“Don’t worry.” A warm, feminine hand slid over mine on the console between the back seats. “Marco knows all the safest routes.”
Blinking, I turned to look at Felicity’s dark profile, highlighted by the moonlight sliding in through the back windshield. “Safest doesn’t exactly put me at ease.”
She smiled. “Marco’s father was also great friends with Andrea de Cesaris. He learned all he knows about driving from Andrea.”
That meant nothing to me. “I’m sorry. I don’t know who that is.”
From the driver’s seat, Marco huffed. “Only the greatest driver in all of Formula One racing.”
Luc shot him a look. “Didn’t they call him Andrea de Crasheris because he crashed so often?”
“Just proves his dedication to the sport.” Glancing in the rearview at me, Marco added, “Don’t worry, cara, your husband’s just jealous because I drive better than him.”
Luc huffed and looked out the side window into the darkness. Chuckling, Marco refocused on the road, and beside me, Felicity grinned.
Neither Marco nor Felicity seemed overly stressed by our current situation, but my gaze kept straying back to Luc. To his tight jaw and the way every muscle in his body seemed ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.
I sank back into my seat as silence settled over the car. But I couldn’t stop looking at Luc, and I suddenly wondered if maybe I should have stayed put on that island as he’d asked me to do.
* * *
It was well after one a.m. when we pulled onto Marco’s property. I hadn’t been able to sleep on the trip, but the second the gates closed behind us, I was sure my relief was palpable.
Since it was dark, I couldn’t see much of the property besides a long paved drive and tall arching trees similar to the kind that had lined Luc’s parents’ drive. Whereas Luc’s family property had sat on the top of a mountain, Marco’s was more flat, with rolling hills and what I thought were grape vines.
“Do you make wine?” I asked Felicity quietly in the back as we headed toward the lights of a large Tuscan-style house on a small rise.
“Everyone in Italy makes wine. Ours isn’t quite as good as the Salvatici wine—”
“Bite your tongue, woman,” Marco said from the front.
Felicity grinned and glanced up at the rearview mirror. She and Marco shared a heated look before she refocused on me. “But ours isn’t too bad.”
Marco huffed. “This year’s harvest is going to be better than ever.”
I couldn’t quite get a read on Felicity. Sela had hinted Marco had a wife. Felicity and Marco were definitely a couple—I picked up on that easily enough. But she didn’t wear a wedding ring, and neither did he. From what little I’d seen of her before climbing in the car, I hadn’t spotted any leopard-print tattoos that marked her as a kitten, but that could have been because it was dark. Regardless, I knew not to trust any of my first impressions with anyone in this country.
The villa was a massive structure made of stone with multiple levels and numerous cobbled rooflines jutting out in different directions. A tall archway framed an enormous gate-style door with iron scrollwork and ornate hinges, and a center tower rose above the main door high above the rest of the house.
It wasn’t quite as big as the Salvatici castle, but I could easily see that Marco’s family had money. “Does everyone in this House live in a castle?” I muttered more to myself than anyone else.
“That’s not a castle,” Felicity said. “Castles are cold and stuffy. Technically, it’s a farmhouse.”
“Yeah, no castles for the Romanos,” Marco interjected from the front, shooting a teasing look Luc’s direction. “We’re peasants, unlike the royalty beside me.”
Luc huffed.
“This property’s been in Marco’s family for years,” Felicity said. “All the buildings you see here used to be part of a hamlet. That tall portion of the farmhouse was the watchtower. Marco remodeled the farmhouse but kept the tower just for fun.”
“Not for fun,” Marco said. “For security purposes. It’s awesome for spying on my neighbors.”
Felicity rolled her eyes and looked back at me. “Regardless, we like it.”
I was perfectly fine not staying in a castle. In fact, if I never saw another medieval castle again, the happier I’d be. The last time I’d been in one...
I shuddered at the memory and told myself not to go there.
Instead of stopping in front of the farmhouse as I expected, Marco bypassed the circular drive and followed the road to the right, down a slight hill, until we reached a smaller stone villa with a wide porch and steep cobbled roof. The exterior lights of the villa were lit up, shimmering off what I thought might be a lake opposite the house.
Marco killed the engine and popped the driver door. “Thought you two might be more comfortable in the guest villa.” He winked at Luc as he climbed out. “Being newlyweds and all.”
My gaze snapped to Luc in the front unbuckling his seat belt. Yes, we were technically newlyweds, though you’d never know by looking at us.
