I wake up in Lucas bed the next morning. It's still dark, with only the light from the moon cascading upon the room. I feel myself being pulled in firmly against Lucas front, and I open my eyes wide enough to look at the clock on the bedside table. It's four in the morning! I slept right through the night, and Luca didn’t bother to wake me either. Lifting the blanket, I find myself in one of his tops. He took it upon himself to change me out of my clothes. Jeez, I really must’ve been tired if I didn’t wake up from him undressing me. I gaze out the window, admiring the stars sprinkled across the sky while listening to Lucas' rhythmic breathing. I thank the gods that he doesn’t snore. “Cara mia...” He grumbles sleepily. “I can hear you over thinking.” He rubs his face in the crook of my neck. “No you can't.” I chuckle, lightly. “Si, you’re wondering why I haven’t buried myself deep inside of you.” His hand slides down my front, and he roughly cups my sex. “You’re wrong,” I state hu
An hour later, I find myself at home, getting ready for work. There’s no one home but me. Chrissy and Conrad must’ve left for work early today. Luca seemed tense the rest of the time, insolent with him before they dropped me off on their way to the airport. He had very little to say. Most of his attention was pointed at Rosalia with her current state of whining. “I still don’t understand why I just can't stay with Aunt Nessa until you return!” she stared daggers at Luca from the front seat. “Because you are under my protection while you’re here in New Zealand, and since I won’t be here, neither will you.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing with distress. “I’m sick and tired of flying here, there, and everywhere. I just want to stay put for a while.” And here I thought the kid wanted to spend time with me! “I can always leave you in Italy with your padre, Rosa. You are seriously starting to get on my last nerve with this spoiled brat syndrome you have suddenly inherited.
I walk through the front door, and Chrissy and Conrad are already home curled up on the sofa watching t.v. “Hey, guys,” I say, greeting them both. “Nessa!” Chrissy jumps up from the sofa and wraps her arms around me. “Girl… I was so worried when you didn’t return home last night.” She holds me tightly so I can't move past her. “Can't breathe.” I struggle against her vice-like grip. “The baby,” I mutter, almost breathless when she refuses to let me go. Like wildfire branding her arms, she drops them and steps away from me with her eyes wider than saucers. “You're pregnant?” She whispers with tears brimming her eyes. Shit… I forgot that I haven't officially told her. “I'm sorry. I only just found out, and I wanted to tell Luca first. Please don't be upset with me.” My voice quivers as I apologize, dragging air into my lungs. “Oh, my god, Nessa.” She whispers, her gaze heavy on mine. “I don't know what to say.” “Say that you will stand by me and promise me you'll always be in
We find ourselves outside in the courtyard of the Rugby Club. The sun is shining brightly, and the air carries the scent of freshly cut grass. The scent of Summer fills the air, bringing a smile to my face this morning. I've treated myself to a delectable steak burger accompanied by a side of crispy fries. I woke up feeling absolutely famished, unwilling to consume anything in case I had to spend hours hunched over a toilet before feeling even remotely normal. “I’m so hungry. I could eat a horse!” Sanz rubs his hands together, impatiently waiting for our food to arrive. “These ribs better be as good as you say, Carlos.” He stares at Carlos with his brow arched. “Calm down,” Carlos retorts, rolling his eyes. “I don't understand how you can be hungry. You cleared out my fridge this morning, and I only shopped two days ago.” He says, astonished. “I'm Samoan. It's what we do,” Sanz says casually. “I wish I could eat like you and look like that.” Carlos hisses, rolling his eyes heavenw
There’s a confident rap at the door, and I quickly rush to open it. “Did you…” the words get stuck in the back of my throat when my gaze collides with a pair of eyes that make me shudder.“Hello, pretty.” Mikal snarls viciously with a predatory glint in his eyes. “Shit!” I curse as I quickly try to slam the door in his face. But Mikal swiftly lodges his foot between the door and frame, violently jerking the slab of timber that separates us backward. I stumble and land on my ass with an audible thud penetrating my ear canals.Mikal confidently steps inside as if he belongs here, shaking his head. He clicks his tongue, shifting to lock the door behind him. “That wasn’t very nice.” He says in a childish tone, pouting at me.Gritting my teeth, “what do you want, Mikal?” I crane my head back and look up at him. “I have come here to send a message to some people who can't take a hint.” He crouches in front of me and slowly drinks me in with a crazy look in his eyes while he combs his fing
“Help!” I scream at the top of my lungs, hoping someone can hear me from the outside. “HEEELLP!!” I scream again. Mikal yanks me against his chest roughly and sneers in my ear. “HEEELLP!!” He says, mimicking me. “No one’s going to save you, princess!” He laughs and hits me across the face with his backhand.I'm thrown onto the bed, my cries of pain filling the room. My face throbs with a fiery sting, and I cautiously reach up to touch it. The swelling is becoming more pronounced, and once again, a sense of panic washes over me. Mikal gazes down at me with a mischievous grin, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes, as he casually unfastens the buckle of his belt. His baggy jeans gather in a pile on the floor, as he stands at the edge of the bed, his lips moist as he caresses himself and gazes at me with a hunger that suggests I am his ultimate desire.Fuck! He’s seriously going to try to… I attempt to crawl further up towards the head of the bed, but Mikal suddenly reaches out and fo
