Nodding my head, I released my grip. She was the lesser of the two evils; unfortunately, though, she was not really that much of an improvement. I just knew her better than Antonio. If our interactions yielded me a chance to escape, however, then maybe I should encourage them more.
“Okay. That would be nice.”
Rachael smiled before kissing my cheek and snuggling her head into my chest. All I could do was grit my teeth and hope to God that either I could get out or that Luca would come to get me. Either way, I knew I wouldn’t be able to last too long under these circumstances.
Two days I had been in that hell hole. For two days, I had had to endure regular visits from Rachael and Antonio, who treated me to their freak show every so often. Antonio would try to get me alone from time to time, but Rachael was never far behind. At least she was keeping the wolf at bay. It helped that I let her cuddle with me at night while we slept. I felt sick having to do it, but I would much rather endure that than Antonio’s slimy hands all over me. She was keeping him away from me, and the sweeter I was to her, the more I could see her giving in to me.
It was morning, and I had Rachael asleep next to me. I eventually decided it was time to go to the bathroom and get a wash; I constantly felt dirty in that place.
Once I was finished, I got dressed in the jumper and pair of jeans which Rachael leant me and proceeded back into the bedroom.
“Feeling refreshed now? You look great in my clothes.”
“Yes. I do feel better, thanks.” Sitting down on the bed beside her, I took her hand. “Rachael, I’m not sure how long you can go on like this with Antonio. You know he will find a way eventually.”
Rachael sighed and lifted herself up into a seated position. “I know. I’m trying to protect you, but it’s hard. He’s growing more and more determined than ever to get to you.”
I stroked her hand, smiling appreciatively. “I know. You’ve been doing an excellent job, but don’t you think we should try and get away somehow? Just you and me? We can go anywhere you want—just the two of us.”
She smiled brightly, raising her posture. “You mean that? You well and truly mean that?”
Nodding my head, I cupped her hand in mine. “I do mean it. I want to go away with you. This is all new to me, and it will take time, but I’m sure that with your love and attention, you could show me what it’s really like to be loved by another woman.”
Rachael gasped, pulling me to her for a tight hug. After a few seconds, she pulled away and looked at me. “Prove it.”
Oh shit. I hadn’t seen that one coming. I thought I had her where I wanted and needed her to be. “What more can I say?”
She shook her head, waving her hand in front of me. “I don’t want words; I want actions. Prove it.”
I thought I knew what she was talking about, so I shook my head. “I’m not ready for that yet. I need more time to adjust.”
“I’m not talking about that. I don’t expect you to sleep with me straight away, but I need something… Anything that can show me this is what you want. Anything to show me that you’re willing to try.” I stiffened, wondering what I could possible do to show her that—as far as she was aware—I meant business. “If you can prove it to me, I’ll get us out of here. I promise.”
I looked into her eyes, and I knew she was telling the truth. It was then I realised I had no other choice.
Sliding myself towards her, I took her face in my hands. Rachael gasped, and I could see tears in her eyes. Not wanting to look at her anymore, I closed my own and pulled her lips to mine. If I was going to get out of this, I had to give the best kiss-performance of my life.
At first, I was gentle and kissed her lightly. Rachael moaned into my mouth as her breaths escaped her. Knowing I had to move on with it, I gently eased my tongue into her mouth. She responded straight away, lapping her tongue with mine.
We stayed like that for a few moments, but when her breathing picked up even more and she tried desperately to get even closer to me, I pulled away.
With heavy breaths, Rachael held onto my arms and smiled. “My God, Clara. That was beautiful. You do love me… Don’t you?”
Stroking her hair behind her ear, I nodded. “Yes. I do love you. I always have deep down. It just took being here with you—alone like this—to realise. I love having you in my arms as we sleep. I want to have that every night. What do you say?”
