Reluctant Bride

by Sam Crescent

  “And I’ll still be free to do as I choose?”

  He studied her again. “Within reason. Where you go, so does your security detail. And there will be no other man for you, just as there will be no other woman for me.”

  Odette wasn’t sure if she could believe him. She wasn’t a cheater. As far as she was concerned, once she was married, that was it. He, on the other hand, had a reputation. He was never without a woman. Rarely the same one twice. Bruno Genovesi and monogamy didn’t go together.

  “You look worried, bella. Don’t be. I’ll keep you satisfied.”

  There was no doubt that he could, but could she reciprocate?

  His eyes held hers levelly. Everything about him told her he was being sincere. But would he be as sure if he believed there was a chance he’d find his soul mate later? The thought of being tossed aside in favor of some other woman didn’t exactly appeal. But would it be so bad when he’d already thought of her in that eventuality?

  “You’ve had a lot thrown at you today. Why don’t you pack your things and we’ll discuss this more once we’re back in Rome?”

  Rome? He thought she was going to let him take her to Rome? It was bad enough he was there in her home. A man with a reputation that was both fearsome and dangerous. Who was a long-time rival of her father. After telling her that her father was dead, her brother was the one responsible, and that she was in danger from the one person she should be able to trust? And somehow, he thought she was just going to meekly bend to his will?

  “I won’t. I can’t.” Lurching to her feet, she paced away from him then back again. “I’m needed here.”

  “Haven’t you listened to a thing I’ve said?” He pressed a gentle but firm hand at the small of her back and steered her back toward the sofa. “Your brother is after you. The safest place you can be is with me. He’ll never look for you at my home. And if he does, he’ll never get past security.”

  Odette stepped away and turned so she could get a look at his face. “Why does it matter? You could just let him take me out then deal with him and you’d be king of the world.”

  He looked as though she’d slapped him. “You’re distraught. Why don’t I make you some tea while you pack?”

  “Stop patronizing me, Bruno.” Power surged through her as she watched him react to her using his name. It was minute, but his entire body seemed to tighten.

  “Odette.”

  She stopped breathing, loving the sound of her name on his lips. “I intend to protect you, whether you believe it or not.” The heat coming off him as he moved closer drew her. Or maybe she just gravitated toward him instinctively. There was just something about him that she couldn’t turn away from.

  “You will be safe.”

  He said it with such conviction that for a moment, she completely believed he had the power to protect her from anything the universe could throw at her. It just didn’t make sense. Not when he could have everything without having to navigate the obvious headache of having to protect her.

  Odette was yanked out of her thoughts when she found herself shoved against the wall.

  “Wha—”

  Bruno pressed a large hand over her mouth and pointed to the window just as a large shadow moved past.

  Odette pulled his hand away and linked it to hers, tugging him to her bedroom. She quickly pulled a lockbox out from under her bed. After tapping in the code, she opened it to pull out a gun. Bruno gave her an impressed smile when she offered it to him, but he pulled out one of his own from the small of his back.

  Of course, he had a gun. Just like she had one. It might have been years since she’d felt the need for one, but with her father being who he was, she couldn’t be too careful. Obviously, being prepared paid off.

  She retrieved her passport and some cash, her mother’s necklace and ring, and pocketed them all but the gun.

  He mouthed the word car and nodded for her to take the lead. They silently trekked through the small house, but before she opened the door, a peek through the window revealed a man slashing the tires.

  Odette turned to Bruno and shook her head. They needed another way out. Another way to escape.

  He leaned in so his lips were only a whisper away from her ear. “Is there a pub or something nearby? Something with a lot of people?”

  She nodded. “A pub two blocks over.” Odette pointed in the direction.

  “Go straight there. I’ll distract them.”

  He was willing to put himself at risk for her? “We have a better chance if I back you up.”

  His expression might have been one of exasperation, but there was an approving glint in his eyes as well. “We’re going to have to discuss this backchat after the wedding.”

  She couldn’t help but shoot him a mischievous smile. “I still haven’t said yes.”

  His mouth curled upward just a tiny bit. “We’ll see.” Bruno nodded at the back door. “Lead the way straight to the pub. The quickest quietest route. I’ll cover our backs.”

  Odette bobbed her head once, reached for the door handle, and waited for his signal.

  “Go.”

  The door opened with a slight creak and they slipped into the postage stamp of a backyard and through a gap in the hedges that had always bothered her. She thanked her busy schedule for preventing her from fixing it as she squeezed through. Odette thought they were scot-free when, just as Bruno came through the shrubs behind her, a chunk of the wall exploded right by her head.

  Chapter Four

  “Go!” Bruno shoved her forward.

  Odette ran as fast as she could manage and only slowed when she couldn’t hear anyone following. She looked over her shoulder to find Bruno wrestling a dark figure to the ground. He was so busy with him that he hadn’t noticed another figure looming behind him.

  Skidding to a halt on the grass, she turned to steady herself and fired one shot straight into the man’s head. Bruno looked up and nodded his thanks. As he caught up with her, she caught the glint of approval in his eyes.

