Alma’s PoV I sneezed into my elbow and sniffled, rubbing a finger under my cold nose. Walking under the rain was a wrong decision but there was no use thinking about the past, what I was reaping now was the consequence of my action. Sneezing once more, I took deep breaths praying this was all to it. Mrs. Riccardo would probably kill me if I sneezed around her and I couldn’t afford any pay cut from my salary. Falling sick was also not an option; nothing except doing my job perfectly was an option. I worked my nose every which way until I was sure it was safe for me to step out of my room, I slapped my face as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks stung but they had a healthy red color instead of the deathly pale one that had been sitting there. I winced with every step I took, favoring my right leg to ease the burn from the cuts I had sustained on my left foot. Luckily, when she was sane enough to take stock of her body, the wound had been cleared; there was no debris s
ALMA’S POV It had been a long painful week after the event that occurred in the dining hall. Mrs. Riccardo made sure to punish the staff and I ignored all the evil eyes sent in my direction. It was the only way to make it through the day without bursting into tears. All kinds of relationships were frowned upon in the Riccardo's estate. I had seen one too many couples sent packing after being discovered by the all seeing eye of the estate; Mrs. Riccardo. There had also been a few whose contracts had been terminated due to a blossoming friendship. It made the huge house dull and cold, but Mrs. Riccardo loved misery; and it always needed company. I stopped scrubbing the kitchen for a minute, wiggling my toes and wincing when I felt a painful tingle. I had been on my knees for hours, doing the chore no one wanted to do. It was a unanimous opinion that I was the cause of Mrs. Riccardo’s raging mood. I didn’t argue; there was no use. Letting out a silent breath I moved my body back t
ZAVERIO’S POV “Ple-ease, sir” The man tied to the chair in one of my many empty warehouses pleaded for his life. His eyes bounced around wildly from me to the several men standing around him. “You stole from me.” My voice sounded tired to my eyes and I squared my shoulders and snapped myself out of my momentary weakness. “Do you know what happens to people who steal from me?” “I swear, Mr. Zaverio I didn’t steal from you.” He shivered, licking his dry lips that had been cracked open with a couple fists. “You can look at the books-” I laughed, holding up several books. “You mean these ones? Yes my accountant took a look at it and it was clean.” His shoulders sagged in relief, but the terror returned to his eyes when I spoke. “But, they were too clean Damien. My father was not a fool and he didn’t raise a fool. I can smell a rat from a mile away and you smell very much like a rat.” He shook his head. “I have a family, my wife cann-” I gripped his cheeks, abruptly ending his speech
ALMA’S POV I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, smearing sweat across my face. It was one of those hot days, and the lack of air conditioning in the house worsened the weather tenfold. The ridiculous gown I had on added to my misery, it was the latest addition to the Riccardo staff update Mrs. Riccardo had put together. She had adopted a Victorian style, eliminating the casual clothes we had gotten so used to wearing. In her words ‘It is not my intention to segregate but there are street pigeons and there are peacocks. It would do no one well in the long run to forget where they truly belong’. It was never her intention to hurt but she did it like an assassin. I was back to scrubbing duties like I never left, my knees ached and my back begged for relief but the living room needed to be done, if I listened to my body’s need and took a break or God forbid allowed myself rest, I would never get it done and Mrs. Riccardo would love nothing more than to send me to the south win
ZAVERIO’S POV A million times every day I wondered what my life would look like if I was not born into my family or if I had an older brother to take off the responsibilities that dug its nails into my shoulders every second. Irrelevant thoughts like that crept into my mind on days like today; I was seated in one of my many clubs with Von while several of my men were scattered around the place trying to blend in. The loud music irritated my ears and my thoughts came together, bounced around and scattered with every bass drop off the speakers. Von had informed me about a rival gang trying to sell their product on my turf. The fact that they had even gotten a few clients under my nose was enough to rattle my cage. I didn’t frequent the club enough to take note of a turf war. I had acquired it after eliminating the previous owner who had been too greedy to see the bullet I put between his eyes. Ultimately, allowing any gang tread on this fresh ground was bad news. If drugs needed to
The man whose arm I just broke stumbled to his feet and threw a punch at me with his good arm. Caught totally off guard, my head rocked back; the force also caused me to step back.“You picked a fight with the wrong person, bitch!” He spat at me, holding his injured shoulder. “You have no idea who I am.”I counted my teeth with my tongue, amused amongst other things by the audacity of this man. I had no idea who he was? “I broke one arm to be kind, but maybe if I break the other, and then your legs, you’ll be singing a different tune,” I seethed. He smirked, looking around him. We were creating a small scene but the people staring at us were too drunk to understand what was happening. “All I want is the girl. I don’t want trouble. For your sake, I will advise you to walk away before this gets too much for you.” He raised his unbroken arm, averting a lustful gaze at Alma. My jaw ticked. “I believe I said the girl belonged to me.” I blocked his view of Alma with my body, taking note
