Lorenzo’s POVI watched on with a smirk on my face as Talia pulled the sheets around herself, a horrific look on her face as she realized what had just happened. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Talia.” I couldn’t hold back my laughter. “What—what did you do to me?” She muttered, unable to get her words straight. “We had nearly had sex yet again,” I replied without missing a beat. “I said I wouldn’t, but you keep pushing me. I promised myself not to become your whore; I have my dignity to—““Spare me that load of bull crap now, will you?” I cut her short rudely. “Have you forgotten what you were before you became mine? You were a fucking escort, that’s what you were.” “I wasn’t sleeping around with different men!” She yelled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She was pretty stubborn; I’d give her that, and I felt a sense of pleasure wash over me as I knew I’d relish every moment I’d spend breaking her. “I’ve had escorts in the past, and at the end of the day, they w
Lorenzo's POV“Really?”Even though she was drunk, she could still think sanely.“Yes, Nadia,” I said, tugging at my tie as it came loose.I could feel Talia's eyes on me, and it made me smile. I was going to show her what she was missing out on.I turned my attention back to Nadia and cupped her ass as she straddled me. Low grunts and moans escaped our mouths as we both kissed passionately.I pulled away from her and looked up to meet Talia's burning eyes on me. It was time to put on a show for her, I had her attention now.I kissed Nadia hard and long before taking off her dress, leaving her in just a black-laced thong.Her hands moved over my body as she hurriedly undid the buttons on my shirt."I need you to make me scream now, Lorenzo…" she managed to let out some words."That's my girl." I smiled and shrugged off my shirt before reaching into my pockets to pull out a condom, ripping it open with his teeth.Nadia's focus was on me and she trailed her fingers down my perfectly chi
Lorenzo's POVI made my way toward my office when one of my guards walked up to me.“Is there a problem?” I snapped, feeling frustrated after everything I've had to endure after the failed meetings with potential investors earlier today.“We finally managed to capture him.” The guard said with a stern expression on his face.“About time!” I nodded, heaving a sigh of relief as I made my way down to the basement where the man would be held.I've been trying to capture him for the past few days but he'd proven to be elusive until now. I licked at my lips at the prospect of unleashing my fury on one of the most wanted men on my list.The lights turned on as I walked in through the door, there was a man in the middle of the room, mid-fifties at first guess, slightly overweight, tied to a chair. He looked pretty beaten up but it was only understandable as a result of the stress he'd put my men through. He was snoring lightly and I figured out that he was drunk.“Wake the hell up!” I slapped
Talia’s POVTrue to Don Lorenzo’s words, I was kept here in this room for such a long time that I couldn’t count how many days had passed since I last stepped out. I’d earlier thought he’d be willing to forgive me and maintain our somewhat cordial relationship but the past few days have shown that he was a cold-hearted man. My eyes brimmed with tears for the umpteenth time and I wiped them away. I was tired of crying because it wasn’t going to change anything—nothing would except I would be successful in my attempts to request an audience with Don Lorenzo. I heard the door unlock and I bolted out of bed immediately. It was the same guard I’d been seeing since I was locked up. He never said a word to me and his movements were robotic. He placed the tray on the table and turned to leave without sparing me a glance. “I’m sorry but have you told Don Lorenzo that I’d like to speak to him for a minute?” I asked in a pleading voice. The man simply stared at me before he walked out of th
Talia’s POVI was expected to put on a show, it was expected, and I had to live up to the hype. As soon as my alarm went off, I practically jumped out of the chair and headed straight for the bathroom to relieve myself. We were going to leave in a few minutes, and the first impression mattered a lot; Ludovic had instilled that in me from my time working under him. Within the next minute, I went downstairs to find Lorenzo outside the front door, waiting for me. The engine was already running, and everything had been prepared for our departure. “You’re all so eager to leave,” I said under my breath as I approached the front door. “Punctuality is the key word here,” Lorenzo replied, motioning to the guards standing around to start moving. We’ll be having lunch at their mansion while we discuss our terms and reasons for coming to their home. I’ll hand you a file on our way out.” I nodded and entered the limousine, with Lorenzo following suit. Within a minute, we were pulling out of
Talia’s POVLorenzo had masterfully gotten out of Marissa’s clutches when she attempted to bombard him with questions about what kind of relationship we had together and I’d been left to face it all. "Talia!" I suddenly heard my name in an echo and I was slowly pulled out of my reverie."Talia" I looked up to see Marissa towering over me, her concerned eyes scanning all over my face. ''Good evening, Marissa. When did you get here?" I asked in a low mutter."What do you mean when did I get here? I've been here since last night!" Marissa said, her face pulling into a frown.Shit. I’d forgotten that after we spent the whole night talking about everything and nothing in particular over a few bottles of red wine, she decided to pass the night in her designated bedroom here at the mansion instead of going home. "Oh, yeah, you're right. You’ve been here since last night, I'm sorry, I was …..lost in thoughts." I responded, pushing off the seat and going to my bed where I pulled the covers
