ALESSANDRO I had to admire my wife’s resourcefulness. I couldn’t remember the last time someone slipped through my fingers and got this far. Oh wait, yes, I could. It was my wife then too! The last time she disappeared, her family smuggled her out of the country without a trace. She vanished right out from under my nose.I had to get my connection in the police to get me off the island and have them follow her discreetly from the moment she stepped foot off that ferry. One thing Lorena didn’t know was that I had connections to pretty much all the authorities in Italy. I watched her with passport in hand and a carry-on bag, her son in her arms. Her friend had a carry-on bag too. I was curious to know where they kept their stuff since they never went back to their house. I couldn’t help but be a little impressed. My wife was prepared in the event I ever found her. She had come a long way from being my naive, trusting wife.However, I wouldn’t repeat the mistake and let her slip th
ALESSANDRO “No.”“Why?”“Because I need something from you first.” I need to fuck you out of my system and bring down your entire family. I kept those words wisely to myself. “And in order to get an annulment, your physical presence is needed in the U.S.”Fuck, I hoped that was true. I was making shit up as I went. Her eyebrows scrunched as she processed my words.“All our possessions are here,” she muttered. “All my son’s toys. Everything.” We locked gazes. “You could leave us so we can at least pack properly.”God, she really thought I was an idiot. She’d disappear, and it would take me another three years to find her. If I was lucky.“No. I already have one of my local men packing up your stuff. It should be right behind us.”She let out an exasperated sigh.“I’ll give you whatever you want.” My cock stirred to life at her offer to give me whatever I wanted. If she only knew! “I’ll sign any paperwork, tell you anything. Please, Ales. Leave us here.”“You are starting to piss me o
LORENAAlthough I felt Alessandro’s eyes on me, I worked hard to ignore him. Even when he wasn’t looking at us, I knew he kept watch. He said he needed something from me. I wondered what it was. One thing I knew for sure. I was sick and tired of being a pawn in everyone’s struggle for power. By pulling Ella, Matteo, and I back into his world, he put our lives in danger. It made me hate him even more.“Do you think it was my email with a photo that gave us away?” Ella murmured under her breath.I wondered how he found us too. We were so careful. Just a few days ago, I thought about him and here he was. Maybe it was my warning, and I ignored it. Didn’t I feel like someone was watching me the other day at the market? Now I knew for sure someone did. I should have packed us up and made us move that day. Instead, I ignored my instinct.God, I hope we get out of this alive.Finally, I shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t want Ella beating herself up about this.“I don’t think so. It doesn’t
ALESSANDRO I watched Matteo devour the chocolate and held back my grin. Lorena’s attention was on her phone, and I could see the reflection of it in the car window. She was downloading a translation app. It bothered her that I could understand her son and she couldn’t. The frustration was written all over her face. She was so focused on app, she missed Matteo glancing his mother’s way before he devoured the second chocolate bar. It wasn’t pure chocolate anyhow. It was more cookie crumbs wrapped in chocolate.His eyes traveled my way and realizing he had been caught, regret entered his eyes. I winked at him, trying to assure him his secret was safe. A smile spread over his face, and suddenly jealousy hit me. Matteo didn’t look like his mother, but he had her smile. It lit up his whole face.Something in my chest shifted, cracking the hard ice my heart had become. I decidedly shut it down. It was nothing; I certainly wasn’t turning soft for a boy that wasn’t mine. He was just a ki
ALESSANDRO No, I didn’t believe she was forced at all.We approached my property, and I sensed that Lorena was tense. In fact, she was so tense, I feared she’d snap in half. The moment the car came to a halt, my Zia was at the entrance, eagerness and restlessness all over him.I exited the car and extended my hand to help my wife who held onto her son for dear life. She ignored my hand and exited.“Lorena, welcome.” It was hard to miss the happiness in my aunt’s voice. She gave me a nod, his face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Mia cara.”I watched my wife in shock and disbelief. Her eyes glimmered and her lower lip trembled, as if she would burst into tears at any moment. She would have been perfectly happy to kill me and not look back, but emotions reflected in her eyes as she looked at my aunt.“Hello, Mrs Moravia.” Her voice shook as she greeted him.“No, no.” I stared at my aunt who beamed excitedly and suddenly shed five years off his features. “No Zia si?”She gave my aunt he
ALESSANDRO I would have to get in contact with Ghost soon and schedule the next three dates I would require services. That actually improved my mood slightly. For some reason, I liked corresponding with Ghost. I found the humor that shone through those short messages entertained me.The next morning when I woke up, I felt at peace for the first time in over three years. I checked my phone to see if Lorena or Ella had reached out to anyone. Nothing, not a single email or text went out. I logged into the security system and accessed the cameras in her son’s room. By the time I was done with meetings and handling all the business I had missed over the last few days, Lorena had already gone to bed, along with her son.The room I designated for Matteo came up on my phone screen, and I found Lorena’s sleeping form. Her brown colored hair spread across the pillow, making her skin appear even paler than it really was. I fucking hated that hair color. She still looked beautiful, but someth
