ERICA“The name is Nikolai.”I swallowed as his fingers left my chin and slowly travelled down my neck, to my throat and lower. A cold chill went through me at his touch and my stomach rolled in disgust. Without thinking, I lifted my hand and slapped him hard on the face. “Don’t touch me!”His head turned from the hit and then he started to laugh. I watched with dawning realisation that I should’ve curbed back my impulse, this man was crazy. When he turned to face me, the look in his eyes didn’t bode well. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for retaliation. But it never came.“Don’t hurt her. Be a man and fight me.” I heard Gabe yell, and I knew he was doing it to save me, even though he was in no condition to fight back.Nikolai stood up and said, “I don’t plan to. Antonio very humbly asked me to not harm a hair on your head. And I won’t do it. I thought I could do that much for years of our friendship.”Nikolai stepped to my side to face Gabriel and I was about to release a breath w
ERICAIt was one hour that seemed too long and yet too short with death hanging on my head like a dark shadow. The red timer on the bomb strapped to my torso was the only break in the darkness. But despite the darkness, I could not forget that there was a dead body there in the same room with me. My senses felt heightened in the dark. I was aware of the cold, the dirt and grit beneath my feet and the smell of my surroundings. Everything was making it hard to breathe, my chest felt too constricted to even take a deep breath in. I didn’t know if it also contributed to my headache that was getting worse and worse with each minute that passed or it was just the injury, but it really hurt even to keep my eyes open. I blinked in the dark, trying to stay awake, even though it was torture in itself to see the seconds tick by. I think I might’ve slipped into unconsciousness because my head felt foggy and my whole body felt like it was no longer responding. I ached everywhere. It hurt like I
ERICA The loud sobs wrecked my body and even as I tried to speak, it came out unintelligible. “You c-came. I knew you will.” I nearly succumbed to darkness with the relief that followed. “Bambina...” His deep voice vibrated through me, giving me a frisson of warmth spread in my chilled heart. “Antonio...” I looked behind him, expecting to find men coming to stop him from rescuing me as I could still hear the blasts in near vicinity but no one came and then my gaze dropped to the men behind him with a pool of blood around them. He killed them and as he came closer with a knife in one hand and a gun in another, I realised it wasn’t just these two men he kîlled as I noticed the stains of blood covering his clothes and the red that was on the side of his face, the blood he spilled for me. I met his eyes, they burned bright as they took me in. I followed his gaze to the timer of the bomb and saw it was only twelve minutes left for the bomb to go off. He crouched down before me and cup
ANTONIOI unlocked her handcuffs and then cut through the zip ties around her ankles before cutting the thick straps that held the fake bomb to her torso, fûcking Nikolai played with me and he succeeded as I was terrified and ready to die with her when I couldn’t diffuse the bomb. I didn't even think that it could be a fake when I didn't found what I was looking for, I was that panicked.As soon as she was free, she cried out and literally fell into my arms like she couldn’t hold herself anymore. I tightened my hold around her as she sobbed into my chest. I caressed her head and rubbed her back, trying to control my own emotions but it was impossible when after thinking that it was the end, here she was now in my arms, alive. I inhaled her scent, mixed with sweat, dirt and our filthy surroundings which was so fucking wrong but the hint of daffodils beneath it all calmed a small part of me. I tried to soothe her but it was a losing battle and I really didn’t want to when my own emotio
EPHRAIM I have no idea how I find myself in such a situation where I have to stay behind and watch him put his life in danger. I looked down at the unconscious woman in my arms and shook my head, because I could totally understand Antonio’s emotions, which was the reason why I wanted to go after him. Turning around, I opened the back door of the car and settled Erica inside. I fucking need a vacation or maybe I should just resign and be done with it. The sound of a car approaching alerted me of company, I slipped my hand to my gun as I turned around, only relaxing when I saw Raphael with Mac and other two bodyguards that were with Jonathan. “Took you long enough,” I gritted out in irritation. “Are they okay? Where is she?” Raphael questioned ignoring my comment. I gestured at the car as I stepped back, letting him see Erica. “Look for yourself. I’m leaving.” “Where are you going? And where is Gabriel?” I barely controlled myself from punching him in his aristocratic face as I bi
ERICAI didn’t remember when darkness claimed me and thrust me back from one heart wrecking scenario to another, and in each of them I was calling out for Antonio, only to find him lying in a pool of blood, unresponsive. It was during such a nightmare that I jerked up with my lips parted in a soundless cry and looked around myself, my eyes searching for him, praying that he was alright.But as the white walls and clinical equipment around me registered with the antiseptic smell of my surroundings, I realised I was in a hospital room and once again Antonio wasn’t here. My head pounded with pain just as my heart beat in fear, I started to push the blanket off me when I heard a familiar deep voice. “You are awake.”I turned around to face the speaker and for a moment, I just stared. My mind replayed all that had happened, and I knew Gabriel was shot. Gabriel was shot. Antonio had come save us just like I knew he would. But now he wasn’t here, close to me, he won’t ever leave me alone wh
ERICA“You have ten minutes. And after that you need to leave.”I jerked back, my fingers tightening on around the soft fabric I still held in my tight fist as if it was a talisman which will make everything alright and looked at him with wide eyes, not believing what I was hearing but still I tried to misunderstood him. I shook my head as I said, “I can’t leave him and go back to the castle. What if he needs me? And he will, he wouldn’t like—”“Erica,” He stopped me and even as I shook my head in silent denial, he said the words I didn’t want to hear, “You need to go back to where you belong, on the other side of the ocean with your sister, and your family.”“I belong to him.” The words were out before I could stop them. Quiet and sure. “He told me that I belonged to him.” He’s my family. “If you want to see him, this is the condition. You’ll leave after those ten minutes. I can’t let this happen again and again, Erica.
