CHAPTER THREE

                   ROSES AND GUNS 

                    CHAPTER THREE 

                MARY PAUL'S POV FLASHBACKS 

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" My cherry, what would I do without you?" Peter murmured sultry into my ear, his soft touch grazing my naked thigh as we laid in bed.

"I don't know, you  tell me." I said as I hoisted myself up into sideways position, my right  arm supporting the weight of my head. I stared into his eyes, my hands  softly trailing along his chiseled stomach.

"It's simple my godess,  I would lose my life and  die. The world would seize to rotate and everyone extinct, the sun forbear to shine and the  wind will refuse to whistle with fury." He spoke, his smooth accent  causing the words to sound divine in my ear. I leaned in and gave him a  small peck on his lips.

"Such a romantic lover,  well I refuse to stay in bed any longer, I have school in an hour." I  got up and took my bra from the floor before walking to his drawer and  putting on the spare underwear I had here.

"Beautiful, must you go to school?" He whined from the bed and I rolled my eyes walking over to him;

"Baby, am a young woman, i got so much potentials ahead of me.  Unlike you, I actually want to graduate. " I gave him another kiss, and  turned to walk away but he grabbed my hand.

"You don't need it  though." He pulled me towards him, setting me down on his lap. "I could  provide for you, everything that's mine is yours." He said as he began  kissing my neck.

"Peter, we're only  dating. We're not married.  Again,am a young woman and am not going to  throw my entire life away for you, no matter how much I love you ."  I  responded, trying to get up but he pushed me down.

"Marriage, is that what you want?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, was that the only thing he got from what I just said ?

"Baby, you're getting  the wrong idea. I mean that we are young, we don't need to rush our relationship. I need school to get a job." I kissed him, hoping he'd  understand what I was saying.

"I could get you job, whatever job you want. My father-"

"Your father is a  rich and powerful man, however, I don't think I could ever work for  him." I laughed at the thought, it was absurd.

 Peter  father was  Craig  David the richest man in city, how he  accumulated his wealth remained a mystery to me, one that I hoped Peter  would eventually reveal, but getting a job through him was like asking to  be called a gold digger. I needed to fend for myself.

"My cherry, you will never work for my father. That type of work is not for you,my fiore delicato."

He murmured against my ear before getting up and putting on his boxers and  wearing a shirt, covering his once naked body. He tossed me my own clothes and I began putting them on.

"What does your  father do? And don't you work for him? So, what do you do?" I inquired  as I got ready, he turned to me. Watching me as I got dressed.

"My love, i will tell  you one day. For now, let me bring you to the place where you can get  the education you so desperately seek."

" You mean school." I retorted, laughing as he attacked me with kisses. He stared deeply into my eyes, admiration evident in them.

"I have something for  you, my angel. Close your eyes." I closed my eyes as he traced his  finger along my collarbone. 

I felt him put a necklace around my neck and  I touched it, slowly opening my eyes. I looked down, admiring it.

It  was a simple gold chain with a small diamond pendant, upon closer  inspection I realized his initials were graven into the pendant. P.M for  Peter and Maria.

"This way I'll always be with you, it'll remind you that  you're mine, forever and always." He explained, brushing my hair back.

I  was slightly unnerved by his words, the thought of being called his own  scaring me.

However, I brushed the feeling aside and kissed him,  expressing my gratitude. He was mine too and despite his strange domineering, behaviour he loved me.

*******

          MARIA's POV

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" Peter, should be here soon. I guess I'll head out now." Santiago spoke and I stared up at him from my position on Peter's bed.

"I just want to go home, am I allowed to do that?" I questioned sarcastically. Santiago was taken aback by my outburst, expecting only a meek response.

I was only this bold because  peter was no where in sight, were he here I would have been cowering with fear.

"No, you cant." Sebastiano announced strolling into the room. "You should even be grateful that Peter is allowing you to stay in this large house, rent free.

Where you can eat and do whatever you want. Santiago, you can leave. Peter asked me to take over until he comes back."

 Santiago's eyes darted between myself and sebastino with worry.

Seb wasn't the one he had to be worry about, it was his best friend, Peter , he was the danger.

"What's wrong? Where is he?" Santiago whispered, walking over to sebastiano. I rolled my eyes, did he really think that I couldn't hear them.

"We got caught clearing the shipment, however we managed to escape. We lost Leonardo, Fabio and all the merchandise. Obviously, we have a mole in our midst. He's livid and told me to take care of Maria until he returned. I don't know where he is." Sebastiano explained,sighing sadly.

" Sebastiano, perhaps I should stay with Maria." Santiago suggested and Sebastiano glared at him.

