A man was tied to the ceiling in the middle of the room. Thick chains wrapped around his hands, suspending his body in the air. His white shirt lay tattered around his body, stained with blood. His face was hidden behind a curtain of dark hair, and his entire body looked thoroughly battered. The room was decorated plainly. White washed walls, a single bulb lighting the room, two couches. On one side of the wall, an array of weapons had been arranged. Torture weapons ranging from a spiky iron plaque to a set of thumb screws meant for crushing fingers and toes. More torture devices were arranged on a table beside the wall, and a long whip with multiple lashes hung on a stick. Isabella forced her feet further into the room, her face a mask of shock. She didn't understand what was happening. When Antonio stopped, she stopped beside him. "Has he spoken?" He asked Pedro. "No." Pedro shook his head. "He refuses to speak a word.""I don't think you've done a good job then." Antonio mutt
"Are you okay?" Antonio asked again. He gently pushed her hair aside so he could see her face properly. The pain in Isabella's head lessened and she nodded. "I'm fine." She murmured. "I just got dazed for a moment." But she wasn't fine. The flashbacks left her feeling light headed and confused. She looked up at Antonio, wondering if he was connected to her dream in anyway. Oblivious of the thoughts going through her mind, Antonio rubbed her knee and straightened. "We will leave soon." He said, then turned back to Pedro. "Russo is testing me." He growled. "I have tried to ignore him, but it seems he's eager to see what I can do." "What are you going to do about him?" Pedro asked. Antonio didn't answer. He glared at Marco's dead body, and a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Send the body back to him." He said. "I'm through here." Gesturing to Isabella to follow him, he stepped out of the room and headed back to the living room. Beside him, Isabella was strangely quiet. H
"Amarone?" Isabella repeated, trying to keep her eyes open. The pop music pounding from the speakers made her head spin and her eyes swirl. Even the chattering voices faded and the people around her turned blurry. "Yes. Amarone." Antonio nodded. "One of Italy's finest red wine."Isabella shrugged and tossed her hair behind her shoulder. "I can take it." She said. "Just red wine, right? It's not a big deal."It was in fact a big deal. Amarone was one of the finest Italian wines, known for its rich, sweet flavours, with a high percentage of alcohol. Isabella had no idea what she was getting into, but Antonio knew it. He stared at her, amused by her slightly slurred speech. "I think you're tipsy already, Isabella." He said, mischief gleaming in his eyes. "You've had just two glasses and you can hardly keep your eyes open.""I'm not tipsy." Isabella retorted. "I'm just... having fun."Antonio's lips twitched with restrained laughter. She was definitely tipsy. "I'll make you a bet then
It had been more than a few minutes since Mario took Isabella to the restroom, yet they hadn't returned. Antonio got up and was about to storm towards the restroom himself when a gruff voice called out his name. "Don Antonio de Marino." Antonio's face hardened when he heard the voice, and he scowled. What did that bastard want? He turned around and spotted his former rival, Luca Moretti, the Don of Viper Strike Underground. Luca was once the notorious mafia boss, but after a bloody feud broke out between viper strike underground and la vendetta oscura, he was overthrown. He was no match for Antonio, and since then, the two had remained rivals. Luca was dressed in a pristine white tux, his big stomach protruding out. "Don Luca Moretti." He muttered the name like it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Fancy meeting you here." "Surprised to see me?" Luca asked, grinning wildly. He stopped before Antonio and stretched out his hand for a handshake. However, Antonio ignored him
"Will you please kiss me?"Those words, spoken in a soft whisper, threatened to unleash the monster within Antonio. He held her face gently, his fingers firm, his eyes burning with passion. His jaw clenched, a sign of his restraint. He was silent for a moment, and only the soft hum of the limo could be heard. "Careful what you ask for." He murmured finally, his voice raw and thick with lust. "I won't hold back just because you're drunk.""But I don't want you to hold back." Isabella said. She raised her head and stared at him, placing her hands on his chest to keep her balance. "Do you know what you're asking me to do?" Antonio asked. "I'm asking you to kiss me." She repeated. "Would you ask me to do that if you weren't drunk?""Perhaps not. But maybe this is the real me. Maybe whatever I do now is what I actually want to do, something I wouldn't do if I was clear headed."Antonio's hand gripped her tightly. His other hand lifted and curled around her hair in a tight fist. "I'm