Talia’s POV“If that’s the case, I hope you can see what I see you in as well. You can do better than Carter. I know it.”I said like I was some kind of relationship expert. For what it was worth, I’d always been like that, never one to shy away from speaking my mind and calling it as it is. Having conversations with me was never always soothing and I found myself talking and Marissa was opening up to me more, it felt surreal. “She’s a real bitch.” Marissa agreed with me. "I know you loved him and you thought your love was enough for him, for the both of you but it’s time to move on now. Don’t you think so?” I said, hoping she’d listen to me this time. "I know you’re right and I need to move on. And with that said, this is why we need to go out tonight! To free our minds from men and their problems. He doesn't deserve my tears and I need to show him that." She said with a big smile spreading on her face as she turned to look at me. "I don't think I wanna do that, I mean….. I cou
Talia’s POVWe entered the club using our VIP access card and it was already filled with people on a Thursday night, I couldn’t believe her eyes. Do people have nothing else to do with their lives other than party it away all day long?It was one of those things I could never wrap my head around. I’d never been in a club as big as this on a weekday and it was probably one of the rich people's acts that I’d never understand until I spent considerable time around them but I wasn’t sure this was going to be my lifestyle or if Lorenzo would ever permit it. Dim lights and loud music filled the atmosphere and I could feel people's lingering stares at me, Marissa and Jasmine making me feel awkward even though I didn’t know if they were good or bad. All that I knew was that their eyes were on us and it was making me feel uncomfortable. I glanced at Lorenzo but he didn’t seem fazed about the attention. He’d been getting them since he was a child. He signaled to Matteo and after whispering a
Lorenzo's POVI sat in my truck, contemplating on getting out. I hadn't set foot in the cemetery since the mass burial over a week ago. It had been a spectacular burial and they truly deserved it. Each of every one of them lying in their graves had fought and risked their life for the mafia and I was eternally grateful to them for their service.As the leader of the mafia, I had declared a one-day mourning and had vowed to find the perpetrators. John couldn't have done all of these by himself, he had to have an ally or allies, more powerful than the ones I knew about already.I'd spent the whole week sitting next to Marissa who was still in a coma. It hadn't been easy but we had managed to bring her home where she had the best doctors at her disposal and on my behalf, Matteo had set about taking out John's soldiers and he was brutal at it.I told myself that I would be back when I felt ready, and here I was ready to carry out on my promise. I sucked in a deep breath before opening the
Talia’s POV The words were too heavy for my mouth to spill and I could only watch in tears as Lorenzo walked out of the prison room, leaving me alone with the darkness and the other prisoners for company. The place was silent except for the occasional screaming I could hear. There was this feeling of despair and resignation that hung in the air and I was starting to feel it in my bones too. The cell I was in smelled of puke, rotten flesh, and blood. I’d always dreamt of being free to make choices and decisions that would benefit my life without any interference from anyone and that had always been my dream but it was a thing of the past now. I had doubts that I would come out of here alive. And in that moment, I heard someone break into tears and I finally accepted my fate that I was never walking out of here. This was my fate until Lorenzo decided to have mercy on me and put a bullet between my eyes and if it did come down to that, I’d gladly pick a quick death over suffering in
Lorenzo’s POV I had always been a meticulous and well-prepared man. I always took precautionary measures to make sure nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. That was the main rule of the street to stay alive, you had to always be on guard at all times. But this news had been unexpected, and when it had happened, I was filled with dread of what I had indirectly just done. I thought the worst part was behind me but I was wrong—so wrong. It didn’t help that Marissa was nearly as stubborn as I was and if she had listened to me or Matteo, there was every chance that she wouldn’t be in a coma right now but she and Matteo were like oil and water, both dominant people who would do anything to be in control.And despite Matteo’s pleading, Marissa had blatantly refused to head back to the mansion and she put herself at risk. The act of blaming a victim was something I swore never to do and here I was, breaking my promises but I was trying to stay in control of my emotions and not lose