She shot up from the bed, excitement gleaming in her eyes. “Of course! Of course. I will find a way to get us out. Just stay here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She left, giving me time to release a humungous breath. I needed to get out of here and fast. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could go on like this with Rachael. My only desire for her involved slapping her one. I was sure she wouldn’t be so keen to let me go if she knew that.
During my time alone in the room, I had started to think about Luca.
Poor Luca. Whatever must he be feeling right now? He must be going out of his mind.
Grabbing my jumper, I gripped onto my chest, feeling the pain of being apart from him. All those lonely weeks and months, and then, when we could finally be together, we had been ripped apart again. I was never one for torture, but I’d happily tie Antonio up and have my wicked way with him—and not in the sense he would like either!
After an hour of waiting and wondering what the hell was taking Rachael so long, I finally heard the door open.
Snapping my head up, I saw Rachael timidly smile as she gently pushed the door open. “Come,” she motioned to me. “I’ve had to think of some way to get rid of Antonio and the others for a few minutes, but I managed it. We haven’t got much time, though.”
Nodding my head, I rose as quickly as I could off the bed and went to her. Rachael grabbed my hand, and I almost pulled it away. I didn’t want her touching me anymore. I didn’t want anyone touching me but Luca.
Realising I still had to act as dreamy-eyed for Rachael as I could, I gently squeezed her hand. She looked lovingly into my eyes. I just wanted to poke them out of her head.
Walking out of the bedroom for the first time in two days shocked me somewhat. I had grown accustomed to that room and only that room. I suddenly found myself venturing into the unknown—unaware of what may lurk around the corner. The thought somehow amplified my awareness.
Out into the expanse of the hallway, I was aware of voices coming from afar in one of the other rooms. It would seem Rachael wasn’t wrong when she told me there were others around.
Holding her finger up to her lips, Rachael led me down the hallway and past a few rooms towards what must have been the front door. We tiptoed as quietly as we could, and Rachael reached out towards the handle to unlock the door. All was silent apart from the voices. All was eerily silent—too silent. It made my heart thump and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I daren’t turn around. I didn’t want to turn around. That part of what had happened was behind me now. I had to move forward. I had to just get the hell out of there.
The whole time Rachael was reaching her hand out, it almost seemed like it was moving in slow motion. I wanted to shout at her—will her to hurry the hell up. It was all taking so long that I had the need to swipe her hand away and do it myself.
Once her hand was there, I almost breathed a sigh of relief. I say almost because a deep voice startled us both from behind. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Knowing that voice from anywhere, I turned around to find Antonio facing us with a handgun pointed in our direction.
“I’m a little disappointed in you, Rachael. I thought we had a deal. I can’t say I’m surprised by this, though. Clara does seem to have a habit of wrapping everyone around her delicate little finger.”
I felt Rachael’s panic as she clung onto my hand. On instinct, I shielded her behind me. I didn’t know why I felt the need to protect her. Rachael was, of course, my enemy, but the fear I had for her life took over. It was a strange sensation. It almost felt like guilt, p
erhaps. I knew she wasn’t safe, and I knew it was all because of me.
“She just needed some fresh air,” she explained, with a shaky voice. “We wouldn’t have gone very far.”
Gripping his gun, Antonio got mad. “You think I was born yesterday? You might be a good fuck, but you’re certainly not the brightest tool in the box, are you?”
Getting angry myself, I stood my ground. “Don’t you talk to her like that!”
Antonio stalked towards me and held the gun to my head. Rachael gasped and then started to sob. All I could think about was how much I wanted to shove that gun up his arse.
“I’ll talk to her how I damn well please, Miss Murphy.” He gripped my arm and yanked me towards the bedroom, as Rachael screamed behind me. “You won’t be so fucking cocky when I have you beneath me as I fuck you hard, will you?”
Shoving me towards the bedroom door, he motioned for me to get in. He then grabbed Rachael’s hair and yanked her, causing her to yelp. I tried reaching out to her, but a gun stopped me in my tracks. “Get the fuck back in that room. I won’t tell you again.”