  “Nice shot.”

  She didn’t want to think about what she’d just been forced to do. It went against everything she believed in as a healer and was something she never thought she’d have to do. Wasn’t this why she wanted to get away from her father in the first place? And now to end up running with a man just like him … it was surreal.

  Bruno seemed to pick up on her mood and urged her to keep moving without comment.

  But she didn’t want to keep moving. She didn’t want anything to do with him or this world.

  “Odette!”

  She glared at him mulishly. “Bruno.”

  “What are you doing? We have to keep moving.”

  “I just killed that man.”

  “And he would have done the same to you given the chance. You think he’d have second thoughts about it? Guilt? No. You did what you had to do to survive. And if we don’t get out of here, the chances of us doing that go down.”

  She wasn’t given the chance to argue. For the second time that evening, she found herself slung over a man’s shoulder and lugged around like a sack of spuds. Only this time, Bruno’s possessive grasp on her thighs wasn’t exactly offensive. The warmth of his big hand burned through the cloth separating them, creating a sensation she liked. Too much.

  “Put me down! You’re only calling attention to us!”

  “If I do, are you going to continue to sulk like a child?”

  “Just put me down!”

  She received a sharp smack on the ass. The smarting burn quickly faded as the heat radiated out from the point of contact to the surrounding skin. It scorched her cheeks and ignited pulse points in between leaving her aching for more.

  What the hell was wrong with her? How could this be turning her on? She kicked again, needing to put space between them, but was rewarded with another scintillating slap.

  “I promise!” Even when it was the last thing she wanted to do. But this was about survival, not her long-dormant hormones.
>
  Her knees wobbled when he set her down. He’d barely given her the chance to regain her equilibrium before grabbing her hand and dragging her along behind him. Good thing too because as they rounded the corner, the stone burst behind them.

  But when Odette would have sprinted into the bustling pub, Bruno stopped her. In one fluid movement, he swept her into his arms and tucked her gun into the back of her waistband under her shirt before hiding his under his jacket.

  “Deep breath. Calmare.”

  How in the world did he expect her to calm down? “Someone just shot at us,” she hissed.

  “But they won’t again. Not with so many witnesses.”

  Maybe not, but there was still someone after them. Not exactly a thought that would calm her down. With a protective arm around her waist, Bruno led the way inside. “My men will be here shortly. We’ll be long gone before any harm can come to you.”

  Something she should have been more worried about, but with him so close, smelling so good, feeling so big and vital, she couldn’t focus. It had to be the adrenaline hazing her mind. But would that explain the way her senses seemed to be heightened around him? Why she felt like a live wire yet so safe?

  It was crazy, but she knew it was the effect of simply standing next to Bruno Genovesi. He put on the loved-up act quite well. He held her close, possessively so. One of his hands absently stroked her side as if it was something he did all the time.

  It was certainly becoming something she wanted him to do more often.

  Not wanting to ruin the façade, Odette wrapped her arm around his waist as well, only to have him flinch and hiss at the contact.

  “Bruno?” Alarmed, she turned toward his body to peel back his jacket, finding the inside wet with blood. Odette immediately compressed the wound with her hand, earning a low groan from Bruno. “Were you shot?”

  “I think the guy on the ground had a knife.” He grimaced when she lifted her hand to take another look. “Is it deep?”

  “Deep enough. We need to get it cleaned up so I can take a better look.”

  “I’m open to suggestions.”

  They could very easily slip into one of the washrooms…

  “Odette?”

  Without letting go, she swiveled her head to find the only other doctor in town. Middle-aged but looking far from it, Didier LeBlanc, stared at them with open curiosity.

  Afraid he would see the blood, Odette stayed anchored to Bruno’s chest with her arms wrapped around his middle under the jacket.

  “Didier. So sorry. We were just leaving. We’ll chat another time.” Tension thrummed through Bruno and into her. He was hurt and doing his best to hide it. The sooner they got out of there, the better, and the last thing they needed was to be scrutinized by another doctor. If he figured it out, there would be too many questions.

  His eyes wandered over them for a long, speculative moment. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

  Bruno immediately took his hand. “Bruno Genovesi.”

  “Dr. Didier LeBlanc.”

  “Piacere.” His tone told Odette he was anything but pleased to make the other man’s acquaintance. “As Odette said, we were just on our way out.”

  “Why not join me for a drink?”

  “Not to be rude, but we just got engaged—”

  “Félicitations!”

  Bruno smiled at Didier, continuing to speak as if the other man hadn’t. “—and wanted to celebrate the rest of the night … privately.”

  Didier floundered for a response. His spluttered congratulations followed them out the door. “Of course! How silly of me. Congratulations again! I hope I’ll be invited to the wedding.”

  “Are you all right?” Odette helped him to the side of the building where they would still be safe, but away from prying eyes.

  Bruno nodded though she could swear he was paler than before. It was noticeable to her even in the dim light.

  “How long before your men get here?”

