•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ I slammed open the bedroom door and took off all of my clothes before running to the bathroom. I didn't even care to flick the lights on as I moved closer to the bathtub. I fill the bathtub, the water nearly overflowed as steam surged from the scalding water. I step inside, and the hot water burned my skin, into my wound but I didn't care. The burn felt like it was washing away their hands, their touch. I clenched my jaw to distract myself from the burn. This is good. It will wash their hands off me. It will wash off their touch. I squirt a good amount of body wash on the loofah and started to scrub. I scrubbed, and scrubbed, and scrubbed, the blistering water scorching my skin. The cuts that had turned into scabs got ripped once more, bleeding out. The dull ache in my stomach intensified, it hurt to even clench my teeth. Their laughing faces flashed before my eyes. I remembered the way their bodies smelled, their breath smelled. It just made me scrub more
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ Another day... Another morning... Still, it did nothing to calm the turmoil I felt inside of me. Everything around me was just the same but I didn't feel the way I used to. I feel hateful all the time, anger is the only emotion coursing through my veins right now. Ten days, I spent ten days in that cell but it felt like a year. It felt as if that cell didn't belong in this world, time passed by slowly there. I looked out of the window and felt nothing... this view always brought me comfort but now it did nothing to me. Nothing to calm the storm brewing inside of me. I remember looking out of this window and dreaming of a life outside these four walls. I thought it'd be a fairy tale. I thought my parents were wrong and the world out there was anything but evil. “The world is a dangerous place and you are easy prey, Evangeline. You are innocent and naive and you lack physical strength. This world will chew you alive.” My dad wasn't wrong. He wasn't wro
•Nikolai• ╌═❁═╌ I'm weak. Too fucking weak. I let her get too close to me. Until recently, I only ever really loved one woman in my life. My mother, I respected her, loved her. Anastasia Costello. I thought she was the only one who really knew me, the only one that can tear down my walls. I thought my ability to love ended with her, and I was fine with that. I've watched her writhing in pain, struggling to breathe, tears leaking out of her eyes but she couldn't move. My mother fought long and hard with the disease before she lost that battle. I thought that was it. My only weakness, the only woman I ever loved is dead and now I'm fucking invincible. But then she happened. The morning Elijah Bolton died, I didn't fucking know what I was getting myself into when I brought his daughter into my home. I hadn't given it a second thought, I didn't even know what I was going to do with her. The men in my circle had many ideas about what I should do with her, but I didn't fuckin
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ I had my headphones on as I continuously flipped the pages of the book that was before me. I hadn't read a word, the music blasted in my ears blocking out all the other sounds. I slammed the book shut and got off my bed. Nikolai had called Bianca earlier, I knew that he did because Bianca and I hadn't talked after his whole engagement fiasco. I pretended to be asleep while Bianca waited for me. I didn't wake up until she finally gave up and left the house. I got to my feet, straightened out my dress, and headed downstairs. His house was crawling with his soldiers, they all tried to avoid making eye contact with me. They were moving some stuff into the house, some furniture, suitcases, and whatnot. Was Nikolai redecorating? I hopped onto the couch and put on the TV at full volume. Someone grabbed the remote out of my hand and turned the volume down. I huffed and looked up to see Nikolai looking down at me. He placed both of his hands on the headrest of
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ Someone pounded on my bedroom door waking me up from my deep slumber. I groaned and stuffed my face back into the pillow to block out the sound coming from the door. The knocking intensified, whoever it was, didn't really have much patience. I sat up and glanced at the wall clock. It was only six o'clock in the morning. I rubbed my eyes to rid of the grogginess, tossed the duvet aside, got to my feet, and headed for the door. I opened it and was met with an unknown face. She was wearing the uniform the household help used to wear. "What?" I asked. "Don Niko had requested you to freshen up and wear this before you come downstairs." Frowning, I took the clothes from her and noticed that they were gym clothes. I heaved a sigh, I liked it better when I could say no to him but I dug my own grave when I promised him that I'd listen to him and follow his rules but that's all there was to it. I'm not the same girl who had a massive crush on him. I closed the b
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ I showered up, getting rid of the soreness of my muscles. I had never worked out in my life before and exerting my body so much in a single day has taken its toll. I had cramps everywhere. I heard some voices coming from downstairs. I couldn't recognize them. I mulled over the fact that I should go and check it out because it could be Nikolai's business partner. His business partners were not the kind of people you want to make a conversation with. But then I heard a shrill female voice. I went out of the door and stood at the top of the stairwell. Still, all I heard were the voices. I went downstairs and saw a tall, lean middle-aged man with a young blonde woman standing beside him. I could only see their side profiles. The woman turned and I sucked in a sharp breath. It was Grace Russell, Nikolai's wife-to-be. I know because I had attended their engagement. Her face was engraved at the back of my mind, the sight when Nikolai had slipped the ring on her