I folded my arms, trying my best to be brave. “No, not until you let her go.”
Antonio smiled calmly and shouted, “Michael!”
A man I could only assume was Michael walked out of the one of the doors and stood to attention. “Yes, sir?”
“Take Miss Murphy into the bedroom until I come in. I have some business to take care of here.”
“Certainly, sir.” With a smile, this Michael came towards me. I wouldn’t go without a fight, though. Rachael was screaming, and so was I—at the top of my lungs. I kicked, I bit, and I punched this arsehole with all my might. It was no use, though. This guy was twice the size of me and packing some muscles as well. All the guy did was chuckle and push me through the door.
Once inside, he slammed the door behind me, and I decided to reward him with a good old bite to the arm. I sunk my teeth in so deep he yelped and threw me off him. With one quick back-hander, I was on the bed. Michael smiled and came towards me like a lion.
“No, I don’t think so, pal,” I said, getting off the bed as quickly as possible.
I grabbed the nearest thing I could find, which was a bedside lamp, and gripped it tightly.
Michael laughed and came towards me. I knew all too well what was on his mind. Antonio was evil, and he also seemed to employ evil workers in this villainous little empire of his.
“Clara Murphy,” he said, licking his lips. “We’re going to have some fun with you.”
Standing my ground, I gripped the lamp with all my might. “Over my dead body.”
He stalked towards me with a smile. “Oh, I think that could also be arranged.”
I lunged for him. With all my might, I swung that lamp like I was batting for the world fucking series. I didn’t think he was expecting me to swing so hard and so fast. He did try to duck, but I was so high on adrenaline that my strength must have been stronger than normal.
I hit him, and he went down, but it was just at that point when I heard a gunshot from outside.
I raced to the door and turned the handle, but was faced with a gun as Antonio came through the door. “Not so fast.”
Looking below his shoulder, I managed to see Rachael’s lifeless body being carried away by some other men. “What have you done?”
Antonio looked in the direction of where Michael was and laughed. “You really are the feisty one, aren’t you? What happened? Did Michael get too heavy-handed for you?”
I backed away from him, glaring as much as I could, so he wouldn’t know I was intimidated by him. I was determined that he would not see me weak. “Why did you do that to Rachael?”
Antonio flew his head back and laughed. “It was such a fucking waste, but you have only yourself to blame for that. The great fucking Clara Murphy does it again. Princess to the fucking murdering, good-for-nothing scumbag who’s hell-bent on taking over the world.”
“And what does that make you, ha? You’ve killed Rachael and God knows who else. You’re holding me hostage here just to get back at Luca for being alpha-male in your petty little games.”
Antonio thumped his chest in anger. “I’m top-dog around here. Me! I’ve been around here a lot longer than Luca. I should be running the show, and it should be me you’re fucking now—not Luca!”
I rolled my eyes and huffed at him. “Get over yourself. There’s a reason why you’re not top-dog anymore. Have you ever thought of that? You may think Luca is all the things you say he is, but he cares. He wouldn’t have shot a woman down like that in cold blood. He does things only when he has to… Only when he has no other choice.”
Antonio smiled, edging closer to me. “Oh, really? Did he ever tell you about burning my house down, knowing I had my sister inside? Did he tell you she was burned to death at the age of only seventeen? Did he tell you all this?”
With my eyes widening, he knew full well I couldn’t have known a thing. I was shocked and rooted to the spot with such anxiety it burned. How could Luca have done that? Why would Luca do that? It just didn’t make any sense.
Seeing my reaction, Antonio’s face took on a ferocious look. “I told you he had dark secrets. Not only had he killed his own father, but he killed my sister, too. Can you imagine how much revenge I have wanted since then?”
“I can understand that, but this isn’t the way to go about it.”
“Oh no?” he asked, edging even closer. “He took away someone close to me. I loved my sister with everything I had. She was the only sibling in my life, and that sick fucker took her away from me. It’s time I paid him back.”