ALESSANDRO She brought milk over to him.“Here you go, little guy.” She placed the sippy cup in front of him. It would seem it didn’t take her long to buy all the stuff a kid needs.“Grazie.” I had to give it to Lorena, the boy had manners.“Maria, thank you for getting all the stuff we need for Matteo.”“No problem. It is nice having little ones in the house again.”I flinched. Maria has been with us since my cousin and I were children. Glancing at my aunt, I didn’t see the usual soul shattering sorrow on her face. Instead, there was hope in her wrinkles.“Yes, she will stay, Aunt,” I answered my aunt’s earlier question in Italian. I didn’t know how I would keep Lorena with us, but I’d find a way. If I had to chain her to this house, I’d ensure she remained in this household for as long as my aunt lived. And if I had to get rid of Matteo’s father... Fuck it, I would. Everybody had a price.The next few minutes we all sat in silence. Matteo drank his milk, his eyes slightly droopy
ALESSANDRO “And where are you going to go?” I taunted her. “Back to the Calvino empire.”Angry red blotches marked the skin on her chest and her breathing slightly labored. I pissed her off. Good.“Alessandro.” I didn’t miss the warning in my aunt’s voice, but I never wavered my eyes from my wife. Her whole posture tensed, her gaze burning with hate.Ignoring my aunt, I continued. “Don’t even contemplate calling them. This time, I’ll know before you betray me.”“Fuck. You.” Sitting rigidly, her spine stiff, the look my wife gave me was a clear indication of how much she despised me. I remembered back to our early days of marriage. We fought back then too, but we only did it when alone, without witnesses. Even when I taunted her, she always refused to bait around my aunt worried she’d get upset. Clearly, she no longer had those qualms.Ella walked in at that moment, breaking up the glaring contest my wife and I had going on.“Morning,” Ella murmured and handed my wife her phone. A l
ALESSANDRO “Play the footage.” The fury was Arctic cold in my veins.3 years ago“Oh my God, Lorena. Are you-” Vomiting sounds came through, followed by throwing up. Confusion hit me. Was she sick? “Are you pregnant?”“I’m done, Ella.” Lorena’s voice shook. I was the worst bastard. There was my confirmation that Matteo was mine. No wonder she hated my guts. She should. I wouldn’t blame her if she killed me; I would let her, too. “I’m done being everyone’s pawn. I’m leaving tonight.”“But your Father-”“Will have me killed, one way or the other. He already controls my inheritance. And that’s not enough for him. He’s going to sell us. We have to run.”“Does Alessandro know about the pregnancy?”A bitter laugh came through the air. “I was going to tell him at dinner.”“You could call him.”“I never want to see him again. As far as I’m concerned, they can all kill each other. I’m leaving and never looking back.”“Are you sure?”“Absolutely.”“Your uncle and the Santos family will hunt u
ALESSANDRO “On our way to an annulment. You know the definition of annulment? Marriage never happened. So please, for the love of God, stop saying you are my husband.”She turned her back to leave when I grabbed her forearm, getting into her face. “You can’t go out looking like that!” I growled low.“You just said I looked stunning. What is your problem, Ales?” she hissed. “Just because you dragged me back to get what you wanted, it doesn’t mean my life stops. I have things to take care of. So please don’t make this more difficult.”“What things?” The moment I asked, I could see on her face she regretted her words.“Let go of me, Alessandro.” She tugged on her arm, trying to get the grip loosened. Her skin flushed and there was a hint of panic in her eyes.“Where?”“Where what?”“Where are you going?”“None of your business.”“One of my drivers will take you.”“No.”“Yes.”“No.”“Yes, end of discussion. Otherwise, you are going nowhere.” I have had enough of her rebellion. “I won
ALESSANDRO “ Her grandparents asked my family if they would take care of his granddaughter in the event anything happened to him and his wife.my Zio(uncle)agreed. Two days later they were both dead. She said she fought Calvino for guardianship of Lorena, but failed. Since then, she kept an eye on her whenever she could.”“Did they die before or after your uncle?”“Her folks died a few months before.”“Is there a connection?”“If there is one, my aunt didn’t bring it up.” Although, I had to admit it, there seemed to be a lot of connections between Lorena’s family and mine. Even without taking our marriage into account. “I think you are right,” Enzo agreed. “Lorena’s value to Calvino was big enough for him to kill and go after the Moravia family if your aunt tried to get Lorena under her protection. Just think, she was the promised damsel, worth millions from her mother’s side and combine that with her pedigree and beauty…”He didn’t have to finish. My wife suffered under her famil
ALESSANDRO Obviously, Lorena had men too. She had no issues taking it all the way. After all, she got knocked up. Jealousy burned through my veins that she’d care about another man so much to have his child. When we got married, she insisted on not having children. It would seem she just didn’t want them with me.Who was the father? I already had Massimo digging for a name. The girls’ passports and Matteo’s were all fake, high quality fake passports.Could we somehow overcome the fact that I tried to fuck a number of faceless, nameless women trying to get over her? Could I get over the fact she had another man’s baby?These were some large obstacles. Not to mention the trust issues we both had.“Did you get the name of the kid’s father yet?” Lorena’s question pulled me out of my thousand questions.“What makes you think I’m looking for the name?”He laughed. “I know you, Alessandro. You are digging for that shit like your life depends on it.”I took a deep breath. There was no sens
ALESSANDRO “How is it going with your wife?” Enzo questioned me. After getting his shipment back yesterday and our dinner, we all went our own ways. We had legitimate businesses to run, and not so legitimate ones. More importantly, I wanted to work on my marriage to Lorena as well as getting a security detail to keep her protected from Santos Snr and Santos jnr and her family.My eyes have been locked on the view outside my window where Lorena played with Matteo and Ella in the pool. She didn’t know I was back home. Her carefree laugh carried through the open window, and I watched her hold Matteo by his waist, teaching him to swim.My aunt, Matteo and Lorena spent yesterday afternoon at the beach. When they got back, they both decided it was time for Matteo to learn how to swim. Hence today, Lorena, Ella, and my Zia dedicated all their day to swimming lessons.“You are doing it,” her happy voice carried through the breeze, amidst the water splashing. “Good job, baby.”“Sì, Matteo.
