Determined not to let my emotions get the best of me, I splashed some cool water on my face and brushed out my hair, tying it up into a high ponytail. I took a deep breath, feeling my nerves and fears begin to subside.Exiting the bathroom, I quickly reached for my trainers and approached the door of Luca's bedroom. As I walked, a sense of determination filled me, and I could feel my resolve hardening with every step. I knew I had to confront whatever challenges lay ahead, no matter how daunting they seemed.Despite my resolve, I couldn't shake off the guilt that gnawed at me. Only a few hours ago, I had put the lives of four men in danger by leading them into a hail of bullets. It was a choice that I deeply regretted, and I could only hope that the rest of Luca's men would be able to forgive me for my recklessness.As I stepped out of the room and into the hallway, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the challenges that lay ahead. Whatever happened, I knew that I couldn't affor
Luca"I need you to attend a series of events that have been arranged to showcase your commitment to your fiancé before the wedding in a week," my father's monotone voice resonates through the phone as I hold it to my ear. I've notified him that the job is done, and he's seemingly happy with my progress."Is it vital to flaunt our relationship in front of everyone, father?" I ask, my displeasure evident in my voice."It is imperative, my dear son," he spoke with a hint of exhaustion in his voice. "This marriage is not just about bringing our families together or bringing business deals to fruition, but it is also vital for securing our organisation's future. Our rivals, the mafiosos, are always watching and assessing. They are waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Therefore, we must present a united and powerful front to everyone around us to gain momentum on possible new enemies. And to ensure that every other Don knows that your position is not up for grabs in this changeover
After much contemplation, I finally decided to make our wedding night an authentic experience. I want to fuck her as she deserved years ago when she was a virgin ripe for the taking. I realise that I didn't treat her virginity with the respect and importance it deserved six years ago, but I hope to make up for it now. My goal is to show her how much I love and cherish her and create a beautiful memory that we can both look back on with fondness even if I continue to treat her appallingly afterwards, of which my behaviour is up for debate.So, on the day of our wedding, I will consciously decide to embody the qualities of the past me—to be the man who values and cherishes every breath she takes. For that one day, I want to fully embrace the depth of my love and commitment towards Emma and make every moment count. I want to be the epitome of a true gentleman, honour her with my actions, and make her feel cherished beyond words. Perhaps my show of affection will also outline her life-lon
EmmaAs I woke up the following day, I felt my mind and body still weary and lazy. After everything that happened, Luca insulted me by using sec against me. Now, that wouldn't have hit me the way it did if it hadn't have been for Aldo trying to take that exact thing from me.Instead of getting ready for the day, I lay in bed a little longer. As I lay there, my eyes wandered around the room and eventually landed on the four dress bags that had been delivered to Luca's room. They were hanging on a rail at the end of his bed, waiting to be unpacked. I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as I looked at them as they had arrived after a particularly emotional fight with Luca the night before. Even though I tried to avoid looking at them, my eyes kept being drawn to them. I instead gazed up at the intricate patterns on the ceiling, coving to distract myself. My mind continued to race as I recalled the fight with Luca. It had been a particularly heated argument that hurt us both. I was
Luca acts nonchalantly, casually lights up his cigarette, blowing smoke that travels up to the ceiling. As I stare at him in outrage, he asks me mockingly, "Be precise, pretty little plaything. What is it that's riling you up now?"I couldn't believe that he would choose to smoke in my presence. I was not too fond of the smell of cigarette smoke as it made me feel sick to my stomach. I couldn't help but express my displeasure at his behaviour."Was it not bad enough that you joked about me getting sex after one of your own tried to steal that very thing? But now I find out you're making them call me Miss Rossi. How dare you!" I exclaim, feeling insulted and disrespected by his actions.Luca, however, seemed unfazed by my reaction and replied shortly, "They need to treat you as their future queen. Isn't it obvious they were too friendly with you?"I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Luca tried to justify his actions by suggesting that the men were too friendly with me. If I wasn't s
LucaAs I think about Emma, I can't help but feel a sense of vulnerability around her. It's like she has this supernatural ability to disarm me, and I don't think she even realizes it. She's always had a way of getting under my skin in the most simplistic of ways, igniting a burning sensation from within that I find hard to resist. Despite promising myself to keep her at arm's length, I found myself unable to resist her natural charm. One moment of snarled disappointment from her was all it took for me to cave into the desires I had run from, and the next thing I knew, I was kissing her passionately against the wall of my office. It was as if I was grappling with reeling in any control I could, trying my damnest to disarm her with my own game of control, but in reality, she had me right where she wanted me all along, and rightly so, after all, I did make a joke at her expense after one of my own tried to rape her.Anyway, call my behaviour tit for tat or counterattack; it's one and t