  As she said the last word, a dark sedan pulled up.

  “Now.”

  Several men filed out and hung around only long enough to listen to the commands given by Bruno. Within seconds, the men were gone and they were in the back of the car.

  “They will take care of the bodies and the ones that are still prowling.”

  That much, she already knew. Bruno seemed to be laboring under the impression that she didn’t speak much Italian. Did he not know she grew up in Rome?

  Now wasn’t the time to get into that. “That’s good. Can you take off your jacket?”

  “It can wait until we get on the plane.”

  “What?”

  “The plane. We’re going to Rome where I can keep you safe. We already discussed this.”

  But it had been an abstract idea then. The thought of leaving now put her in a tailspin. “But my patients…” It was quite deflating that was the only real thing keeping her there.

  “I’m sure Dr. Didier will swoop in to take care of them,” he sneered.

  He wouldn’t hesitate to poach her patients, but it had taken her so long to gain their trust. Her age and foreignness hadn’t helped at all, but she had come to truly care about them.

  “This truly upsets you, doesn’t it?”

  Odette sniffed. “It took me a long time to get established. My patients matter to me.”

  Bruno took her hand and pressed her knuckles to his lips. “I’m sorry things have worked out this way.”

  The brush of his lips against her skin and the scrape of his stubble strangely helped even out her emotions a little. “It’s not too late for me to sign everything over to you.”

  Bruno winced as he pushed himself upright. His grip tightened on her hand as he held her gaze. “You honestly think that after tonight, you’ll just be able to go back to your life as it was? Your brother has thrown down the gauntlet in his attack on you. Do you really want to let him continue to menace you?”

  “Of course not.”

  “And how do you think you’re going to protect yourself against an onslaught like that again because you know as well as I do that he’s not going to stop.”

  Not until she was dead.

  As choices went, she didn’t have many—any—really.

  But to give up everything she had worked so hard for because of circumstances outside of her control infuriated her. Odette had never been one to believe in fate or destiny. She believed in hard work and going after what you wanted. Life was about options and making the ones that led you to what you wanted.

  To have her choices taken from her was a terrible feeling.

  By the time they were settled on his private plane and in the air, Odette had swapped into doctor mode. It was much easier to focus on him and trying to repair physical damage than dealing with the emotional and mental wounds serrating her mind and soul.

  In the bedroom at the back, she helped him peel off his jacket and shirt under the scrutinizing gaze of the one guard who had followed them on board the plane.

  “Leave us.”

  “But she’s a Gallo,” hissed his guard.

  Odette continued with her assessment as if she couldn’t understand what was being said over her head.

  “She’s to be my bride. You’re going to follow us into the honeymoon suite, too?”

  “If I must.”

  Wouldn’t that be a turnout. Odette fought to hold in the chuckle bubbling up her throat.

  “She’s a Gallo and not to be trusted.”

  “She is family now, and I want you to treat her as such.”

  “She must have a magic pussy if she’s made you forget who she really is.”

  Bruno lunged to his feet and punched his guard hard enough to knock him flat on his back.

  “You will keep a civil tongue, or I’m going to do worse than knock you on your ass. Now get out and spread the word. If any of you even looks at her wrong, I’ll kill each and every one of you.”

  His guard worked his jaw as he left the room, mutter
ing about stupid men being led by their penises.

  “What happened?” Odette helped him back onto the bed.

  Bruno allowed her to help him but kept his eyes on her and a smirk on his face. “You know exactly what happened. You speak Italian as well as I do.”

  Now it was Odette who couldn’t help but smirk. “What gave me away?”

  “You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling.”

  “I didn’t even crack a smile.”

  He peered into her eyes, his own dark and fathomless. “It was in your eyes, cara.”

  She dropped her gaze. “You threatened him … over me.”

  When she looked up again, he was calm. Serene. “As I told him, you are my intended. No one disrespects my woman.”

  “I’m … I’m not your woman.”

  He smiled at her. “But you are. You just don’t know it yet.”

  Biting the inside of her cheek, Odette turned her focus from the heat in her cheeks to the task at hand. He was injured. It was up to her to fix him up.

  So why couldn’t she stop staring at the magnificent male torso before her? He had to be at least fifteen or twenty years older than her, but Odette had never seen a chest that was so well-sculpted. So appealing. She was right that he kept very good care of himself, and she couldn’t stop from ogling every chiseled inch of him.

  When she took a quick peek at his face to see if he noticed her distraction, she caught his amused gaze.

  “I’m glad you like what you see.”

  She ducked her head, hoping it would keep him from seeing her burning cheeks. “Shush, and let me take care of you.”

  “I love a woman who knows how to take charge.”

  A hand placed over his mouth quietened him so she could do her work.

  The slashes along Bruno’s side weren’t as deep as she’d feared. Rather unsurprisingly, his plane was better stocked than her practice was, and she was able to patch him up with topical skin adhesive and tape. She was satisfied it would hold for a few hours at least.

  “You may want to get your own doctor to look at that once we land.”