Chapter 19
Ava’s POV
“Everyone isn’t watching us now. So you better stop the car, or I’ll jump out! I told him, my eyes and voice filled with
“Is that a threat? Are you threatening me. Ava Romanov?” He laughed a little
I kicked his car door hard, and his eyes got wide. “Yes! I’ll break your car just to get out of here! This is all your fault and your nasty mouth!”
He unlocked the car doors and had no choice but to get out and walk around to open my door. Even though he was an asshole, he was still a gentleman.
I got out of the car, still glaring at him. “You can go back to the party now,”
“And you? Where are you going? You’re just going to walk alone?”
I held up my phone, “Oh, I can call my driver or even a taxi… I’m not stupid, you know?”
I turned my back, ready to walk away, but stopped and twisted my head back to give him a sharp glare. “And just so you know, I am not sleeping with your brother, and I am not trying to wrap him around my finger! Also, I continued my voice firm, “whatever is going on between Fabio and me is none of your business. So, you better keep your nose out of it.”
He just stared at me, a scoff playing on his lips, like he found my words amusing even though there was nothing funny about them. I rolled my eyes, left him standing in the middle of the road, and walked as fast as possible towards the main street. “Damn it,” I muttered under my breath.
I jumped to my feet when I saw Dante’s car pull up alongside the road. “Let me take you home, Aval Don’t be stubborn!” he called out.
“No. I don’t want to owe you anything, Dante,” I retorted.
“Why are you so stubborn? I can’t believe I’m dealing with a woman like you!” he complained, exasperated.
Then just go away,” I said, rolling my eyes as I scanned the main road for a taxi.
“Do you really want to wait an hour out here?” he asked, clearly annoyed.
To answer your question, yes. So why don’t you just leave instead of wasting your time on me?!” I scoffed and started booking a cab on my phone.
Suddenly, he stepped out of his car, and to my horror, he was holding duct tape. My eyes widened, and I instinctively backed away. “What are you doing?!”
“What do you think I’m doing? No means no? Not to me, Ava. I am not Fabio who respects your boundaries!” he said, stepping forward and grabbing my arm. To my surprise, he was faster and more forceful than I expected. Usually, he just
kicks and punches, but this time was different. He was quick and unpredictable.
took
my
“Let go of me!” I screamed in his ear.
“Don’t yell at me!”
He sighed and shoved me into the car. Before I could react, he had taped my wrists together behind my back and even taped my legs. “Are you… crazy?!”
And then another piece of tape went over my mouth. “Yeah,” he said, his voice a strange mix of anger and something else I wouldn’t quite place, “a crazy who will take you home. Anyways, you’re my responsibility at the moment, and if anything happens to you, I’ll have to answer to the fucking Don. So, I better get you home safe and sound… and still kicking” With that, he sped off
My heart pounded with fury as I glared at the back of his head. He was insane. I felt like a hostage crammed in the backseat. But despite the fear and anger stirring inside me… a twisted part of me found the whole situation darkly, unbelievably funny,
He cranked up the music loud, aggressive metal that shattered the tense silence in the car. When we finally pulled up to my
+8 Pearls
place, he cut the engine, the sudden quiet almost harsh. He got out and walked around to open the back door for me, then leaned in to carefully peel the duct tape off my mouth.
His gaze lingered on my lips. The tape had left a small, raw cut on the corner, making it look like someone had bitten me. “What are you staring at?” I snapped, my voice still rough. “Can you take off the tape on my wrists and legs so I can finally kick your balls again? Or maybe even squeeze them this time?” I added with heavy sarcasm.
But instead of anger, a flush crept up his neck and spread across his cheeks and ears. Maybe he was still furious about what happened in the bathroom. Or maybe… something else? It was hard to tell with this unpredictable lunatic.
“Move closer” he demanded because I was a little far from him.
I shified slightly, and he slowly peeled the duct tape from my legs. He had a strange look in his eyes like he was wrestling with some inner madness. Then, he met my gaze and simply ordered, “Your wrists…”
I turned around, presenting my bound hands, and he carefully removed the tape. Once I was finally free, he leaned back. stood up straight, and gestured for me to get out of the car
“You’re not going to tell Fabio about this, right?” he asked as I stepped onto the curb.
“Why? Are you seared of him?” I challenged him.
“No. I just don’t want any pointless fights with him. Do you remember what happened in the kitchen? You saw it, right? You saw the blood and the bruises? We’d both rather not go through that again because of some drama you cause, he said, his tone a clear warning. And of course, I hate fighting with my brother because, you know, I can’t exactly kill him.”
