All Chapters of The Mafia's Contract : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

JOAN'S POVI laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I couldn't sleep. My mind was filled with so many thoughts.I was worried about my mother. She was still unconscious. I called the doctor and the nurses earlier. They all assured me that she was fine. Even with that, I couldn't help but worry. I hoped she would be okay. Everyday, the fear of receiving a tragic phone call haunted me. I feared that the call that would shatter my world completely. I prayed that the call would never come. I felt like a ticking time bomb. I closed my eyes, trying to force myself to sleep. But every time I did, memories of my mother's smiling face would show up in my head. Tears pricked at my eyes. I missed her so much. I wished I could be by her side. A knock on my door broke through my thoughts. I hesitated. Who could it be at this hour? My mind raced with possibilities. The knock sounded again. I slipped out of bed and walked to the door."Joan, it's Emily," a familiar voice whispered from the other

DERRICK'S POVI sat at the edge of my bed, smoking a blunt. I let the smoke fill my lungs, hoping it would calm me down. My mind was filled with the thoughts of the drug deal I had to make with the Mexicans that evening. The particular Mexican family I wanted to deal with weren't easy people to deal with. The stakes were high. In fact, the potential for disaster was even higher. I could feel the thoughts of it pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe, hard to think clearly.I needed to get my mind off the deal, to find some way to relax. I thought smoking would help but I had smoked like two blunts already. I needed an activity to distract me. I grabbed the intercom and summoned Miss Sullivan to my room. I had the perfect idea. In a few seconds, Miss Sullivan knocked on the door. "Come in" I said. She entered with her usual smile on her face. "What can I do for you, Sir Derrick?" she asked me. “Prepare the horses,” I said. She nodded then left. I thought about it. Horse ri

DERRICK’S POV. I laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I couldn't sleep. Every single time I closed my eyes, I remembered Joan's face. My body still recalled the arousal from the previous night when I had rescued her. The memory of her soft, smooth, velvety skin pressed against mine was seared into my brain. I could still feel the warmth of her body. I could still feel the subtle curve of her waist beneath my fingertips.How could I even get aroused at a time like that? What the hell is she doing to me? "Damn it," I muttered, running a hand through my hair in frustration. I had to get her out of my mind. She was just a maid, a servant in my mansion. I had no business thinking of her in such an intimate way. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get rid of the image of her beautiful face. I turned onto my side, staring at the empty space next to me. I could still smell her faint scent as is scooped her into my arms. She smelled like vanilla. It was intoxicating, and I hated

DERRICK’S POV I stormed into the barn with my associate, Ken. The sounds of laughter stopped as soon as the maids saw me. Joan stood among them, looking beautiful as ever. She seemed more relaxed and at ease than I’d ever seen her. The sight of her made something tighten in my chest. They stood up immediately. "Good day, sir" they chorused "What’s going on here?" I asked. "We were just taking a break" Emily said "We're sorry, sir" My eyes landed on Joan. I noticed how timid and scared she looked. She was basically shaking in her spot. I could tell she was anxious with the way she played with the hem of her dress. Emily and Sarah walked out of the barn. Joan was about to leave as well until I stopped her. "Joan" I said "Stop" She turned to look at me. Her beautiful brown eyes pierced through mine, making my heart pause for a second. In that moment, all I wanted to do was just talk to her. I wanted to ask her how she was and how she was feeling. I wanted to mak

JOAN'S POVI couldn’t stop crying as Lady Irene pulled me away from Sir Derrick’s office. The memories of Jake's hits and my own screams haunted me. The memories replayed in my mind like a broken record. I remembered how he would always insult me coupled with the cold look in his eyes when he would hit me. Lady Irene held me gently, patting my back with one hand and rubbing soothing circles on my arm with the other. Her touch was comforting. Her touch felt so different from the cold violent hands I remembered.“Breathe, Joan,” she whispered softly “Just breathe, sweetheart. Take it slow.”I tried to focus on my breathing, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, but each breath felt like it might shatter me.Lady Irene took me to her room and helped me sit on her bed. I was breathing heavily, still struggling. She handed me a glass of water and helped me guide it to my lips as my hands shook too much to hold it myself. The water soothed my throat, and gradually, my sobs lessened.“That's