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ We stopped at a small Italian restaurant. A man valets our car as Scott and I walked inside. It was overly crowded, filled with big, bulky men. There was not even a single woman in sight except for the waitress in a skimpy dress that flashed her underwear as she bent to pick something off the floor. All of the men gave Scott a nod, acknowledging his presence. A few of them stood up as Scott walked by. Why does it feel like they were all a part of their mafia? Darkness and cruelty dripped from their eyes. There were just too many tattoos, scars, and scowls in the restaurant. They all avoided looking directly at me maybe it was because I was with their underboss. A few of them glanced at me and then looked back down at whatever they were doing like they have committed a sin. We sat at the table in the corner, I placed my hands over it and leaned ahead. "Why do I feel like they all are scared of me?" "Because they are." I frowned. "Why?" "They all are
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ I awakened with a monster headache. I groaned and leaned against the headboard for a few minutes. It was still dark outside, I glanced at the clock and it read three a.m. My throat was incredibly parched, I tossed aside the duvet and got off the bed. I hadn't changed into my nightwear earlier, I went to the bathroom, freshened up, and changed into a pair of a silk cami top and shorts. I ran my fingers through my hair as I went down the stairs. The whole mansion was dark, it was late at night and all the lights were switched off. I went closer to the kitchen door and heard a tap running. Furrowing my eyebrows, I walked inside only to see the person I did not want to see under any circumstances. He was a liar and a manipulator. I had no idea why would he stage something like that but I was done being Nikolai's puppet. He was washing off his hands and then I noticed the red color sprayed over his white shirt. The cuffs of his shirt were rolled up but I cou
Oh my god! Oh my god! You guys! I can't believe this story ended already. I'm not done with Nikolai and Evangeline just yet! It had been an amazing journey for me here on Goodnovel and the response and comments from you guys made it all so much better. All I want to say is thank you so much for your support. Thank you for being part of this moment. If you loved the story and then please, please, please, write a review and give a 5-STAR rating! It would mean a lot to me! Okay, now who's ready for — Mafia Men 2: Lorenzo's gilded Cage? Comment down below and let me know if you are waiting for it! ❤️I love you all so damn much, thank you again! XOXO JANE DOE
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ "Please, please, have mercy..." he groaned out, he could barely breathe but I didn't care as I jabbed another needle into his neck. I frowned, mockingly. "How can I? You don't fucking deserve it!" saying that, I slammed a plier onto his nose, probably breaking it. He let out gibberish as blood trailed down his nose, filling his mouth, and making him gag on it. I was in the tunnels under our mansion, torturing our captives—the ones who deserves it anyway. My hair was in a messy bun and I was wearing a light pink summer dress which was now covered in blood, filthy blood. My husband has gone out of the country leaving me alone with these imbeciles and Lorenzo. I went into the corner to get the toolkit when Lorenzo appeared beside me in a flash, "Let me get this for you." I smiled as we walked back to the man I was torturing. Phew! Even walking is a chore for me nowadays. Lorenzo opened the kit and before me; laid beautiful, the shiniest, and the sharpe
•Nikolai• ╌═❁═╌ "I wish you were here, Mama," I whispered as I rolled her diamond ring between my fingers, the same ring I bought for her from Sicily. She would have loved Evangeline. "Ready, Niko?" Scott's voice resounded in the room. I turned and saw Scott and Bianca, she grinned widely at me and ran up to me. She stepped closer to me and pinned a white rose boutonnière to the lapel of my tuxedo. She stepped back and smiled with satisfaction. "Now you look perfect! I'm gonna go check on the bride," saying that, she trotted out of the room leaving me alone with Scott. "What is it, Shitface?" "Nervous?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I furrowed my eyebrows as I realized I wasn't fucking nervous at all. When I was about to get fake-married to Grace, I was going fucking crazy and the thought that Evangeline would be sitting with the guest made me lose my shit but today... I was about to get married to my wife and I felt content, relaxed, and calm. I clicked my tongue, "Not e