Nerves balled in my stomach all over again, reminding me I wasn’t nearly as exhausted as I thought. I didn’t catch Luc’s muttered response as he climbed out of the passenger seat, but I recognized his Italian, and I didn’t miss the definite bite in his tone that told me he wasn’t at all thrilled with Marco’s announcement.
My back tightened as I exited the vehicle and closed my door. I’d just traveled halfway around the world for the man. He could muster up a little gratitude even if he was grouchy.
Marco already had our bags before I could reach the trunk, so I followed him up the porch steps while Felicity moved inside the villa and began flipping on lights.
It was bigger than it looked from the outside. The walls were uneven rough rocks, the ceiling arched bricks. Two steps led down to the sunken living room decked out in plush, vibrant furnishings in golds and browns and pale blues. Brick columns separated the cozy living space from the dining room, and beyond, I could see a modern kitchen with granite counters. Wide French doors opened to a patio and dark view, and to my right I watched as Felicity pushed another door open, flipping on the light.
“This is the bedroom,” she said. “There’s a full bath off the master. Through that door behind Natalie is a laundry room.”
Marco dropped our bags on the floor in the living room. “We stocked the fridge with general supplies, but if you both need or want something specific, let us know tomorrow.”
“Thanks,” Luc answered, running a hand through his hair.
He stood across the room from me, almost as far as he could get in the small space, and he still hadn’t looked at me. Not once since we’d left Tahiti.
I wanted to be aggravated by that, but I didn’t have the energy. Now that we were safe, my exhaustion was catching up with me again, and I knew his was as well. At some point tomorrow, I’d confront him about what was going on with us, but right now, all I wanted to do was sleep.
“It’s really nice,” I said, hoping I could hurry this along so I could get that sleep. “Thanks for letting us stay here.”
“No thanks needed.” Felicity moved up to Marco’s side and slid her arm around his waist. As he looped his arm over her shoulder, she said, “You’re welcome to come up to the house for breakfast, but we totally understand if you want to skip and sleep in. Our home is your home, so feel free to explore anywhere on the property.”
“Just don’t make plans to leave the grounds unaccompanied,” Marco said, steering Felicity toward the door. “Safer for the time being.” Over his shoulder, he called, “G’night you two.”
“Night,” Luc answered as they moved outside and the door clicked closed behind them.
I chewed on my lip in the silence, not particularly liking Marco’s last comment. I understood the meaning, but he’d made it sound as if I was a prisoner. Again. Not surrounded by water any longer, but by walls.
Luc crossed the room and grasped both of
our bags. “You should unpack and get some sleep. It’s been a long day.”
It had been. Longer than I’d anticipated.
Sighing, I followed him into the bedroom. The walls in here were also made of uneven stones and bricks, but the ceiling was peaked with dark wood beams, and the floor was slate, covered by a large central rug. An ornately carved headboard framed the king-sized bed decked out in a plush gold comforter and bountiful pillows.
Across the space, a tangerine club chair and ottoman sat near an ancient stone fireplace. The nightstands and two dressers were antique dark woods, and the tall, rectangular crosshatched windows on both sides of the fireplace were framed with expensive draperies that matched the bedding. On the far side of the room, shutter-like wooden doors opened to the master bath, and wide arched windows I guessed looked out at an incredible country view.
The entire cottage was old-world and romantic, and I loved every part of it. I just hated the reason I was in it.
Luc set my bag on top of the horizontal dresser with an arching mirror, then moved to the tallboy dresser across the room and began unpacking his things. “Might as well make yourself comfortable,” he mumbled. “I don’t know how long we’re going to be here.”
That didn’t ease my frayed nerves any, but I was too tired to say so. Just as I was grabbing a pair of pj’s and my toothbrush from my bag, Luc kicked the bottom drawer of his dresser closed and turned for the door.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“In the other room. I have a few notes I need to make before I see my father tomorrow, and I don’t want to keep you up.”
My stomach tightened. “You’re seeing him tomorrow?”
“Yeah. That’s why we’re here, remember? So I can try to save Dante’s fucking life. And yours too.” He stepped into the living room and reached for the door handle at his back, still careful not to meet my gaze. “Get some sleep.”
The door closed with a snap that echoed like cannon fire through the small room. And, too numb to respond, I sank to the tangerine club chair and stared at the aged wooden door.
I didn’t need to be saved. I needed to be appreciated for the woman I was. I needed to be loved, the way he’d said he loved me in the South Pacific. The way I’d felt he loved me that last night in Tuscany before my world had imploded.
Tears burned the backs of my eyes as I looked down at the thick diamond band around my finger. Tears that weren’t just rooted in exhaustion but in frustration and pain as well.