Talia’s POV True to Lorenzo’s words, I had gone from his escort to a suspect as I was bundled into the back of a van with a handful of his guards who placed handcuffs on me. I felt the car I was in move and while I couldn’t see anything, my best guess was we were heading back to the mansion and I dreaded what was waiting for me back there. I didn’t see Marissa here with them and I didn’t know how to face her after everything that had transpired. She had been one of the few genuine friends that I ever had and I felt bad for how this whole thing had turned out. If I could go back in time to make my decision to betray Lorenzo, I know what I’d pick over and over. I didn’t know how long I was out for but a guard violently shook my arm forcing me awake. I rubbed my eyes open and realized that the car had stopped moving and that meant only one thing. “You need to come down now,” The guard spoke harshly and I quickly did as he instructed. I made my way out of the car and into the fami
Talia’s POV I spotted Lorenzo from where I was hiding behind one of the couches in the large room. There were a series of screams coming from every corner but I didn’t care about any of them now, not when Lorenzo was in the room, holding a gun. I held my breath and shut my eyes as tightly as I could as I saw Lorenzo making his way over to where I was. He tapped me with the cold steel of the Glock in his hand.“Where the hell is John?” His voice was harsh and I instinctively winced. “I—I don’t know. He left me here and went somewhere with his guards.” I forced myself to speak. “Did you see which way he went?” Lorenzo asked again. “No,” I answered without skipping a beat. “If you dare lie to me, Talia…” Lorenzo warned. “I have no idea, Lorenzo. I swear on my life. He asked me to wait and he left before I could even know what was happening.” The gunshots were getting closer to the main house and I could faintly hear the sound of sirens in the distance. “Is there something you k
Talia’s POV John’s guards reacted quickly and one of them stopped the bullet with his chest, dropping dead instantly while the rest scrambled away, protecting John while returning fire on us. “John got lucky but we can’t turn our back now.” I said to Marissa and Matteo who were hiding behind a large statue. Talia had managed to be dragged away by John but I was going to get her back, I was certain of it. Retrieving it from my pocket, I shielded my eyes from the bright sun reflecting on the phone as it stopped ringing before I could click on the receiver. The notification light on my phone blinked softly notifying me of a text message received minutes earlier. We’re here and we’re proceeding with your instructions. Do we have the go ahead to continue?I nodded as I read the text before giving him the go ahead. It was from an unknown number but I didn't need to guess who sent it. It was a typical message, long enough to relay the message. My uncle was the most punctilious person
Talia’s POV “This is another one of your pranks, isn’t it?” Lorenzo laughed. “You kidnapped Talia and you’re trying to use her as a way to get through to me, isn’t it?” “The only person who’s being played here is you, Lorenzo, and you haven’t realized it yet.” John shook his head. “Take a moment and think about everything so you can finally know the truth and learn that I’ve been three steps ahead of you the whole fucking way.”I was tired of hiding in the shadows and I knew it was time to go in. I’d managed to bargain with John and he said he’d set me free if I backed him up on this and if I failed to do so, I would be heading back to the dungeons when this was all over.The dining room fell silent as soon as I walked in through the doors. I had wanted to come in as quietly as I could but given that they were all facing the door I was walking out from, it was pointless. I could hear them arguing tersely as I made my way toward the dining room, the discussion was getting harsher an
Lorenzo’s POV “You have this all wrong, John. I have to admit.” I began. “Of all the things you could come up with, you had to use Talia to bring me here?” “I thought you three would understand why I did what I did,” John looked at me intently before holding Matteo’s and Marissa’s gaze as well. “When you claimed Talia to be your slave, she had nothing. She was a poor escort and on the receiving end of many of your friends’ sexual desires but you chose her. Why did you do it back then?” He finished, clearly taunting me with his words.“It’s starting to seem like you never moved on after I took your girlfriend from you. Is that what this is about?”9“If I’m being honest, I thought you three would never bother to ever show up. If it wasn’t for me, she’d be working a worse job right now or worse, dead.”“You think getting her to marry you would serve as your compensation for saving her life?” I scoffed. “Haven’t you heard our words, John?”“You always come back for one of its own.” I sm
Lorenzo’s POVI was used to being placed in tight spots. The kind that gets you killed faster than you can blink. My mind had been going over different new scenarios in my head on how this would end and none of the options assured me. During one summer many years ago spent in the middle of the forest with my uncle was when I understood the power of leverage and patience, it was there, and then I had it all figured out. My plan for coming here was a calmer and safer one, one that needed patience to execute and that was a virtue Matteo solely lacked which was why I would be our spokesperson.There are times when you have to listen to your instincts and times when you have to do what needs to be done no matter what.I made a small fortune competing at arm wrestling events when I was in high school. I often skipped classes to visit the local pub a couple of streets away, there wasn’t anything new I hadn’t read beforehand anyways. During my visits there, I had never lost any match, it didn