The ringing sound in my ear becomes deafening, shutting everyone out.'Why won't it just stop? I can no longer hear Chrissy hysterically crying or Carlos giving out orders and the smell… That awful hospital smell is gone, too.Shit…Am I…? Am I, no! I can't be dead. This isn't how my life is supposed to end.“Vanessa, you’re okay.” A familiar voice calls out to me in the darkness. “You’re okay, lil sis.” She calls out again.“Celeste, is that you?” I cry.“Yes, sweetheart. It's me.”“Why… Why can’t I see you?” The panic is evident in my voice. “Your eyes are swollen shut, and you have swelling in your brain. But you are alive, Vanessa.”“I need you…” “I'm here. I will always be here when you need me. But you can’t stay here with me.” There’s sadness in her voice as it slightly trembles.“Just a little longer, let me stay a little longer, please?” I plead.“I'm sorry, Nessa. But you have to go back. The longer you stay here, the less chance you have returning to your body.” “I don’t
"If… I couldn’t save our child, Luca. How can you expect me to help save you?” I stare at him, feeling empty and confused. “We need to save each other, tesoro. But the only way for us to do that…” He looks me dead in the eye. “Is if we help pick each other up. When the time is right, we will be blessed with another baby. Our time will come, cara mia, you just have to wait and see.” He gently kisses the top of my head. He can try to sweet coat the truth. But I don’t want another baby. I just want my baby back! My perfect, innocent baby. His words cause my insides to seize up and my heart to ice over. “No… I want my baby back! How can you sit here and talk of another when I just lost my baby?” I sneer at him unbelievably.“Our baby. WE lost OUR baby. Si, I may not have carried our child. But I did help create it, and I did grow to love it, too.” He snaps at me with wide eyes.“No…” I struggle to get up from him, but he doesn’t let me go. Instead, he just crushes me closer to him. “It
Nine months later…Alessandro's POVI am driving like a madman through traffic. Missing vehicles by the skin of my teeth as I fly down the interstate. I am on my way to the hospital.Merda...I should have arrived an hour ago. Zoe is going to murder me, and I would rather she does it after the birth of our twin sons. I would like to at least give them the opportunity to meet me, even if I am a walking corpse.Si, that's right, guys. I Alessandro Russo knocked Zoe Henningson the fuck-up..*** Thirty Five Weeks Earlier.“Super sperm. I fucking swear to the Gods you have super sperm.” My beautiful, angry, kitten came storming through the door of my office. “Cara mia?” I looked at her with wide eyes that were filled with confusion.I rose from behind my desk and walked over to the door, which I then closed. She swung around and hurled something at me; it landed on my chest and bounced across the floor twice. With an arched brow, I gazed at her, questioning if she had lost her damn mind
I buck my hips against his mouth. Getting as much friction I can get as he lightly sucks on my clit. I throw my head back moaning. I know I won't last long. It's been over three years since he last touched me. Three years since ANY man has touched me. Tension pools in the pit of my stomach. I clutch my fingers through his hair, firmly gripping the roots and push his head deeper inside me. Alessandro starts to flick his tongue as he slides two thick fingers inside me, and I arch my back in pleasure. He wildly starts to drive his fingers in and out of my needy body, flicking his tongue faster, and mumbling in Italian. My walls start to clench around his fingers with pure greed, sucking the dear life out of them. I know he can sense how close I am because he swipes his tongue slowly across my sex, making me cum long and hard. I ride out my orgasm. Continuing to grind against his face. When my body begins to shudder, I unhook my leg from around his shoulder. “Stand, Alessandro.” I com
Three years later… I arrived back in Auckland two days ago. I’ve spent the last three and a half years in hiding. Every three months, I was moved to another location in another city. Every city meant a new identity was created for me. It eventually became challenging for me to remember who I was and what my backstory was at the beginning. But I gradually learned how to adapt to my new life and accept it. It took just over three years for the Italian legal team to get every member of the La Cosa Nostra Mafia rounded up and prosecuted. Gio had enough information saved on his laptop and files in a hidden safe to have them all incarcerated for a few life times. In the end, the Venturi’s managed to take them down from their graves, and their names will go down in the history books. They cleaned up the streets, making it safe for school kids to wander to school on their own.I gaze up from the side walk of the building where Lucas penthouse still stands. I'm trying to find the courage to
It's been three long and excruciating weeks since I ordered Luca to leave my life. And he did. He packed everything up and flew back to Italy, taking my Rosalia with him. The thing that hurt and still hurts the most is that I never got the chance to say goodbye to her. I only had Rosalia in my life for a short time before she was taken away from me once again. I haven’t heard from any of them. Not a single phone call, text, email, or even a postcard to tell me they’re okay. I only recently learned of their departure when Roman had called me and asked me to meet him at his office. ***“Nessa, how are you?” He asked as I walked through his office door.“I’m healing slowly, but I’m getting there.”“You’re looking a lot better from the last time I saw you.” I had caught a glimpse of a smile on his face. “I asked you here today because there are a few things that I need to discuss with you regarding my firm.” He said as he pulled out a contract from the top drawer of his desk. “This...”
