, Jared shut off the classical radio and raised the divider of the S600 Maybach.
Of course, Romeo had a chauffeur.
And, of course, his chauffeur wore a three-piece uniform, ornamented with a black cap and leather gloves.
Romeo seemed very fond of treating everyone around him like they had the depth of a Sims character. He considered people as placeholders that existed solely to advance his personal plot.
I glared out the window, watching cars zip past, knowing I’d lose control if we got into an argument.
A D.C. license plate winked at me, taxation without representation inked across in bold script. It snapped the last thread holding my anger at bay.
Talk about kindred spirits.
I paid a heavy price for one mistake and had no voice of my own.
If only I could angry-cry. Find some sort of relief. But Romeo Costa didn’t deserve my tears.
Heck, he didn’t deserve any of my bodily fluids.
Eventually, we turned onto an endless street lined with trimmed privacy hedges and rows of looming double gates that hid dozens of mansions from view.
It seemed only fitting that the tyrant beside me lived on the aptly named Dark Prince Road.
Several minutes later, a towering set of iron gates came into view. A quarter-mile driveway flanked by cherry blossoms guided the Maybach to Romeo’s house.
Perhaps house wasn’t the right word to describe a 30,000-square-foot Italian villa, sprawled over ten acres of historic pre-Civil War property.
Six bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, two pools, and a private vineyard. I’d Zillow’d it on my phone the moment my eyes landed on the mammoth structure.
When we passed the first dozen trees, Romeo finally remembered my presence. “Due to the risks involved in my line of work, there are security cameras installed everywhere, in case you’re planning your grand escape.”
I wasn’t.
Mainly because I had nowhere to go.
My father would never accept me—I wouldn’t do that to Frankie, anyway—and I refused to leave before I retaliated for all the things Romeo had done to me.
I chose not to answer him.
His jaw clenched. “He stepped over the line.”
“You stepped on him.” I tried my hardest to keep my voice from shaking. “Why must you humiliate everyone who crosses you so harshly? It is such an unbecoming trait.”
“We don’t choose our traits. We merely endure them.”
It was obvious he had enough baggage to fill an airport carousel, but I refused to humor him. No excuse could pardon his behavior, no matter his backstory.
The nearer we got to his mansion, the more I could see of it. Lush greenery enfolded the statement manor in Potomac fashion.
The property hosted separate grounds for staff. On the opposite end, an engineering shop nestled between the edge of a small forest and an entire security building.
And here I thought my family was well-off.
“Wipe off that expression of yours,” Romeo demanded.
He really had an issue with everything I did.
Or didn’t do.
“What expression?”
“The one that plans to tarnish every single piece of furniture in my house in retaliation.”
It hadn’t even occurred to me.
I preferred to deliver my revenge with finesse. But I certainly wouldn’t reassure him.
“No promises.”
“You’re going to be a headache, aren’t you?”
“A headache?” I cocked my head. “You kidnapped me, you psycho. I’m not gonna be a headache. I’m going to be, at the very least, a deadly brain tumor.”
They say fate is nothing but the consequences of our decisions. Well, I planned on being the worst thing fate ever had in store for him.
“Fine,” he bit out. “You get one.”
“Theo James,” I said without missing a beat. “On the off chance I ever meet him.”
“I wasn’t giving you a free pass with a celebrity.” Romeo’s face clouded. Clearly appalled by my answer. “I meant one wish.” He scanned my face, like he already regretted extending an olive branch. “One thing you can request of me. I’ll give it to you. No questions asked.”
I side-eyed him. “What’s the catch?”
“You need to promise you’ll behave.”
I would never behave.
But my anger wouldn’t allow me to keep my mouth shut, either.
A bitter smile carved up my cheeks. “You want to know what I wish for?”
His scowl told me the answer was no.
The Maybach stopped in front of the estate’s double doors. I faced him, my gaze pinned on his, unblinking.
“My one and only wish is for you to die in my arms, Romeo Costa. I want to see you when you draw your last breath. To feel your skin turn cold and lifeless beneath my fingers. My wish is to witness your nostrils struggle to move as you consume oxygen for the last time.” I paused, drawing my hand to my chest. “I want to watch you suffer for all the suffering you did to me. And there is nothing and no one I want more in this life.”