The Dinner III

Did he kiss her or did she pull him in? Neither was sure as they met in the middle.

Like fire to ice, Adonis and Cara clashed against one another.

He sucked in her bottom lips, giving it a painful nip, and earning himself a soft gasp. Taking his chance, Adonis forced his tongue into her mouth. He explored every corner of it, drinking her in like a man that has been starved of water for days.

Suddenly Cara felt herself being pulled up. For a moment she was sitting; the next, she was roughly pressed against the wall with her neck in a choked hold.

She pushed at him.

Closer or away? She wasn't sure.

Adonis gripped her tighter, his nails digging into the flesh at her neck, and Cara released a choked sound at the overwhelming feeling.

She tapped on his arm as she struggled free, but he didn't let up. His chest was pressed firmly against hers. It took a great difficulty to pull her hands up and she pushed at him once again, but it was futile.

He didn't move an inch.

Adonis bit down hard on her lower lip, and Cara released a painful moan which he swallowed immediately as he plunged his tongue back into her mouth.

She began to struggle for air.

This wasn't a kiss. This was punishment.

An idea occured to her and she slid her hand down his chest slowly until she reached her destination. She gave the small budge a hard squeeze and he let out a loud, startled groan.

She immediately pulled out of his hold.

Panting heavily, they both stared at each other. Their gazes a mixture of anger, spite, hate, and lust.

"Who exactly are you?" Cara whispered, her hand going to her bruised lips, but as always, the only reply she got was silence.

Then he turned and pulled the door open.

"I might've chosen you, but I do not take disrespect from anyone. If you're going to be living in my home for a year, you should learn to speak only when you're spoken to. If you still want to go ahead with the contract, I'll be in the living room."

He grumbled and exited the room.

****

"Y'all done or what?" Luca teased as soon as Adonis stepped into the living room.

Adonis walked over to the sofa adjacent to the one he was sitting on and dumped himself on it, a deep frown etched on his face.

"Adonis, what is going on?" Luca asked; all traces of his playful nature were gone. "Who is she? Why did you pick her? I know I don't have a say in your choices, but she looks like she's half our age. Tell me, she's what? Nineteen?"

Adonis grumbled

"Twenty-two."

"Twenty-two? That's a twelve-year difference, Adonis. Not to talk about how you almost lost it with her. What is going on with you? The coronation is just a few days away, and you're having anger management issues?"

"I wasn't going to hit her. You know me better than that, Luca." Adonis defended annoyed.

"Obviously, but you don't want her to live in fear of you. I thought she was going to be your wife. I'm sure she's traumatised by your action." Luca chided

"She isn't."

"What?"

Adonis groaned in discomfort, leaning back against the sofa.

"She isn't scared of me. I don't know why, but it makes me uncomfortable."

Luca let out a dry laugh.

"How is that possible? She's what? Five feet, and yet she's not scared of you. You who looks like a hulk and she a tiny fly?"

Adonis gave him a side glance.

"Not funny. That was exactly one of the reasons I picked her. She kissed me first when we met, and I thought better someone who could hold their ground with me than a whimpy bimbo. But I'm not sure anymore."

Luca frowned at his friend. Adonis was conceited, proud, and chauvinistic, but he was usually in check of his emotions and had a lip as tight as two papers glued together. Today, he questioned if he was the same person.

The petty banter with Cara wasn't something he'd do on a normal day. Adonis would've preferred to have her thrown out rather than withstand a bruised ego.

There was something he wasn't telling him. Luca concluded.

"Why aren't you sure?"

Closing his eyes, Adonis sighed.

There were a lot of reasons. For one, he had come to notice that he usually lost control over his emotions whenever she was around. Two, he wasn't sure dragging her into a lifestyle like his was the best. Three, her boldness was cute at first and satisfying, but now it only irked him. He couldn't place his finger on it, but he felt like she had gotten bolder since they parted ways in the morning.

Growing up, Adonis was taught that he was above everyone else. He was being trained to be their leader, so he never had anyone challenge him or disrespect him.

But just in one day, she had done it more than once.

He gave Luca a shrug in reply as his frown became deeper. He felt a small throbbing in his head and hoped it'd die down soon.

"So that's all to it?"

"What else do you want me to say?"

"I know you, Adonis. You don't do anything without personal gain."

Adonis chuckled darkly.

It was really going to be hard to convince everyone else if it was this hard to convince Luca.

"That's true. She's going to be my wife, and I get to be Capo-

"But there's more to it, right? Come on, Adonis, I know you better than that!" Luca pressed further.

Adonis's lips remained shut as he tried to think of a good reply. Luca was right. There was more to this! He'd had his men follow Cara home from the hotel, and they could've protected her and her father if he hadn't told them not to.

But stating his plans before he was even sure of them himself was not how he rolled. Adonis liked to be thoroughly prepared.

Moreover, there was a lot at stake, and knowing Luca, he'd be against it. Adonis knew it wasn't the right time to execute his plans, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He didn't know when fate would be so kind enough to give him a chance to destroy the Grecos once and for all, again.

For years, the Grecos had been the greatest rival of the Bernardis. How both families became rivals still surprises everyone to date, as they were once united.

The Grecos and Bernardis used to be one until one of the men decided they needed to expand their territory and increase their wealth by selling drugs through unauthorised channels and to the underaged.

Adonis's grandfather, Dimitri, was strictly against it, but blinded by greed, the man went ahead with his plans, secretly convincing and recruiting some of the men with the same vision as him.

By the time their activities were brought to light, a great number of the men had joined hands with him, causing a huge rift in the family.

Left to Adonis, a bullet in the head should be enough to end it all, but this was his grandfather's childhood friend, Logan Greco, and his grandfather didn't have it in him to do so.

Believing it to be just a difference in vision for the family, Logan and his men were banished from the family, but there's a saying about greed.

It is never sated.

Years later, Logan staged an attack on the Bernardis, one that almost destroyed them. This time around he wanted the family as he claimed Adonis's grandfather was a weak ruler. The attack cost the lives of Logan himself and Dimitri's legs.

It's a day Adonis would never forget. A day he'd longed to reciprocate despite the useless treaty they signed to put a stop to the unnecessary attacks.

Adonis wasn't stupid to think it'd stop the attacks permanently; maybe it was enough to stop them from attacking directly, but not permanently.

The Grecos were slimy slimes, and he had since then been looking for ways to put an end to them finally.

Here it was; the time had finally come.

He exhaled deeply, considering his next words before he spoke them out loud.

"I'm going to war with the Grecos."