Chapter 18

MARIA

My heart pounded heavily as I stared at the package given to me by Dante. It was a red box, and as I collected it with shaky hands, my eyes locked with Dante’s beautifully darkened eyes. Terrified as I was staring at him, there was something about his eyes that I could not resist.

“Open it,” Dante growled, his voice booming in my ears and head, making me jerk for a minute. I gulped down saliva as I slowly lowered my gaze to the red box. I rubbed my fingers on the edges of the box, my heart pounding rapidly. What could be in the box, I thought? Was it the tools he was going to use to harm me? My head began to feel heavy, as if it wanted to fall off my neck.

“Please, Dante…” I lifted my eyes to beg, but Dante’s stare silenced my plea without a word from him. His eyes were like a burning furnace that held a number of souls captive, commanding authority with their intensity.

I lowered my gaze back at the box once more and slowly opened it, my hands trembling. My mind raced with tho