•Nikolai• ╌═❁═╌ “THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE BOLTON'S FAMILY MASSACRE” "Mama?!" I went into my parents' home, looking for my mother, "Mama?!" "Niko!" her voice filled my ears and my attention snapped in its direction of it. She stepped out of the kitchen immediately, her face contorting with glee as she saw me, and a wide smile appeared. A maid helped her take the apron off and she came running toward me. My mother, my beautiful mama. She pulled me in a hug, wrapping her arms around me. I rested my chin above her head and smiled, hugging her back. "Oh, I was so scared. I prayed day and night for you to come home safely. I hate this, Niko, first your father and now you. Every time you and your father stay away from home for more than a week, I die a little from the inside, Durak!" "I came to you the second the plane landed," I told her. She pulled back and held my hand, taking me to a couch, "Okay, what did you bring for your mama from Sicily?" She watched me with hopeful b
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ I waited for a few moments and then moved closer to the window to see where he had gone. I noticed the flickering light of a drugstore as Nikolai stepped out of it. I frowned, he left me all hot and bothered to get medicine or some shit? Maybe, he was getting condoms or birth control pills. I was still in my thoughts when the door swung open and Nikolai grabbed me like a savage and hovered over me, shutting the door behind him and locking the car. In a second, his hand was on my neck, choking me, pushing me down into the seat. "Shit, you're so fucking hot and it makes me fucking furious that I can't fucking resist you." My hands went to his arm—the one holding me in place. "Furious enough to fuck me like you fucking hate me?" I managed to ask, remembering what he once said to me. A dark look flashed across his face, his eyes turned a shade darker, oh, he was furious alright. "Furious enough to fuck you like I'd fuck a lowlife whore who doesn't even deserv
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ "B, I don't know why I am so damn nervous when I am already freakin' married!" I tugged at the wedding dress I was wearing, "Don't you think it's too tight?" "Maybe because now you are getting married to the man you love..." she said as a matter of factly, standing behind me as the woman adjusted the dress. I rolled my eyes, "He was always the man I loved..." I lightly touched the saleswoman's shoulder, "I don't think it's the right dress for me..." She gave me a polite smile, "I'll bring out a few more dresses, Mrs. Costello." Bianca blew out a raspberry, "Nope, he was the man you admired, you had a teen girl crush on him. My cousin, Niko is a handsome man, I have seen how girls throw themselves at him; you were just one of them that's why you jumped into marriage with him without even understanding what it was. You first married him because you wanted him but now it's different. Now you are marrying him because you love him, you need him because h
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ A huge cake was brought out, and Nikolai handed me a knife as I cut into it. His hand was glued to my back the whole night, he didn't let me out of his sight not even for a moment. I met with Alessandro after ages, I had met him once before in Sicily when Nikolai took me to the woods to shoot Grace. I stand corrected in my statement that Alessandro is still my favorite Costello of all—second to Bianca of course. "Happy Birthday, Mrs. Costello." I turned and saw Lorenzo with a gift in his hands. I pulled myself out of Nikolai's grip and jumped into his arms, "Thank you, Lorenzo!" "Here's your gift," he pushed it into me; he didn't hug me back as usual. "Thank you..." I took it and as I was about to hand it to a maid to put it with the mountain of gifts I had received tonight, Lorenzo stopped me. "Open it." I smiled, shaking my head, I pulled at the ribbon. I took off the lid of the box and saw red lipstick, "A lipstick?" "It's not just lipstick, it'
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ "Is Nikolai going to be there?" I asked Bianca as I ran my hand through my wet hair, blow-drying them. Today was my twenty-first birthday. Bianca being a party animal as always decided to throw another party for me. Sometimes I think she just needs a reason for partying, nothing else. I really didn't want another party after what went down last time. Also, Nikolai still hadn't wished me. Ugh! I don't know why I keep wanting him and pushing him away at the same time, my indecisiveness was getting on my own nerves. I really don't know what I wanted. One second I want him and the next second I remember what I went through because of him and that scenario ends up with me in a comatose. Bianca was laying on my bed, over her stomach applying nail polish over her fingernails as she blew on them, "I don't know..." I raised an eyebrow, her tone seemed way too carefree to talk about Nikolai, "What do you mean, you don't know? Aren't we going to his nightclub?" Sh
•Evangeline• ╌─═❁═─╌ "I know things hadn't been the same between us since I came back but I promise you, no more bullshit..." I said, looking at her with hopeful eyes. "I really missed you, E, and you came back as a completely different person, I couldn't even recognize you." I grabbed her hand. "Hey, no, come on, it's still me, B, I'm right here." "Then you went into a coma and I felt so guilty and I cried because I thought I'd never be able to talk to you again and I wished I could just turn back the clock and hug you one more time—" I cut her rambling off and placed an arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer. I rested my head against hers and sighed. We were sitting on our living room couch. Nikolai had been sending Bianca back every time she came to meet me but luckily it was me who found her today because Nikolai wasn't at home. A maid told me he never came home last night. After an hour or so, Bianca left. We had lunch together and hung out, she had gossip about almo