I am greeted with a cold, distant look from Mario, who seems to be sizing me up as usual. However, his attention quickly shifts to Emma, who he greets with a broad, genuine grin."If it isn't the bird that flew free," he says to her, addressing her as "little blondie." Despite his initial coldness towards me, he seemed to have much warmer energy for Emma, which made my mood take an even further nosedive."Mario!" Emma exclaims in surprise, and I couldn't help but groan inwardly. She hugs him tightly, and he willingly accepts the embrace with a look of triumph on his face. "How are you?" she asks, beaming up at him."I'm doing very well, thank you," he replies, avidly watching me. "I'd love to introduce you to someone special. This is Elera, my wife."Emma turns to face the woman he is gesturing towards, and her smile widens even further. It is a beautiful tilt of her lips that lights up her entire face, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy that my cousin and his wife were t
EmmaAs we make our way to the wedding, I can't help but feel a little nervous about the whole affair. After all, it's not every day that you get to attend the wedding of a distant cousin of Don Moretta. I've put a lot of effort into my appearance today and feel nervous about it.I'm wearing a beautiful silky silver sequin dress that splits up my right thigh, giving me a touch of glamour and sexiness. On my feet, I have chosen to wear the same colour Louis Vuittons, completing my look perfectly.I've gone a little heavier with my makeup today, using winged liner and contouring to enhance my features and look the part. I tend to struggle with events like these, especially regarding large gatherings. But today, I'm determined to make an impression as the one standing beside Luca. Who is dressed in an impeccable grey tux with that white dress shirt I stole it sleep in.As I look around, I can see that most of the guests have the typical bronze tan and brown hair that I've been surrounded
It's been four fucking days of Emma sleeping in Niko's room, and I'm about ready to murder that fucker with anything that comes within a breadth of my fingertips.She's kept her distance, giving me only moments like breakfast and dinner to speak with her. It doesn't help that Bianca, too, is staying away, seemingly choosing sides with Niko and perhaps Emma.Her words of disgust haven't slipped my notice, but then again, I did have her kidnapped—she just doesn't know that I did that to prevent my father from killing her to send that much-needed message to her father.Bianca is disrespecting my home and myself, something I'm only putting up with because she's Emma's sister.Anyway, enough of them. I've decided to take things into my own hands. I need to get Emma away from whispered opinions that might be our undoing. And a business deal came up at the last minute.Call it an excuse to get her out of my compound. Or call it a coincidence that my father called for me to leave as soon as p
LucaEmma is nowhere to be found after seeing my father and mother off the property, but I have no doubt where she's hiding, and I disfavour that deeply.For a long moment, I stand before Niko's door, my hand midair as I contemplate knocking and demand she sleep anywhere but his room. A jealous side of me that lives rent-free inside me has surfaced. After all, before my father turned up with his fake apology, we had been communicating more effectively than ever before.I think about where she could stay—even upstairs in one of the other's rooms while they bunk up would be favourable—but something stops me.Sighing, I step back from the door. I have to start making good decisions, and bowling on there right now to demand Emma come to bed with me will be far too pushy and far too soon.Even I know that. I'm treading in murky waters without recollection of safe ground. I'll have to move carefully and consider each decision—contemplate Emma's reactions to ensure I don't make another wro
Emma"We should leave. It would be best if you didn't stay with him," Bianca notes unhappily as Niko finishes replaying my utterly private conversation in a condensed form that suits him.Luca's parents have just left, and though I feel as if Luca and I had a breakthrough that was much needed and is something I honestly want to explore more, I decided to come back to Niko's room to give myself time to recuperate and also keep the distance that perhaps is the right course of action for the pair of us at the moment.Niko is hissing unhappily in his weapons closet, gathering a few articles of clothing that I presume he intends to change into for bed. The evening is upon us, and despite not having eaten dinner yet—even though I can smell it cooking, I'm ready to fall into a mattress to sleep.Apparently, Niko is done with work today, and he's adamant that he should probably find another room to sleep in.Of course, I told him not to be silly. This is his room, not mine, so it should be Bi