LORENA Both his hands pushed under my ass and he lifted my hips, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of my ass as he fucked me with his tongue. It was as if he needed me on his tongue, something reverent in the way he was devouring me.“Oh. My. God.” I moaned, digging my hands into his thick, dark hair, his name slipping from my lips as his tongue swirled over my clit before sucking. “Alessandro ,” I breathed. “More. Oh, God. Please.”His deep noises as he devoured me drove me crazy with lust. I peeled my eyes open and met his smoldering gaze, burning me with his own heat. He watched me as he lapped me steadily, fingering me faster and harder, until I was wanton putty under his touch.In and out. In and out. Loud moans echoed through the silence of the night, as I rocked my hips against his face shamelessly. His one hand reached up and pinched my swollen clit, then immediately brushed his tongue over it.“Fuck.” Pleasure rippled through me, my core shaking as my husband conti
LORENA He had on jeans and an unbuttoned white shirt. He must have pulled them on when he went searching for me. Or maybe he had some business to take care of. It didn’t matter.Pushing his shirt off of his shoulders, I let it fall soundlessly onto the floor and his magnificent chest on full display. I pressed a kiss to his lips and closed my eyes, savoring the taste of him, committing it to memory. His heart jackhammered under my touch, matching my own pulse.Nobody before him ever compared. And there would be nobody after him - ever. I trailed my lips over his tanned olive skin, down his neck. My hands reached for his belt, my fingers fumbling with it and his jean buttons, eager to get rid of his clothes. Soon his pants followed the pile of clothes discarded on the floor. I continued the trail down his chiseled abs.He might have been forty, much older than me, but nobody could deny Alessandro had a body of a god. I nudged him backwards. With each step he took, I took a step f
LORENA Giving Ella a side glance, I nodded. We’d be ready to run tomorrow night, after we killed my mother and father. She lifted herself onto her feet, and I followed her suit. Zia was too old to try and sit down at the edge of the pool.“Goodnight, Zia,” she muttered and leaned over to place a kiss onto her wrinkled cheek. It was her goodbye. She left both of us behind as she went into the house.“We both have jet lag,” I answered her earlier question. “We couldn’t sleep.” My lies were bitter. “Matteo had a good time at the beach.”It was my attempt to change the course of our discussion.“He is a good boy,” I murmured, smiling. Talking about him always made him smile.At least Zia loved him. Even not knowing Matteo was Moravia , both Alessandro and Zia were good to him. Once they got their confirmation, I knew without a doubt Matteo would be loved and protected. Zia loved him already.“Zia, can you promise me something?”“What’s that, daughter?”My throat was squeezing, making i
LORENA I headed downstairs, to the pool area where I told Ella to meet me. The moment I stepped outside, the cool September air hit my flushed face. For a moment, I halted my step, closed my eyes, and listened to the stillness of the night while the air cooled my hot skin. If only I could freeze time and leave us in this cocoon. It might not be a realistic cocoon, but it was better than the reality.I opened my eyes and noted Ella already seated by the pool, waiting for me, her small frame sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet dangling off of it.“Hey,” I greeted her and sat down next to her, mirroring her position.Throwing me a side glance, she gave me a small smile. “You look like you tumbled through bedsheets with a certain husband of yours.” Her shoulder nudged me lightly, her tone teasing.I rolled my eyes. “Didn’t you tell me to take advantage of the fact that I was under the same roof as him?”A soft chuckle escaped her. “I sure did, although I didn’t think you’d ta