" Santiago, get the fuck out of here. You're lucky, I'm not mentioning how close you two are getting to peter. He'd have your head and I like your head. So, don't give me a reason to get rid of it."

"But I-"

" Santiago, mio ​​dio, ti ucciderò personalmente se non stai zitto e non te ne vai. Maria appartiene a peter , prendilo in testa." Sebastiano yelled at santiago, shutting him up instantly.

My ears perked at the mention of my name but since they were speaking Italian, I had no idea what they were saying.

Santiago remained quiet and gave me a small glance before leaving the room.

I was alone with Sebastiano who hated me more than anything in this world, and i guess i would never know why.

"Could you open the window please, your desperation is choking me." I rolled my eyes, ignoring him completely. 

I moved to grab my phone, the action put presssure on a fresh bruise on my hip that I had obtained by talking back to peter yesterday.

I winced, laying myself back down on the bed.

I glanced over to Sebastiano, hoping he hadn't noticed but his eyes were already on me.

"He's in a bad mood you know. You might want to tone it down today." Sebastiano warned, I rolled my eyes again. An action that was quickly becoming a habit.

"He's always in a bad mood." I muttered under my breath and before I could even blink Sebastiano was infront of me.

"And you will do whatever it takes to make him happy because he deserves it!" He seethed into my face, I glared at him.

"What is your problem! Why do you hate me so much, why does he hate me so much? What have I ever done to you guys?" I question angrily.

Sebastiano laughed, throwing his head back.

"You're pathetic, honestly i hate you because Peter deserves better. Not someone as weak as you. As for him, I have no idea why he despises you but he's probably justified."

"He's bastard, that's what he is." I muttered under my breath. Sebastino's head shot over to me, and if looks could kill, I would have been a dead man.

Perhaps this was the time to be quiet.

Sebastino's loyalty to Peter was sickening, infact it baffled me that no one could see Peter for what he really was, a bipolar piece of shit.

"Sono tornato, sebastiano , puoi andartene adesso." Peter spoke from the door, Sebastino eyes were still trained on me.

"Remember, keep your thoughts to yourself." He whispered before leaving. Peter watched him leave before turning his attention to me.

"How are you?" He asked grabbing a glass of whiskey from the mini bar he had in his room.

'Terrible.' I thought to myself, instead I smiled at him and he gave me a satisfied nod.

I was heeding sebastino's advice, I had to keep my thoughts to myself.

"What did you do all day?" He asked taking of his shirt and jeans and getting into bed. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and it took every part of me to not flinch away from his touch.

"Nothing, I just waited for you. I missed you." I answered, forcing a smile.

"I missed you too, my cherry." He nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck, how was he in a bad mood? This was the most affectionate he had ever been in a while.

"What's on your mind?" Peter whispered in my ear, I smiled, suddenly forgettting the evil he was and the evil he had done.

" Sebastiano told me you lost a lot today and you were in a bad mo-" I began, and just like that I was reminded of who he was.

The demon that was Peter Craig David. He slapped me hard across the face, I held my throbbing cheek, my eyes stinging with tears.

"Know your place, Maria.  I did not leave work to come home, and talk about it some more. What I do is none of your concern and you are not worthy enough for it to even be your concern, when I ask you what's on your mind, you tell me what I want to hear. Me, that I was on your mind. That you longed for me, my touch and my cock." He smirked a little .

 " Understood?" I nodded, tears freely spilling from my eyes. He roughly grabbed my jaw,"Understood?" He asked again.

"Understood." I responded, telling him what he wanted to hear. He let go of my jaw and grabbed my hand instead bringing it down his chest towards his crotch.

"Now please, sweety provide me some stress relief." He sighed as my hand made contact with his member.

**** END OF FLASHBACKS ****

I shot up out of bed,  the memory feeling too real. I was so fucking stupid, getting that  necklace was just him asserting his control over me, it was the beginning of the end .

The necklace was a symbol of his dominance and I  had to rid myself of it if I truly wanted to move on . 

Why I hadn't taken  it off earlier was a mystery to me.I felt as if he would be able to  sense that I had taken it off.

 As if Peter could see everything I did .

Hesitantly, I took the necklace off and made my way out the house. My parents lived next to a stream which was only a few meters away.

 I  clutched the necklace in my hand as I stretched my hand out over the water,I needed to do this, I should have done it before even.

 Without a  second thought I threw it into the stream, a breeze hitting my face as  if telling me I did good. 

With a sigh of relief, I rushed back into the  house and slipped into my bed, relaxed as peace replaced the troubled thoughts that once filled my mind.

 My newly relaxed mind allowed slumber  to take over and lull me into a tranquil darkness.