Talia
I watched as the VIP clients trouped in; it was late at night, and they weren't leaving. One of the senators came visiting, and he needed to be entertained. I watched from the bar as the girls walked over to serve the table. “Hey, you're needed on table six,” Amanda, one of my colleagues, said. I was confused that my assistance was needed because it looked like they had it under control. “Giovanni said I should stay at the bar,” I explained, hoping she wouldn't pressure me into leaving. “Well, Giovanni is not here, and one of the clients asked specifically for you.” She looked pissed that I was hesitant; she kept glaring at me like I was doing something wrong by sitting at the bar. I couldn't resist anymore, so I followed her to the table. “Look at the slut that finally decided to show up,” one of the senators said while the others laughed. “Come sit with Daddy and show me what you can do,” he grinned. I felt disgusted staring at him. He was very nasty and perverted. I wanted to puke staring at him, he gave me the chills. “Go on,” Amanda urged. She never liked me and always said I was favored by the Gallieni family because Lorenzo showed me some kind of sick, twisted attention. “I don't want to,” I whispered, feeling scared. I didn't want to get closer to this man; it felt like he could do whatever he wanted, and no one would dare question him. “Go on,” she pushed me, and the senator dragged me to his lap, whispering filthy words in my ear. “ I can't wait to feel you,” he smiled, kissing my cheeks. “Oh she looks so good on your lap,” his friend laughed. The senator ran his hand up and down my arm filling my spine with chills; slowly, his hands crept to my boob, grabbing them with so much force. I winced in pain, trying to get him off me, but he wouldn't move. I tried my best to move his hands off my body but he didn't budge. The whiff of his cologne greased my nose, and it smelled awful. It smelled like weed and alcohol. For some reason, my mind went to Lorenzo, the day at the car when I got a smell of his cologne, he smelt like perfection, and I'd do anything to smell it again. What the hell was wrong with me? I was thinking about a man who trapped me and gave me a job I didn't want without my permission. I was brought back from my thoughts when I felt his hands slowly move to my inner thighs, I got angry and slapped him forcefully. I was surprised at my outburst but I knew I wasn't going to spend another minute on his laps. “What the hell is wrong with this bitch” he yelled, grabbing my neck. I didn't think of the consequences of my action and now I was going to lose my life. He smacked my face hard, sending me to the ground. I felt my head spin and I saw blood dripping from my mouth. I looked up and saw a very angry senator; it felt like he wanted to kill me there and then. He lifted his legs and kicked me over and over again till I was almost passing out, he was about to kick me again when someone stopped him. Could that be him? Was Lorenzo here to save me again? For some weird reason, the thought of my captor saving me made me feel safe and warm. I tried to keep my eyes open, and I saw it was Giovanni; I guess he just got back from wherever he went. I felt disappointed that it wasn't Lorenzo. He helped me up and guided me to my room. I was placed in the bed and covered with a duvet but Giovanni wasn't leaving. “We need to talk,” he started, drawing a chair closer to the bed. We've never had serious conversations so this felt weird. “About…” “Well regarding what happened today…” he said, a coy smirk lingering on his lips. I didn't understand what he was saying but he kept staring at me like he expected me to understand what he was saying. “I don't want the Don to hear about this, it's not going to be good for both of us, and you know that,” he smiled and I didn't know why he was smiling, but I knew it was pissing me off. “How is that going to be bad for me? I didn't do anything wrong, I was assaulted by a client and he got away with it. He didn't even apologize for treating me like shit” I ranted. I felt angry and stressed because it felt like I was talking and he wasn't listening. “I know that! Okay, and I'm apologizing on his behalf, but you know you threw the first slap, and I'm not sure Don would like that.” Was that true? Did Lorenzo hold his clients with such esteem that he didn't care if a staff member was assaulted and defended herself? Why the hell did my life have to be this hard? I was taken without my consent and now I'll have to endure assault? “It's for our benefit, okay? We don't want to anger Don, to know what he can do if he gets pissed” he whispered, tracing his nasty finger over my cheek. I felt the coil in my stomach from his touch. "Am I understood?" he asked, grabbing my jaw with anger. “Yes sir” I winced from the pain I felt in my jaw. “Better,” he said and walked out of the room. I looked at the ceiling coiling up under the duvet, crying myself to sleep. The next morning, I woke up feeling sore and tired. I checked the time, and it was 8:00 clock. “Shit!” I was late and Giovanni hated tardiness. I got up