How had things gotten so messed up? How had we wound up here—not just in Italy, but with stone walls towering between us?
I didn’t know how to get through to him. I didn’t know if I even could anymore. And the longer I stared at my ring and the shapes created by the diamonds, the more I wondered if maybe it was time to stop trying.
Because through blurry vision, I realized those weren’t flower shapes created by the pear and round diamonds. They were butterflies.
Butterflies, I remembered with an uneasy feeling, which were a symbol of Monarch mind-control techniques.
The same mind-control techniques every beta kitten endured in her training.
Don’t miss the next exciting story in the House of Sin Series
THE VOW - BOOK FOUR
Sometimes a lie is safer than the truth…
My heart and head are engaged in a bitter war.
Every moment with Luc tests my resolve. I know I’m safer without him, but I still crave his commanding touch. I still ache for the brush of his wicked lips. There are forces that see me as a threat, men who want me out of his life, but my heart won’t let me leave. I need Luc. I want him. I will always want him, even if that wanting puts me in danger.
But there’s still so much he’s keeping from me. So many secrets lingering in the silence between us. If he can’t let me in, if he can’t trust me the way I need, then there’s no way we can make it.
I won’t live my life in the dark. Not even for the man I love. If he wants me, if he loves me, then I have to know what still torments him behind the doors of the House of Sin…
Books in the complete House of Sin Series:
THE SECRET - Book One
THE FALL - Book Two
THE BETRAYAL - Book Three
THE VOW - Book Four
THE PRICE - Book Five
THE CHOICE - Book Six
SURRENDER - A House of Sin Novella
Thank You!
Dear Reader:
Thank you for reading THE BETRAYAL! Don’t miss THE VOW, the next book in the House of Sin series, which continues Luc and Natalie’s exciting story.
If you enjoyed THE BETRAYAL and any of the books in the Forbidden Series, I would appreciate it if you would help others enjoy them as well by doing one of the following:
Recommend them: Please help others find these books by recommending them to friends, readers’ groups, and discussion boards.
Review them: Tell readers what you liked or didn’t like by reviewing them at one of the major retailers, review sites, or on your blog. I appreciate all reviews whether positive or negative.
To find out what I’m working on next, you can sign up for my Newsletter here. Click to see a full list of my books. And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, or like my FB page to get exclusive excerpts, behind the scenes first looks, and upcoming series/book updates.
~Elisabeth
Also by Elisabeth Naughton
House of Sin Series
(Romantic Thriller)
THE SECRET
THE FALL
THE BETRAYAL
THE VOW
THE PRICE
THE CHOICE
SURRENDER
Deadly Secrets Series
(Romantic Suspense)
REPRESSED
GONE
PROTECTED
UNSPEAKABLE
Aegis Series
(Romantic Suspense)
BREATHLESS ESCAPE
DANGEROUS PROPOSAL
DEADLY ENCOUNTER
EXTREME MEASURES
LETHAL CONSEQUENCES
FATAL PURSUIT
Against All Odds Series
(Romantic Suspense)
WAIT FOR ME
HOLD ON TO ME
MELT FOR ME
Stolen Series
(Romantic Suspense)
STOLEN FURY
STOLEN HEAT
STOLEN SEDUCTION
STOLEN CHANCES
Eternal Guardians Series
(Paranormal romance)
MARKED
ENTWINED
TEMPTED
ENRAPTURED
ENSLAVED
BOUND
TWISTED
RAVAGED
AWAKENED
UNCHAINED
HUNTED
ENSNARED
WICKED
Firebrand Series
(Paranormal romance)
BOUND TO SEDUCTION
SLAVE TO PASSION
POSSESSED BY DESIRE
About the Author
Before topping multiple bestseller lists—including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal—award winning author Elisabeth Naughton taught middle school science. A voracious reader, she soon discovered she had a knack for creating stories with a chemistry of their own. The spark turned into a flame, and Elisabeth now writes full-time.
Elisabeth has penned over thirty books and continues to write in multiple genres. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have earned several award nominations, including three prestigious RITA® nominations from Romance Writers of America. In 2017, REPRESSED, the first book in her Deadly Secrets series, won the RITA® for best romantic suspense.
Her work has been praised by the Chicago Tribune as being filled with “deadly intrigue, high adrenaline action, and scorchingly hot passion.” Kirkus calls her “a writer talented enough at weaving a yarn to get her readers ensnared in it.” When not dreaming up new sto
ries, Elisabeth can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home, wrangling two needy cats, or chasing after one very rambunctious Dalmatian.
To learn more about Elisabeth, visit
www.ElisabethNaughton.com
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