Chapter 10 - Taken

Claire

Natalia distributed the cards.

Vincent didn't seem to budge even as I whispered to him that I didn't know how to play poker. I had no choice but to sit down and play.

Johnny stood behind me, telling me the rules of the game in a whispering voice.

The first game was an epic fail for me.

"One would think the owner of this casino's woman would know how to play. You can withdraw if it gets too difficult for you." Natalia remarked shuffling the cards for the next round.

"Don't speak too soon Miss Natalia, I've always been known to carry around unbeatable luck." I said pulling out my cards randomly, not wanting her to get the best of me.

Natalia giggled shaking her head. Mockery filling her voice as she said, "Where did you find this little clown Vince? She's hilarious."

Vincent didn't say a word nor interfere in the game. He silently watched me with a plain look in his eyes making me feel a burn of scrutiny from his gaze.

Rocco lowered himself to whisper something in his ears and he stood up from the table.

"Excuse me."

He walked away, his tall and broad figure seemed to sag slightly as if a heavy weight was sitting on his shoulders, I let my gaze follow him till I could no longer see him again.

After a few rounds of the game and losing terribly, I'd heard enough of Natalia's laughter and mockery.

A wave of irritation rose inside me. Vincent Morano was a certified jerk. First he brought me to a casino forcing me to play a game I'd never played before, he invited his ex who does nothing but mock me and he left me in a table full of strangers.

I mindlessly picked the cards for the next game, dropping them on the table as it was my turn to reveal my cards when a gasp brought back my attention.

"That's... that's a royal flush!" A man at the table exclaimed.

Natalia's face was beetroot red and she glared at me.

"Congratulations, you win this round."

I couldn't find it in myself to enjoy the so called win. Being Vincent Morano's girlfriend might just be harder than I thought.

"Please excuse me." I got up from the table and asked someone for the restroom.

On my way, I found myself bumping against a man who was walking unsteadily as if he were drunk.

"I'm sorry." I apologized before walking away.

"No problem Claire." I stopped in my tracks when the man called my name.

"You know me?" I asked turning to look at him then noticed how a dark scar ran down the side of his cheek. The man smirked, a wave of dark ominous energy seeped into my skin making goosebumps rise. Before I could ask him anything again, he suddenly disappeared into the crowd of people around.

I sighed and headed to the restroom without thinking about the man anymore.

Being in a scene like this was very uncomfortable for me, but the man who brought me here didn't just look strangely upset but he wasn't even talking to me at all.

I finished my business at the restroom and walked to the sink to wash my hands feeling someone's shadow next to me but not turning my head to look.

"You must think you're some lucky Cinderella. Being the girlfriend of the most handsome man in LA."

Natalia was standing beside me washing her hands as well.

I sighed, "Can't you just let him go? I don't know what happened between you two but he clearly already moved on by now, you should too." I said with the intention to give her a friendly advice. I had nothing against her. A woman holding onto a man who doesn't want her always brought nothing but pain, I hoped she would do what was best for herself.

But as I walked past she suddenly yanked me by the arm.

"Listen to me you little cunt! Vincent was mine before you showed up. And there were a lot of other girls before me but he stayed with me the longest, we had a connection and you're just nothing but a fucking fling."

I yanked my arm out of her hold. "Fling or not, he still chose me over you." I didn't mind being harsh to her if she decided to be harsh to me.

Her face twisted in bitter rage.

"Then have fun while it lasts. When Vince finally comes back to me, I'll enjoy watching you cry and suffer miserably with a broken heart. Because just like every other girl before you, he will break your heart." She stormed off after grabbing her bag from the sink.

I let out a shaky breath and walked out of the restroom.

Vincent was standing right outside the restroom waiting for me, his hazel eyes looked like restless storms on the verge of brewing.

"When you made this proposal to me, you should have told me you had a crazy ex who won't leave me alone." I remarked with a sigh, but he suddenly backed me against a wall.

"What was I thinking trusting you? Where is the heirloom you stole?"

"What?" I searched his eyes realizing the rage in them was for me. "What do you mean something I stole?"

"Don't play dumb with me Claire. You're working for Donatello aren't you? I brought you here deliberately on the pretense of playing the game, I knew if you were really the culprit, you would certainly give yourself away here so I watched you. I'll ask you this one last time, give me back the key you stole."

"You took me to your home Mr Morano, and now you're accusing me of stealing something? I'm not a thief, and whoever Donatello is, I don't know who he is."

"Don't fucking lie to me!" His voice rumbled in his throat like a growl and I gasped when his large hand caught my neck in a chokehold. He was every bit the ruthless Mafia the world knew him to be, and I had gotten distracted because of that one night he'd helped me from a scoundrel who drugged me.

Tears welled in my eyes but I held them in.

"I didn't steal anything from you Vincent Morano." My voice trembled even if I tried not to let it.

His eyes showed a mix of emotions before he suddenly let me go and took a step back.

"You have three hours before this day fully ends, I want the heirloom back before then otherwise don't expect me to show you any mercy."

He stormed off after leaving those words.

I couldn't stop the tears from falling anymore. I ran out of the casino into the dark cold night feeling alone and lost.

To hell with how much my heart raced whenever he was near me, to hell with the fact that I'd accepted the deal of pretending to be his girlfriend because somewhere inside, I wanted to be around the man who'd saved me that night.

I'd been hoping for nothing.

I walked down the road hastily, it was strangely empty without a single car driving on this lane.

I didn't know where I was going, but I certainly knew I wouldn't be returning to that Morano's house again.

I walked with my head lowered, but a shadow approaching me made me raise my head to look.

The scarred man I'd bumped into earlier was standing in front of me bringing back that dark ominous feeling once more.

"Who are you and what do you want from me?"

He answered my question with an evil smirk. I felt the urge to turn around and run but before I could move, the man grabbed me slapping a firm hand against my mouth muffling any chance of me screaming.

As I struggled in his arms, he spoke into a device in his ear.

"I've got her Donatello, Morano won't see this coming when his woman's body is sent to his doorstep. I'll have my boys violate her body brutally, Morano won't be able to recognize her corpse."

Panic swelled in my chest but I was totally helpless.