Chapter 21 Whoever said there's no such thing as just fucking a woman and not catching feelings needs to have his head examined. I take a sip of the scotch in my hand and wince as it burns a path down my throat. As I throw back the second refill, I grudgingly realize that person just might be correct. I know hazel eyes no longer works for Harry's cargo and she's starting nursing school the following week. That means whatever shit I have with her should have closed down the moment I heard. Instead, I made a deal with Mr. Harry that as long as I keep sending in goods through him, he should keep paying her, and double of what she was earning. That wasn't all. When I got a text from her asking if I'd sent her flowers, I felt something inch it's way across my chest, tightening it, constricting it. I shouldn't have gone to see her, hell, seeing her that day wasn't even on my mind. But what did I do? I got into the car and drove, like a mad man, to her doorstep, asking the first thing
Chapter 22 Beauty is alluring. Beauty is elegance. Beauty is a woman subjected to all sorts of body manipulations. Who am I kidding? Beauty is pain. My head feels like it's going to spilt into two with the tight chignon Tanya has my long hair in. Let's not get started on my face and the stuff she's put on it. "Stand still, let me put the finishing touches to your makeup. You're sweating like it's going out of fashion." She says to me with a voice full of exasperation. "I'm trying but you know I'm not used to wearing all this heavy stuff." She has put a ton of powder on my face already and it's beginning to feel numb, plus I'm sweating buckets and it's so uncomfortable. "I'm only going for lunch, not a beauty pageant." "That's the point though, you need to look your best." She says, fiddling with my lashes. "Ouch!" That stings. "And now I can't see well. What did you do?" She sighs exasperatingly once more. "That's 'cause you've refused to close your eyes. I'm only using fake
Chapter 23I like to think of myself as an attractive young woman, one who's kind and blushes at the very idea of dirtying her reputation. I've always been a prim and proper lady with a sense of modesty. I've never used 'fuck' when talking.All that stops today as I stare at the man that has continuously plagued my dreams.Swear words dance on the tip of my tongue, ready to be let loose. Blood rushes to my head as Ash walks closer to me. My eyes zone in on his hand which is clasping the hand of the woman beside him. A woman that isn't me. I expect him to speak to me, or to make a snide remark about why I'm just standing and staring at them.What I don't expect is the reaction I get.He walks past me like I'm air.Like I don't exist.Like I'm nothing.The woman gives me a curious look and tightens her hold on Ash's hand. They pass me, and his cologne wafts into my nostrils. That woodsy, minty smell I've gotten acc
Chapter 24The floozy almost shrinks. "But-""Did I stutter?" His eyes are cold and unyielding, making the floozy drop her head. Without another word, she walks out with the man following on her heels.I don't realize he's behind me until his voice is near my ear. "She's gone. Now, what do you want?"I know he's angry but I can take it. I can take whatever he's going to dish out to me. I just need to tell him how I feel first. "I. . . I haven't heard from you all this while and when I saw you this night, it's just. . ." I take a deep breath. "I guess I missed you." I finish, shrugging.He doesn't say anything for awhile. Instead, I feel the roughness of his palm as he takes my hand and leads me to the stairs. When we get into his room, he lets go of me and faces me, offering a slight shrug in the process. "You want to play around for a bit?""Yes!" I answer instantly, not stopping to think what that might mean unt
Chapter 25Happiness is being fucked so rough you can hardly breathe, can hardly speak, can do nothing but squeal like a rat as he nails you over and over, pushing inside of you so hard, so deep, that you can feel the man not only with your body, but also with your soul as well. Happiness is waking up the following morning, barely able to recall your own name because the only one that mattered was his, screamed so loud your throat is painfully raw, like the name had bled from your lips.And love. . .It means seeing the beauty in the ugly, the light in the dark, and accepting that even if the lights are off and I can't see what's in front of me, there will be something to guide my way. Love means turning yourself inside out and handing yourself over to someone else. Trusting them to touch you, handle your and bend you, but never break what you give them.It takes just two days to realize it. Two days of bei
Chapter 26 Many people don’t know this; In order to make money, you actually need to have it, or borrow it. . . or steal it. That’s what I did. I stole it. Well. . . at least I stole something I can sell in order to get money. As I stare at the jewelry nestled in the case in my hand, a twinge of guilt assails me. When Alicia looks for the necklace and finds out its missing, she’s going to know I took it, and then she’ll flip her lid. It’s the only thing worth anything at all. A family heirloom from my great grandmother who handed it over to her first born daughter. It was in turn handed over to mother who then handed it over to Alicia. And now I’ve stolen it in order to pawn it. I have no other option. None whatsoever. I promise to buy something more worthwhile for her when I settle my own side of the deal with Mr. Ash. “How much do you want for this?” The man with the bushy facial hair asks, drawing me back from my reveries. Forgive me, mum, but I’ve got to do this. “T