ANTONIOOne Week Later...It was colder than usual and I didn’t think it was because of the snow falling around me. And I doubted it was because I had been weaker than I had ever felt in my life, there was something else: the reason for the cold that had made its home inside me, but I wasn’t too keen to look into that reason. It was better to leave that wound untouched but I couldn’t say that it didn’t hurt far worse than a damaged lever and an arm that hurt every time I moved it. It had been a week since I woke up in the hospital room which was two days after the day I went to save her and rescued Gabriel. I didn’t want to think about her because it makes breathing difficult like I was shot in my lungs too but the fact remains, I woke up to find her gone. She left. I had come to terms with it, or maybe not, because just the thought made anger burn through me replacing the cold. And it had been like that, I was teetering on a very fine line. One moment I was calm and in another I was
ANTONIO“Fuck me, husband. Make me scream.”My balls drew up tight at her words, the sparkle in her brown eyes were my undoing and I slammed into her in one hard thrust. Fuck. More than twelve years of having this woman, of having her tight pussy wrapped around my cock and it still somehow feels like the first time. If I could, I’d turn into three of me and fuck her mouth, arse and pussy at the same time, claim every inch of her, every part of her like I wanted to. My hunger for this woman hasn’t abated in all these years and I doubted it’d ever until the day I died. “Oh, god, Antonio...”I grabbed her face, my fingers digging into her cheeks not so gently. “Yeah, baby, tell me.”“Don’t stop. Please.” Hearing her someone might think that she didn’t get proper and regular fucking, but they’d be fool to think that. The truth was my little devil was just hungry for my cock, was still covered in last night bruises and still was begging for more like the dirty little slut that she was fo
EPILOGUE IITwelve years later...ERICA“Mamma, perché siamo qui? Voglio tornare a casa e invitare i miei amici." My daughter asked, her golden brown eyes like her father’s stared up at me in exasperation. It was the third time she had expressed her displeasure to be here at the charity event Gianna has hosted at my behest because I wanted to do something good for their father’s birthday which was tomorrow. But knowing Antonio wouldn’t want anything to happen on the actual day of his birthday as he likes to spend it with us instead of celebrating it, we had made all the arrangements for a day before. (Mom, why are we here? I want to go back to the house and invite my friends over.)“I don’t understand why you want to be with your friends they are all stupid.” Unlike my daughter who had inherited all the explosive characteristics of her father along with his eyes, my son got all the indifferent genes from his father which make him look like an unfeeling brute most of the time but there
Epilogue ITwenty eight weeks later...ANTONIO“So, I thought you wouldn't come again?” Mrs Khan asked.We were sitting in her office. My wife was sitting opposite her own therapist a few doors down, as I sat here after two weeks ago when I had declared I won’t come again. But the problem with anxiety was it never fucking disappears and as the time for Erica’s delivery drew closer, my anxiety only grew bigger. For some reason I feel like I won't be enough for them. That there were hundred different things that could go wrong and my family would've to suffer, it keeps me up at night and makes it hard to get through a day.I rubbed a palm down on my face and I leaned forward to pick up the glass of water. Any other time I might’ve not drunk it but therapy had helped enough to not make me paranoid all the time. After taking a sip, I put the glass down and met her eyes as I said, “I thought that too. But,” Fuck. It was still fucking hard to express myself, to put my fears into words. “But
ERICASome people say the happiest moments come after you’ve lived the saddest ones. And for sure I have had my fair share of sad moments in my life so I guess my husband here was a god’s gift for all those tears and heartache I suffered. And if someone asked me now if I was given a choice to suffer through the same things, same monsters, if it meant getting him at the end of that dark tunnel then I wasn’t sure if my answer would be a no. As we pulled apart from a long hard kiss that wasn’t appropriate for a wedding, I heard our family and friends cheer around us and then a moment later I felt something soft touching my cheek. I looked up and a delighted laugh left me when I saw twp choppers circling over our heads and rose petals being thrown over us. A literal shower of roses. “Antonio!!” I exclaimed, my happiness unbound, and then I ended up squealing as Antonio lifted me up in his arms and took me to the little raised stage set up for dancing. As I danced in my husband’s arms, e