A raging headache roused Isabella from sleep the next day. She winced, slowly opening her eyes. There was a sour taste in her mouth, and her eyes throbbed badly. Luckily, the windows were drawn, keeping the harsh sunlight away. She opened her eyes wider and looked round the room. Antonio was nowhere in sight. Sitting up, she leaned against the pillows and looked down at her body. She was wearing a black, lacy night dress which stopped at the middle of her thighs. The dress she wore the previous day was gone, and so were her bra and panties. The last thing she remembered was telling Antonio to take her home. The rest of whatever happened was a blur, and when she tried to remember, her head ached badly. Moaning from the pain, she pushed the covers away and got off the bed. It was past noon, which meant she had slept through the entire morning. Where was Antonio? Brushing her hands through her hair, she stepped into the bathroom. Her mouth tasted bland, mainly from the wine
Antonio met Mario halfway down the stairs and stopped. "What's the situation?" He asked. "Don Russo's men." Mario reported, his voice slightly laced with panic. "He must have seen Marco's dead body and now wants retaliation. Philip and Dario are dead, and Montero is badly injured.""The fucking bastard!" Antonio cursed just as a bullet slammed into one of the windows, sending glass shards everywhere. A painful yell sounded from outside, followed by more gunshots. Antonio's face twisted into a furious scowl and he hurried down the last of the stairs. Suddenly a man in a dark suit burst out from the corner, trying to startle him. But Antonio already felt his presence. He lifted the gun and shot the intruder's head point blank. Two other men burst in through the front door and they immediately fell down dead under the bullet of his gun. "How many are they?" He snapped as Mario handed him a full round of bullets. He opened the cylinder of the gun and loaded each round into the chambe
The soft whimpers of a woman roused Isabella and she opened her eyes. She was back in that strange room, in the body of a four year old, hiding behind the couch. She peeked out, staring at the strange man pointing a gun at her father. Her father turned to her and she recoiled in horror. His eyes had been gouged out, leaving two gaping, bloody holes. He opened his mouth and blood streamed out, just as the sound of the gunshot echoed. With a terrified scream, Isabella jerked awake. Another night mare. She looked around the bedroom groggily, letting her eyes adjust to the dimness. Night had fallen, and she could hear the heavy patter of raindrops against the window, followed by the low liquid rumbling of thunder. The door opened and Antonio stepped in. The scowl on his face disappeared when he saw her awake. Behind him, a maid pushed in a trolley, holding a tray of food. "Set the tray on the table and leave." Antonio muttered. "Sì, signòre." The maid nodded. She quickly lowered t
Antonio murdered her parents. The words echoed repeatedly in her ears until she felt like screaming. It couldn't be, she thought. These flashbacks had to be some kind of mistake.But Antonio's face kept flashing before her eyes. She remembered her aunt's words. A mafia don killed her parents because they owed the don a huge debt. And seeing how brutal Antonio was in dealing with offenders and enemies, she believed it. It had to be him. It was him. She jerked when Mario touched her hand, and her eyes refocused. "Are you okay?" He asked softly. Isabella didn't answer. She jumped off the sofa and raced out of the library, her ears still ringing from the gunshot. There was so much blood on the floor and she kept her eyes averted as she ran past the lifeless bodies. She needed air, fresh clean air which hadn't been poisoned with the metallic smell of blood. As she ran down the stairs, she collided with Antonio who was coming back up. He steadied her, holding her shoulders firmly.
"Marcello! Shut the door!" Antonio ordered gruffly. Isabella panicked, and the book she held dropped from her hands. She knew what was coming. These men, unconscious and chained to the wall, he didn't bring them there because he wanted to have a chat with them. Something bad was about to happen, and she didn't want to witness it. "Wait." She called out, hurrying towards the door. Antonio's hand shot out and stopped her. He pushed her back gently. "Sit!""I... I don't want to be here." Isabella shook her head, her heart pounding hard within her."I said sit, Isabella!" Antonio snapped. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her back on the sofa. Her chest heaved with heavy breaths, her eyes terrified as she looked at him. This wasn't the same man she pleasured the previous night. Something had come over him. He looked... possessed. His eyes were eerie and dark, a deathly scowl marring his handsome face. His jaw ticked, and there wasn't a flicker of warmth in those furious dark eyes.