I shook my head and backed away. “But, I’ve never done anything to you. Rachael never did anything to you.”
“No, but Luca loves you. I can see it as clear as day. I don’t want to kill you. I want to make it so that every time he looks at you, he sees me. I want him to feel sick to the stomach at the thought of me being inside you time and time again. I’m going to come inside you so hard that you’ll be marked by me for life. That’s what I want, and now that Rachael is out of the way, there’s nothing fucking stopping me.” Antonio lunged for me and threw me up against the wall. With one hand free, he squeezed my breast, while holding the gun to my head with the other.
“You’re going to have to kill me before you get your dick anywhere near me!”
Antonio moaned, grounding his hardness into me. “Keep talking like that, baby. You don’t know how much that turns me on.”
Screwing my face up, I felt revolted. “You sick piece of shit!”
Antonio ground himself over me again and again. “Oh yeah… Keep talking like that.” I felt his hot breath on my neck as he kissed me. With his one free hand, he squeezed my breast before trailing down around my hips. He squeezed me into him more as he carried on kissing and biting me.
I felt sick to my stomach. I really didn’t know how much more I could take of all this. It had been too long, and I wondered what the hell was taking Luca so long to find me.
With all the will in the world, I finally came to the conclusion that the only way out of this was death. There was no way in hell I was letting this scumbag anywhere near my body. He would definitely have to kill me first.
With that thought in mind, I pushed Antonio with all the strength I had left in me, sending him flying towards the bed. Michael was regaining consciousness after being knocked out, so I thought I couldn’t spare anymore time. I raced for the door, but as I passed Michael, Antonio shouted for him to get me.
Grabbing my ankle, Michael yanked at it so hard that I fell to the floor. I tried to scramble up, but Michael had such a tight hold on my ankle that I couldn’t break free.
“Get off me, you fucking piece of shit.” I kicked my foot out, connecting it with his face, and I briefly celebrated inside once I saw how much it hurt him. I didn’t think Michael liked that too much as he roared and climbed on top of me, pinning my arms to the floor.
“You fuc
king bitch! You’re going to get it now!”
Michael was about to unbutton my jeans when Antonio grabbed him and yanked him off me. “She’s not yours!”
My God, if I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought Luca was in the bloody room. “I’m nobody’s!” I shouted.
Antonio smiled, looked towards Michael, and handed the gun to him. “Take this, and don’t let her out of your sight. I think I’m going to need both hands for this one. You’re free to watch, but not to participate. Unless of course you can get her to give you a blowjob. How does that sound?”
Michael eagerly nodded his head. “Oh yeah. I’d love to shut that fucking mouth of hers with my cock. Watch her as she chokes on my come.”
Backing away, I wondered how the hell I was going to get out of this. I had not one, but two gunning for me at the same time. Michael grabbed my hair, yanking me to my knees as Antonio held my hands back. I struggled, but Antonio just gripped tighter. I watched in horror as Michael undid his trousers with one hand as he held the gun to my head. He was turned on already. His erection facing me was all too evident.
Michael smirked and yanked my head towards his cock. “Wait!” Antonio bellowed. “I have to get inside her first.”
Bending down, Antonio held my arms back with one hand as the other travelled around the front of my jeans. As he rubbed my crotch, he moaned into my ear. “Hmm, this feels hot, Clara.”
“Fuck you!” I tried twisting out of his grip again, but it was no use. Antonio just laughed.
“I think I’ve wasted too much time already.”
Twisting the button on my jeans, Antonio was about to pull the zipper down when the door burst open. Michael turned, but it was too late. A sound of a gun fired leaving Michael falling to the floor in a heap. What I saw before me had me smiling in relief.
Luca was standing there with the most murderous look on his face I had ever seen. He came forward, but unbeknownst to me, Antonio had another gun on him. Before I could even register it, Antonio had me on my feet and was pointing yet another gun to my head.
LUCA (Because You're Mine) (The Sicilian Mafia Series Book 2) Page 7