and got dressed as fast as I could. When I stepped out, I saw everyone running towards the lounge. “Sorry, what's going on,” I asked one of my colleagues as I joined the crowd. “The Don is around, and he's doing a welfare check,” she explained. Shit! Why was he around today? I was told he doesn't come on Wednesdays. We all lined up where he sat while he typed away on the phone, not giving a damn that we were waiting. “Adrio” he called out. “Yes, Don?” “Get the limo ready,” he instructed; the man received his order and ran to do as he was told. “How has business been?” he asked Giovanni. It felt like Giovanni was as nervous as I was because he started stuttering. “Uh…uhm.. You know.. Good ..a..as always.” Lorenzo stood up, walking straight to his face. “You know I read lies and faces, right? So don't fucking lie to me” he said calmly yet menacing. “I don't lie, boss; everything has been good since you left.” He couldn't stare Lorenzo in the eyes because he knew he would get caught. I made sure to cover up all the bruises from yesterday's assault, so Lorenzo wouldn't notice a thing. “You know what happens to people who lie to me or betray me, so I'm not going to say too much.” he stepped closer to his face. “You've seen what's happens to them; it could be you next,” he added before walking over to me. “Get your bag. We're going somewhere,” he said, staring at me from up to down. I felt nervous; it felt like he could see my soul from one stare; it felt like he knew what I was thinking and planned to devour them. His aura was consuming. I rushed inside, grabbed my stuff, and followed him out of the club. Everyone stared at me with hatred and anger, it felt like daggers were being thrown at me. I went into the limo, and instantly, I was questioned by Lorenzo. “What the hell happened there? Why is Giovanni acting like a mouse that walked into a cat trap?” He studied for a while, trying to see if I'd break. “Nothing happened,” I said, trying to sound confident, but my voice still wavered a little bit. “Really? You know I don't like liars, right?” he said, a coy smile lingering on his lips. He came closer to me, breathing the same air as me. I felt his hot breath spread on my face like freckles and that made me wet. He smelt heavenly, his hands slowly going down my thighs. I wheezed from expectation. “Well, you tell me now,” his hands were deep in my panties. He kept his hands on my crutch, but he made no movement and left me wanting more. I hated that I felt this hot for a man who gave no damn about me. He placed his hands on my back where I was hurt. I felt a sharp pain, but I tried to hide it because I knew Lorenzo was a smart man who could figure it out in a minute. The pain became unbearable, and I couldn't help but yelp. “What happened to your back?” he said with a stern voice. “Nothing!” I said, trying to get his hands off my back, but he didn't let go. He put more pressure and I screamed. “Who did this to you?” he growled, staring like he was ready to kill someone. What have I done?LorenzoShe was mine, to touch and fuck so who dared touch her.I stared at her with so much anger; I couldn’t believe someone had the audacity to defile my order.Touching what was mine wasn't forgivable and the fact that she was keeping his name from me fueled my anger. “Why did you fucking lie to me?” I growled, ordering the driver to stop the car. “I… don’t know,” she mumbled, clearly avoiding my gaze, my eyes caught her biting my lips, and it took all the resolve i had let not to pull her right into my arms.She was so innocent. “If I find out you’re lying to protect someone, I’ll kill them right in front of you, so unless you want that to happen, you tell me who the fuck dared do this to you,” I commanded. She looked scared, almost as though if she said a thing, she’d be in danger. Who the hell was she afraid of? “I don’t want trouble,“ she begged, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. “Well, you get in trouble if you don’t tell me names.” Tired of her hesitation, I f
Lorenzo’s POV“Talia has been sulking all day. She has locked herself in the room and has refused to eat since morning. You have to go talk to her."I blinked, taking in the information. She had taken Maria’s confrontation a little bit too seriously, and her eyes were brimming with tears when she made her way to her room. “You could’ve been a lot nicer to her?” I said, sliding my hands into my pocket. “I admit I was wrong, sir. I promise it won’t happen again, but I assumed she was one of those cheapskates who love hanging around you for materialistic purposes.” Maria apologized. Only one person could’ve put her up to this: my sister, Marissa. As much as I deeply loved her, I abhorred having my personal space and decision nitpicked. I made a mental note to speak to her about her actions as soon as possible, but for now, I had other pressing issues to attend to. I was still pissed about the fact that she had tried to stop me from dealing with Damien at the club, and her punishment
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
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