It was exactly 5am the next morning when Antonio opened his eyes. He hadn't slept a wink all through the night. He turned to the side to see Isabella fast asleep, her chest slowly rising and falling. A strange gleam appeared in his eyes as he turned on the bed and rested his hand on her back. She slept with her lips parted, snoring softly. A small chuckle escaped him as he watched her. She was adorable. Even with her stubborn and rebellious nature, she was innocent, too innocent for his world. Too innocent for him. Her first shouldn't be someone like him, someone dark, brutal and cruel. Yet he wouldn't let her go. He wanted his fill of her. He wanted to destroy that innocence, turn her into something more like the women he bedded. Maybe then he would grow bored of her and let her go. He gently stroked her hair, wrapping the lush strands around his fingers. He stroked her cheek, down the bridge of her nose and finally her lips. For the first time in his thirty years, he felt
"Now?" Isabella whispered, her breath catching. "Sì. Now. Do you have a much better time?" Antonio questioned. She shook her head, running her tongue over her dry lips. His eyes lowered to her mouth, heated, filled with intense lust. How he would love to fuck that pretty mouth of hers, feeling her lips and tongue clasp around his cock. The thought of it drove him crazy and he pressed his body into hers, grinding his cock on her thigh. "You've done something to me, Isabella." He rasped. "Something no woman has ever done. I have never craved for a woman the way I crave for you, they way I yearn to restrain you and fuck you senseless."He lifted her hands above her head, locking her wrists together. "I want to fuck you right there in my bed." His fingers curled around her throat as he spoke, his voice low and husky. "I want to fuck you in the bathroom, the kitchen. Fucking hell, I want to take you in the dungeon, watching as you strain against the chains, pleading for release."Isabe
The soft whimpers of a woman roused Isabella and she opened her eyes. She was back in that strange room, in the body of a four year old, hiding behind the couch. She peeked out, staring at the strange man pointing a gun at her father. Her father turned to her and she recoiled in horror. His eyes had been gouged out, leaving two gaping, bloody holes. He opened his mouth and blood streamed out, just as the sound of the gunshot echoed. With a terrified scream, Isabella jerked awake. Another night mare. She looked around the bedroom groggily, letting her eyes adjust to the dimness. Night had fallen, and she could hear the heavy patter of raindrops against the window, followed by the low liquid rumbling of thunder. The door opened and Antonio stepped in. The scowl on his face disappeared when he saw her awake. Behind him, a maid pushed in a trolley, holding a tray of food. "Set the tray on the table and leave." Antonio muttered. "Sì, signòre." The maid nodded. She quickly lowered t
Antonio met Mario halfway down the stairs and stopped. "What's the situation?" He asked. "Don Russo's men." Mario reported, his voice slightly laced with panic. "He must have seen Marco's dead body and now wants retaliation. Philip and Dario are dead, and Montero is badly injured.""The fucking bastard!" Antonio cursed just as a bullet slammed into one of the windows, sending glass shards everywhere. A painful yell sounded from outside, followed by more gunshots. Antonio's face twisted into a furious scowl and he hurried down the last of the stairs. Suddenly a man in a dark suit burst out from the corner, trying to startle him. But Antonio already felt his presence. He lifted the gun and shot the intruder's head point blank. Two other men burst in through the front door and they immediately fell down dead under the bullet of his gun. "How many are they?" He snapped as Mario handed him a full round of bullets. He opened the cylinder of the gun and loaded each round into the chambe
A raging headache roused Isabella from sleep the next day. She winced, slowly opening her eyes. There was a sour taste in her mouth, and her eyes throbbed badly. Luckily, the windows were drawn, keeping the harsh sunlight away. She opened her eyes wider and looked round the room. Antonio was nowhere in sight. Sitting up, she leaned against the pillows and looked down at her body. She was wearing a black, lacy night dress which stopped at the middle of her thighs. The dress she wore the previous day was gone, and so were her bra and panties. The last thing she remembered was telling Antonio to take her home. The rest of whatever happened was a blur, and when she tried to remember, her head ached badly. Moaning from the pain, she pushed the covers away and got off the bed. It was past noon, which meant she had slept through the entire morning. Where was Antonio? Brushing her hands through her hair, she stepped into the bathroom. Her mouth tasted bland, mainly from the wine
"Will you please kiss me?"Those words, spoken in a soft whisper, threatened to unleash the monster within Antonio. He held her face gently, his fingers firm, his eyes burning with passion. His jaw clenched, a sign of his restraint. He was silent for a moment, and only the soft hum of the limo could be heard. "Careful what you ask for." He murmured finally, his voice raw and thick with lust. "I won't hold back just because you're drunk.""But I don't want you to hold back." Isabella said. She raised her head and stared at him, placing her hands on his chest to keep her balance. "Do you know what you're asking me to do?" Antonio asked. "I'm asking you to kiss me." She repeated. "Would you ask me to do that if you weren't drunk?""Perhaps not. But maybe this is the real me. Maybe whatever I do now is what I actually want to do, something I wouldn't do if I was clear headed."Antonio's hand gripped her tightly. His other hand lifted and curled around her hair in a tight fist. "I'm
It had been more than a few minutes since Mario took Isabella to the restroom, yet they hadn't returned. Antonio got up and was about to storm towards the restroom himself when a gruff voice called out his name. "Don Antonio de Marino." Antonio's face hardened when he heard the voice, and he scowled. What did that bastard want? He turned around and spotted his former rival, Luca Moretti, the Don of Viper Strike Underground. Luca was once the notorious mafia boss, but after a bloody feud broke out between viper strike underground and la vendetta oscura, he was overthrown. He was no match for Antonio, and since then, the two had remained rivals. Luca was dressed in a pristine white tux, his big stomach protruding out. "Don Luca Moretti." He muttered the name like it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Fancy meeting you here." "Surprised to see me?" Luca asked, grinning wildly. He stopped before Antonio and stretched out his hand for a handshake. However, Antonio ignored him