Chapter 27Thank God for alarm clocks. I jet up immediately, momentarily confused as I look around wonderingly. I search for my phone and stop the shrill noise coming from it, then drag myself to take a shower. Probably the shortest I've ever taken, after which I throw on some clothes, not checking to see what they are.Way to go making a good first impression, Alicia.I flip my rucksack onto my back and throw all my necessities inside.Wallet and Phone CheckLipgloss CheckHouse keys CheckI rush out of the apartment and grab the key from inside my bag before locking it and throwing it back inside.Thirty minutes later and I'm racing to my first class. I practically ask a million people before I'm able to find my way to the lecture theater. If not for a good Samaritan who practically takes me by the hand and leads me there, I would have totally missed it, which by the way is already underway as I slide int
Chapter 28I don't like wearing suits.Matter of fact, I hate wearing them.Let me rephrase that. . .I fucking hate wearing suits.It's a messed up excuse to wear heavy clothes and feel and act rich. I don't need to dress up in a suit to know I'm rich. I'm rich and nothing, not even wearing fifty suits a day can make me feel richer than I already am. I'll rather wear a pair of jeans and a tee and go around as unobtrusively as I can. It makes me blend in with the common man.I like common. It's good to look common so when I strike, no one will see it coming.They always never do.I glance at the black pinstriped suit I have on and the cane in my hand. I don't mind the cane, but that's just another excuse to look rich. On second thoughts, I don't look so bad, they make the tats on my hands and neck stand out.Well, the suit is already on and I won't be taking it off till after the meeting. . .The one I'm having wi
Chapter 108"Fuuuuck! Must you place this shit around my neck so tightly?" I ask Night eyes with a frown.Night Eyes rolls his eyes but doesn't say anything except to tighten the tie around my neck like a damn noose. He says I've been acting like a prissy bitch since I woke up this morning and realized it's the D-day. My six trusted men, now my groomsmen, are sitting around dressed up in white tuxedos drinking champagne while I'm sweating buckets inside this suit that's more like a straight jacket than any other thing."Will you get your feet off my precious table, Moro?" I say, tugging on my collar as I eye him from the corner of my eyes.He just smirks and continues sipping on his drink like I didn't just give him an order."Ouch, fuck! What the-? Will you take it easy? My neck's not a damn concrete, Night eyes.""Quit bitching, Ash, anyone hearing you would think you're not dying to get married to Alicia,
Chapter 107 The ride is fraught with tense silence and not even Ash's hand in mind does anything to alleviate the tightness in my chest and the dryness in my mouth. I'm freaking the fuck out. He keeps rubbing circles on my open palm with his thumb trying to soothe me but it's pointless. Getting to the meeting place doesn't take long because there's not much traffic. I look up at the large white building as Ash drives into the driveway and my eyes immediately home onto the bold signboard displayed on the front of the building in red capital letters that reads - THE CAMORRA. "You've gotta be kidding me!" Ash chuckles. "I told you they rule everything in Italy so don't be surprised about that." "I understand that, but they kill, and steal, and-" "Ah, ah, ah! Don't say that to anyone here, Hazel eyes, they rule everything, yes. . ." He nods. "Even the police, so hanging up a big old signboard isn't going to make it less real." My heart sinks, because what he just said is even worse
Chapter 106 When I wake, it's still dark outside and there's no one on the bed beside me. I sit up as panic begins to claw its way inside my chest but when I hear the shower going, I know what happened last night was real and Tanya is alive. Even though I haven't gotten much sleep, I feel energized. I feel happy.We're going to have to face them tomorrow.My heart plummets when I remember Ash's words from the night before. He sat me down and told me there would be reprisals and that I needed to get prepared for whatever the five dons that run the Canmora will do. He was a bit evasive about what the reprisals were but I don't need to be a rocket scientist to know it has to do with shedding blood.I'm petrified as his words wash through me but as soon as the door to the bathroom opens, I shake it off and paste on a smile as Tanya comes back inside the room. Her blonde hair is wet and longer than I've ever see