Lucas POVI walk out of the house and jump into my Audi. Vanessa refuses to see me again. “Cazzo!” I yell as I bang my hands against the steering wheel. I just finished telling her I can’t fucking live without her, and she’s the best thing that's ever happened to me. Yet, she still dismisses me like I'm nothing to her. We just lost our baby. The baby I was secretly rejoicing in. We were going to be a famiglia, damn it, a fucking famiglia. She was going to bear my name and my children. My life was going to be complete and fucking incredible. I was planning on spending the rest of my life making her the happiest woman to ever grace the planet. But that has been viciously ripped away from me. The mob had gotten a hold of Mikal and paid him a pretty penny to turn my world upside down. That fucker is lucky he’s already dead because if I had gotten my hands on him, he would’ve died a long and slow death. Even that is generous on my behalf. The mob will pay. The arse hole who ordered the
Rosalia shows up twenty minutes later with her hair pulled up into a messy bun. She’s dressed in an Adidas tracksuit, and she looks so much like her mum. It almost causes my heart to skip a beat. “Is everything okay, Aunt Nessa?” Her face is full of concern as she approaches me.She sits be side me, I reach forward and place her hand in mine, resting them on my knees as I stare at our joined hands.“You know, I love you, right?” I try my best to keep my voice leveled.“Si. I love you too.” Her beautiful eyes are filled with confusion as her brows knit together.I bring her hand up to my lips and place a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. “This decision has no impact on us whatsoever.” I want to reassure her. “But for me to move on, I can’t be with your uncle no more.” I let go of her hand and quickly place the ring box in her palm. “I need you to do this one favor for me and return this to Luca.” Tears prick my eyes, and I rapidly blink, urging them away.I know this is such a cowar
I wake up to someone persistently knocking on the front door. Rolling over, I slowly ease myself into a sitting position on the bed. Being mindful to keep the screams of agony suppressed. Running my fingers through my tangled hair, I look up when Conrad walks in with a shadow close behind him.“Hey, Nessa.” He looks at me apologetically. “Detective Reeves is here to see you.” He steps aside, and a middle-aged female steps forward. “Hello, Vanessa. I’m detective Amanda Reeves.” She thrusts her hand forward, and I shake it. “Look, I know this isn’t an appropriate time in the morning to do this… But I would appreciate it if I could have your co-operation so we can get this case cleared.” She says as her eyes scan the room.Amanda Reeves looks to be in her mid-thirties. She looks a lot like Cameron Diaz with brown eyes, but when the light hits them, and you look close enough, there are bits of green and orange embedded deep within the irises.Her eyes are stunning. She has urban black hai
Two hours later, we are back at the house where I have joyfully popped a few painkillers. Conrad had set up our beds, turning the living room into a bedroom. Conrad said it was better we all slept in one room so they both could keep an eye on me. But deep down, I know he was trying to keep me from going back into the room where the assault took place. He is such a sweetheart. Carlos also tried his last hand at convincing me to change my mind and remain in my hospital bed. I lied to him and told him that I would be staying with Luca. So if anything happened, I would be in good hands. He still didn’t look pleased or convinced in the slightest when he handed me the discharge forms to sign. He gave me a few words of advice and informed Chrissy that if she felt that Luca wasn’t meeting her standards in taking super extra care of me to call him at any time. Day or night. I eventually forced his stubborn ass to hug me and thanked him for not letting me die the moment I handed the clipboa
“You got that right.” I wink at her. “How did you get here?” I ask with curiosity.“I had my driver drop me off. Uncle Luca said to tell you that he will be here as soon as he can. He is meeting with the detectives and his lawyer.” She looks at the door and then back at me.“Why is he meeting with the detectives? He wasn’t there.” I scowl, looking at everyone confused. “We have all been interviewed. But I assume Luca is trying to hold them off from coming to see you so soon.” Carlos says as he scratches the back of his head.Rosalia turns around at the sound of his voice. Carlos gazes at Rosalia and flashes her with one of his jaw-dropping smiles. Her head snaps back in my direction, and her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink. I watch her as she tucks her loose hair behind her ear, and when I look back at Carlos, he remains staring at the back of her head. I casually flick my eyes between the two and realise the air has become thick with wonderment. Conrad clears his throat, interrup