ALMA’S POVI nodded at the guard manning the gate as I walked past it. He nodded back never lifting his eyes from the computer screen. He was a middle-aged man and had been working at the mansion for as long as I remembered.I guess that was why it was always so easy for him to help us out when we wanted to go on one of our many rendezvous. Anyone who had worked at the mansion knew what actually happened under Mrs. Riccardo’s roof.The old guards took pity on anyone who needed a few hours out of the gate but the unspoken rule was none of the blame fell on them if anyone got caught. They would help, but they wouldn’t lose their jobs in the process.Approaching any of the new guards always turned out to be a double-edged sword. Under the Riccardo's roof, everyone and anyone desperately sought Mrs. Riccardo’s favor or attention.It paid more to be a snitch, but the identities of such people were never hidden and they didn’t survive for long under the roof. There was a dark cloud over thi
My body froze for a few seconds before I jumped into action. Zaverio already had his mother in his arms, and was on his feet, looking at me for directions. I opted to take the other exit that led to the kitchen so as not to attract attention. Mrs. Riccardo looked fragile and pale in her son’s arms. She was a wicked woman, but I prayed she held on to whatever threads of life she had left.Zaverio had already lost a father; if he lost his mother, I knew it would destroy him. The kitchen was empty which was a blessing in disguise.Thankfully, a guard was standing not too far from the main house; I waved at him to get a car. He looked confused, but started speaking rapidly into the mic on his jacket when he looked behind me.I jumped into the car. “Give her to me.” My words surprised me, but I wasn’t doing it for her, I was doing it for Zaverio.“I can hold her.” Zaverio gripped his mother tighter, with his jaw set. “I will hold my mother.”“She needs to lie on her back to help with bloo
ZAVERIO’S POV “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Alma yelled at me, rushing over to the man I’d knocked over, the odd familiarity between them made me clench my jaw.“I should be asking that question, shouldn’t I?” The music had stopped, and everyone was looking at us like we were the most interesting things- and we were.“You didn’t ask.” Alma helped him to his feet, “You can’t push people over, it’s rude and disturbing. You should apologize.”I laughed, turning in a circle. “Why should I apologize to your new lover? You’re the one who brought him here to rub it in my face, I didn’t expect this bullshit from you, Alma.”“Are you high?” Alma looked genuinely concerned. “This is Jace, I met him a couple of hours ago and we’re having a great time, or we were until you intruded.”“I didn’t know you went around kissing guys you just met, and I was a fool for not believing you when you told me you were pregnant with my child. What did you think happened after a kiss in the club Alma?” I t
Alma's povI pointed at myself, “I’m sorry, are you talking to me?” The question sounded silly, even to my ears and I hoped he didn’t notice how out of style I was.“Yes.” He smiled warmly, “I don’t know if it’s the defiant white gown you have on, or the fact that you’re the most beautiful woman here, your friend comes close second of course.”Nadine giggled. “You’re sweet, and you seem to have a lot of words in that pretty mouth of yours. My friend here wants to have a good time; I will leave you both to it if you promise to treat her right.”He crossed the area above his heart. “I promise, besides I came here to have a good time as well. Your friend and I will be at that open table. You can see us anytime to keep an eye on her, and it also gives her room to escape if she finds out I’m boring.”I laughed, thanking Nadine with my eyes for making this easy for me. “I don’t think I’ll find you so boring that I’ll run away from you.”“You’ll be surprised.” He winked, flashing his perfect
ZAVERIO’S POVVon was seated in my office in a suit, which was surprising since he hated wearing them. He swore he’d never be caught dead in a suit, until the day he got married and his wife swore to shoot him if he showed up in jeans or sneakers.“You cleaned up nice.” I looked down at my open shirt and shorts. “I didn’t know it was that kind of meeting–to be honest, I forgot it was today.”“I thought as much.” Von nodded at me. “It has always been a rule after I got comfortable with suits that we wore them for serious meetings.”“I didn’t wear one, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a spare. I’ll be right back.” I walked into the room I had installed in my office, pulling out one of the suits I hadn’t used yet.My back had never appreciated the makings of a chair, unlike my father who could sleep standing. I had the room attached for relaxation, and sometimes escape.Von was pouring himself a drink when I returned, and I shook my head in refusal when he held up a glass. “I don’t fee