ANTONIO“What’s taking them so fucking long?” I muttered, tugging on my cuffs to straighten them for the sixth time. For the second time when I had woken up in the early hours of the morning, my little devil wasn’t in the bed where she had fallen in a exhausted sleep after I had carried her from the tower. But unlike before this time it was Mario and Summer who decided that it was a great fucking idea to keep Erica away from me until I see her walk down the aisle. It had been only a few hours but I already felt impatient and on the edge. I wanted her glued to my side for every breath I take. It was fûcking impossible to put into words how much I was obsessed with her, how much I loved her. But I swore to myself that I’ll try to convey that to her for the rest of my life. “Are you nervous, Antonio?” Ephraim asked from my side. I refrained from looking at him, unless I’d end up punching him in the face for what happened last night even though he didn’t do anything that I didn’t ask o
(Skip this chapter if you have problem with exhibition and voyeurism and other related elements).ERICA“Here.” As soon as the word left me, Antonio stepped back from me, leaving me feeling cold and adrift. I turned to him, panicked that I made a mistake but found him lowering himself in a loveseat. He crooked his finger and demanded, “Come here.”A calm washed over me when I saw the dark look of arousal in his eyes. When I took a step closer to him, he leaned back in his seat and pointed to his lap as he ordered, “Bend over my lap, baby, present me that arse.”My lower belly clenched at his words and a heated desire coursed through my veins. My eyes went to Z who was still staring at Kat but when I looked at her I found her gaze fixed on me. She arched her brows, silently telling me to go on. I smiled at her, feeling my blood heat at her attention as my heart started to beat in excitement. That smile turned to a hungry look when I faced my dark villain who grew impatient and grabb
ERICA“My handsome Duke!!” Ami stood up, waving on her two feet that were encased in heels and stumbled her way to Raphael, who looked only a little bit amused but his blue eyes darkened as they raked down his wife. She was wearing a red sequin dress that ended just below her arse and by the look on Raphael’s face, I’d say Ami will finally get what she was wishing for. “See, what I did? Are you going to punish me for it!” She asked, blinking her eyes at him as she stumbled and he caught her in his arms.Kat snickered behind me and I couldn't help as my own lips pulled up in a smile. Raphael picked her up in his arms and announced for our benefit or maybe to the men standing on either side of him. “I’ll leave you to deal with your wives, mine needs a strong hand.” We could hear Ami squeal in excitement as they disappeared from the view.“Gianna, go to your room. And for fuck’s sake get rid of that dress.” I shivered at his deep voice, my eyes barely fluttering to Gianna to take in the
ERICA“OH MY GOD! I think I am drunk!!” Ami squealed as the half naked man with a cat mask twirled her around and then took Gianna in his arms who was also half drunk.We were in one of the back towers that I was admiring earlier in the day and Kat had managed to invite the party we were supposed to have here in the castle right under the watchful gazes of our husbands and their men. She was a tricky one. I didn’t know how she managed it but it was awesome and I wasn’t complaining.There were four women out of which two were filling our drinks— unfortunately, non-alcoholic for me, and giving us snacks to munch on while the two men were entertaining us with half their bodies bare and muscles painted what seemed like glitter that shined in the lights. The music was loud but we had checked and the noise couldn’t be heard to the main part of the castle. It was really the bachelorette I didn't think I’ll be having after Antonio fucked me so har
ANTONIOI don’t know what woke me up but when my eyes opened, I instantly became aware of the fact that my little devil wasn’t by my side and that I wasn’t alone in the room. There was a heavy presence in the room that couldn’t be ignored. I slipped my hand beneath my pillow and pulled out my gun as surreptitiously as I could.I wasn’t afraid for myself but my mind was on Erica, she was sleeping in my arms and now she was nowhere in the room, I didn’t even have to check the bathroom to know she wasn’t there. Her absence was like an open chasm in my chest every time she was away from me. After dinner where we were joined by her sister and Gabriel, we had come to sleep in the bedroom but not before I had exhausted her by fûcking her in the mirror room where she had screamed her pleasure that I was sure everyone in the castle heard. Erica was really a voyeur, she came so many times by just looking at our reflection as I fucked her hard, warning her to not go anywhere her friends and sis