Chapter 106The ghost of Tanya doesn't float toward me as I initially thought, she walks toward me instead, smiling mischievously exactly the same way Tanya used to when she was alive. I blink repeatedly but she's still there, still smiling, and still looking at me."T.... Tanya?" I say once again, noting the tremor in my voice.Tanya's ghost smiles wider. "Hi, sis."Instead of fainting, as most women would, I let out a piercing scream loud enough to wake the dead. A hand snakes around my waist and it takes a few seconds for me to realize Ash is speaking to me.". . . relax, it's alright, please."I focus on his face as his words finally break through my consciousness. "Is. . ." I lick my dry lips. "Is her ghost still there?""I'm right here, sis." Tanya's ghost says from right behind me.This time, I'm not able to take it as the cold hands of oblivion wrap around me and enfold me in their arms.*". . . going
Chapte 105 Ever since I was kidnapped, I had slept fitfully, always keeping an eye open for when Rita and her minions would come to torment me. Not that it would stop her - no, but at least I would be somewhat ready. Now that I'm free, I feel a sense of peace steal through me as the hum of the car engine wraps around me. Soon, I few my eyes close as the movement of the car lulls me into a deep sleep. I don't know what wakes me up but the car has stopped and Ash is coming down. I blink repeatedly to remove the vestiges of sleep still clinging to my eyes and cloudy head before I come down from the car and look around. What I see in front of me gives me pause for thought. It's a plane. Ash is standing in front of it shaking a man's hand as he nods to something he's saying. He turns to me and beckons for me to come over. My legs feel a little wobbly from being cramped up in the same position for goodness knows how long but I manage to walk over without falling. Ash introduces me to the
Chapter 104Ash carries me up the stairs and doesn't let go, even when I tell him I'm okay and can walk, still he doesn't allow my feet to touch the ground. I try to tell him that carrying me - bridal style - will only slow us down but he's not having it.He's fast on his feet, I must admit but that niggling fear is sitting pretty on my chest once again and not allowing me to breathe well. As soon as we get up the stairs and into a hallway, he slows down and looks left and right. His eyes have gone keen and sharp and I don't need to be told we're both in danger. If they see him carrying me out of here, we're both dead.At least I will be.The scorned woman will forgive Ash. . . maybe.I watch his face as he watches the surrounding before moving stealthily. I feel his muscles flex and bunch as he carries me. His strides eat up the floor as he moves toward a door at the far end. I slide my eyes from his face an
Chapter 103I don't know how long I've been kept in this basement. I can't really say for certain, but what I do know is that I've been tortured with icy water that was dunked on me. I've been slapped around and beaten within an inch of my life. I've almost been raped but the scorned woman said she didn't want any of her men to touch me so I could be tight enough for all the men I would get to sleep with at the brothel I will be taken to eventually.The funny thing is, with every taunting word, every action, and every little thing I go through, I grow more hardened, more determined to live. If this is how people are reborn into criminals, then I'm going to be a living example and I'm not backing down. The scorned woman comes to see me every day expecting me to grovel and beg for freedom as well as for my life, but when she sees the blazing fire in my eyes and the determination, it only drives her around the
Chapter 102"She did WHAT?" My voice screeches on the last word and it's all I can do not to throw a hissy fit.Fuuuuuck!"I warned her! I told her about the danger of leaving this house. Does she even know what will happen to her if Dominatrix gets her hands on her?"Clarissa is practically wilting at my outburst. I know I shouldn't take it out on her but it was her responsibility to try to keep Hazel eyes here at home, where she belongs."Tell me once again what happened and don't even leave anything out." I sit on the bed and listen as Clarissa stammers her way through."We. . . I m. . . m. . . mean she-"Someone bursts into the room without knocking and I don't need a crystal ball to let me know it's Night Eyes. He must have been informed by Hilda about my roaring 'cause that's all I've been doing ever since I came home an hour ago. It's fucking two in the morning and Hazel eyes isn't at home. I had to he
Chapter 101It takes me a few seconds to realize I'm swaying - not like a pendulum - but it's a movement not caused by me.It takes me another few seconds to realize I'm unable to move my limbs- what the fuck?It takes me yet another minute to notice everywhere is dark and that I'm blindfolded. That's when the stark realization hits me in the chest -Not again. . .I've been kidnapped.I begin to thrash against the bindings holding my hands hostage at my back and those at my legs. My only joy is that my mouth is not bound, so I open it and scream, but even that is fleeting when I feel the solid nudge of something against my temple.It's a gun. It has to be a gun."One more word out of your pretty mouth and I'll pump lead into your head. Nod if you understand me."I nod immediately and a small sense of relief flits through me when the weight of the gun against my head is removed. I close my eyes, even though I'v