Niko opens the office door. He moves stiffly as he swings the door to reveal my father and mother. Neither says a word to me or looks my way. He just opens his palm to offer my parents into my office in cold silence.Emma instantly begins to move from my lap, so I hold her back, enabling her to turn to face them, silently stipulating that she stays put.This irks both Niko and my father, but I pay no mind to their opinions."Mother... father.""Good evening," my mother greets us, walking in with a delicate smile to sit opposite us.Her gaze wavers as she sees the screwed-up gauze and bullet sitting proudly for her to look at. Her gaze searches for my father with contempt, and it's then I realise my father obviously wasn't as forthcoming with his role in my injury as he should have been."Are you okay?" My mother asks me."Just fine; what are you doing here?" I grit out. I can't quite raise my gaze to my father's but glance at him, moving to stand beside my mother."I'm sorry, son. I s
LucaLeaning forward, I catch Emma's neck and hold her still before me. She's apologising, which irks me, so I tell her so with a deep voice of control."You have nothing to apologise for, bambina.""I hit you," she sighs, running her fingertip over the slight swelling around my eye.She did hit me, and rightly so. I was acting manic; I wasn't allowing her space. I refused to let her leave and all that after I wrongly accused her of cheating which I still need to investigate who exactly sent me those damn fucking images.They say pictures tell a thousand words; well, perhaps they conceal a thousand truths.I can completely accept that she felt backed into a corner, and I'm glad she raised her back to me in a way.The fact she can stand up to me is something our relationship obviously needs, but I don't wish to push her so close to the edge to cause her to strike out.I want to be better; I intend to be better. I don't know how, but I will strive to be the man she deserves—if she lets
The mafia business follows mafia protocols. Luca obviously upset his father enough to provoke this reaction from him. Besides, I'm not sure I want to argue with him after he's lost an evidentially large amount of blood.I pour us both a drink, passing one tumbler to him as he assesses me with hooded eyes. I have no clue what he's thinking right now, and for once, I see the pain etched on his handsome face. The liquid burns my throat as I swallow the tumbler full, but after the last few days, I feel that I need something to steady me and look at his arm.I'm not squeamish, not really, but I was right. After ripping his shirt open, I note his shoulder is a bloody mess with flesh sticking out of a close proximity shot from what I can only presume is a pistol. Blood trickles out the hole and down across his skin as I assess him flexing the hole."You need a doctor; it's still inside—," I note as the gold bullet shines back at me and the blood surrounding it dribbles down onto his peck."
EmmaI woke up from a restless night's sleep to face a new day with a fresh perspective. Throughout the night, I had been nestled between Bianca and Niko on his bed whilst cuddling Bianca, but in the morning, I turned to look at Niko.He was still clearly in pain, his abdomen showing worsening signs with mottled purple hues. Despite the doctor's miraculous revelation that nothing was broken, Niko was seriously bruised, and that coincided with his lack of sleep overnight.I spent some time simply observing his breathing, silently contemplating how to best care for him. And though I lay there promising myself not to think about the events of last night, my mind wandered. Had my behaviour triggered Luca's response just as much as his triggered mine in the kitchen?It feels as if we've been conditioned to tiptoe around one another for fear we'll lose one another again, and I know that my father dislikes that I was called home to fulfil his promise. So, are we exasperating the problems r
"Your mother warned me that you seemed off the other night, but I didn't want to admit that perhaps this takeover has put too much on your shoulders too quickly. But this," he bellows, stabbing his pointer finger into his phone. "This is very, very disappointing.""I'm sure it is, father.""I never raised you to be this type of man," he adds with a fist on the desk."We sell women to the highest fucking bidder; we hurt women every day of our lives. Force them to uproot everything they know, to lose their families and dreams and aspirations to sell them to the next man, one that probably has a weird ass kink that the girl has never even heard of yet a few measly marks on my wife's neck is too much for you to handle?" I scoff. "Oh yeah, besides that, you never taught me to lay my hands on a woman.""We sell women to men that are vetted. They are safe, fed, looked after," he shakes his head. "I have a team checking on each girl that passes through our hands at least once every few months
LucaContemplating my life is not a task I like to take part in. But here I sit, five tumblers deep, as I assess every fuck up I've made since Emma came back to me.I love the girl so profoundly that my behaviour stems from fear of losing her for a second time, yet this time, it is me who is making the decisions; it's me who is pushing her away.I can't believe I hurt her as I did in the kitchen. I can't believe I allowed that insidious side my father nurtured to take over and cause her harm.Her, of all fucking people.Why must I keep making these mistakes?Why can't I treat her as I always did when we were younger?Can she even love me after seeing the monster I've indeed become?These are the things I contemplate in my alcohol-induced haze.Emma never resurfaced from Niko's room, and though I could have barged in when the doctor let himself out, I knew it was the wrong thing to do.So instead, I stood in the darkness of the unlit hall, waiting for her to leave the room, hoping that