Alma's PovIt shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Zaverio went right back to his old ways, bringing in women night after night, polluting the house with their sex noises. I shouldn’t have been able to hear it if I was in my room, but misery loved misery, and every night when he walked through the doors with a different woman on his arm, I would tiptoe up the stairs to his wing, and listen to the sound of my heart breaking over and over again.After a while I couldn’t bear it, and remained in my room, thinking myself to death about what I knew they were doing. It was unhealthy for me and the baby.I smiled, tucking a hand under my pillow and placing the other on my very flat tummy. I wondered when it would start to show. I was still uncertain about everything, and most nights when I was troubled by the man who had set my heart on fire, I was thinking of the future.Zaverio had said in no clearer terms that he wanted nothing to do with this baby, he didn’t even believe it was his ba
Zaverio's PovI stared dispassionately at the woman on top of me. Her big breasts were everywhere, and she held a hand over them to keep them in place. Her head was thrown back in what I assumed to be pleasure, but I wasn’t paying attention.She was one of the many women I had picked from the club recently, and brought back to the house. They loved the thrill of the night, the chase, the alcohol and mind blowing sex on their end.Von had said nothing to me since I began my sexual rampage, and the distance he put between us hurt, but I was back in a dark place. All I knew was sex, alcohol and cigarettes.Her pussy squeezed around my dick indicating she was about to cum, and I snapped back to reality, flexing my hips in a certain way until I threw my head back in pleasure, pouring my seed into her while she milked me dry.“Wow! That was amazing,” She said, pushing her wet bangs away from her eyes. “I need to pee then I’ll be solid enough for round two. Can you show me the bathroom?” I
Alma’s Pov“Excuse me?!” I stood with my mouth agape. I thought I had every angle covered, overthinking every question he would likely ask me, every tantrum he would throw, but this? How was I supposed to answer a question questioning my loyalty?“Did you ask me who the father of my child is?” I was beyond stunned by the audacity.Zaverio looked anything but disturbed or ruffled, he walked back to his desk and threw a piece of chopped liver into his mouth. “I believe you heard me the first time, am I supposed to accept that you’re pregnant with my child?”“You’re the only man I’ve been with these past few months; you’re the only man I’ve been with all my life. Who else is supposed to be the father of this child?”Zaverio barked out a harsh laugh. “Alma, I might be the boss, but that doesn’t mean I have no idea what happens under my roof. Sexual relationships are highly prohibited in this estate, as it curbs the mistake of reproducing.”“Do you think I don’t know almost everyone living
ALMA’S POVI rested my head on the cool tile in the bathroom. My vision was spinning and I had just finished puking my guts into the toilet bowl. I felt another rumble in my stomach and managed to push myself up in time to reach the toilet once more.“You look like shit.”“You don’t say.” My voice was weak, but I smiled at Nadine standing by the door. “I won’t be late today I promise. The morning sickness isn’t tiring me out much anymore.”“I can handle the task master if any questions come up, but I’m worried about how long you can keep up this secret.” Nadine handed me a towel she’d held under running water.“I have never been pregnant, and I haven’t had any pregnant friends, but I know the morning sickness is just the beginning. What happens when you start to show?”“I’ll start worrying about that when I’m four or five months pregnant. Right now, I am fighting to keep my internal organs in their rightful position, and trust me it’s a struggle.”“I saw that you rotated out of the ki
ZAVERIO’S POVI didn’t know what I was expecting when I opened the door to my home, did I think Alma was going to run down the stairs and jump into my arms like Bella? I had even imagined how I would sink into her softness and return her feverish kisses.The empty hallway erased the fantasies, knocking me down to cold, harsh reality. There was no one waiting for me, and if I had died a few weeks ago, I had no legacy to carry on after me.I nodded at the few staff loitering around, and they scampered off when I passed them, probably to hide in their rooms. The big bad Alpha was back, who knew what I had in store for them?It was too late to request a meal, so I opted for the salad sitting in the fridge. Nadine walked into the kitchen the moment I shut the fridge, she stopped in her tracks, staring at me with wide eyes.“Mr. Zaverio, I didn’t know you were back. Is there anything you’d like me to make for you?” She asked. I raised the plate in my hand. “I’ll manage this for the night,
ZAVERIO’S POV“My coffee is cold.” Dr. Hassan grumbled, looking at me over his glasses. “You should treat me right because of my age, boy; nobody wants cold snacks or cold coffee.”“You live in the middle of nowhere Dr. Hassan, I can’t bring in anything hot for you. Have you considered living close by like a normal human being? What if there’s an emergency and I need to get to you?”He licked the sugar dusting his fingers, “The only emergency knocking on my door is you or one of your boys. How about you stay away from bullets? Nobody is going to come out here to shoot me.”“Not even your ex-wife?” I smiled, remembering the robust woman who had died a few years back. Everyone thought Dr. Hassan would close down his practice, but he buried his grief and pushed on. He had our unwavering loyalty for that.“Aliya is the only woman I know who would shoot herself in the foot if she held a gun.” Dr. Hassan’s face lifted when he smiled, showing the rugged handsomeness he had in his younger day