Code of Silence

by Tessier, Shantel

  My entire body stiffens at what he’s implying. I want to fucking stab him in the eyes, but this is how he was raised. This is what his life has taught him about how women should be treated, but I won’t do it. “I’m not a Mafia whore,” I spit out. “I will not be some fucking trophy for you to parade around in public while you fuck around behind my back.” I pick up a glass paperweight and throw it at his head, cussing when I miss him by a mile. Damn drunk aim. I would have been spot-on if I was sober.

  His eyes darken, jaw sharpens, and chest bows. I take a step back from his desk. He reaches out, grabbing the netting on my dress, and yanks me forward, making my chest bump into his. “You’re mine,” he growls in my face.

  I begin to tremble as his words penetrate my foggy brain.

  “I own every inch of you now.”

  “I hate you,” I croak out.

  He releases me and runs his knuckles down the side of my face. I whimper at his soft touch, waiting for him to hit me. Do whatever he wants with me to beat me into submission. His eyes drill into mine. “Would you rather it had been you bent over that desk?”

  “I will never willingly lie down for you again.” I lift my chin even though I want to burst into tears.

  His knuckles run lower, tracing my jaw and then my neck. I know he can feel my pulse race. Fuck, I’m panting with fear. Mafia men only marry for one reason; a baby. An heir. We may have talked about marriage in the past, but we never discussed children. And that paperwork proves he’s thought of everything. I should have seen it and realized it sooner. He doesn’t love me. He never did. He just wants to use me. “I won’t give you a family.”

  He grips my hair and yanks my head back. I cry out, but his other hands lifts, wrapping around my throat and cutting off my air.

  I begin to panic and tear at his shirt. But he spins me around where my back is to his front, holding me in place. I gasp for a single breath but get nothing.

  He lowers his lips to my ear. “You will give me as many children as I want. You were born to fucking breed, and that’s exactly what you will do. You’ll give me an army of men who I will train to run this world. Just as I was.”

  He shoves me forward, my heels getting caught in the netting of my dress, and I fall to the black rug. My fingers dig into the thick fibers as tears run down my face, and I choke out a sob. Turning, I look up at him. He’s in the process of zipping up his pants when I manage to say, “I won’t do it.” I shake my head. “I won’t allow you to do that to an innocent child.” I scream the last part, but my voice breaks. “And a girl …” I sob. Dear Lord, what if I have a girl? Would she see the same fate I have? I will never pack up her things and ship her off to live with a monster. Not as my mother did to me.

  He smirks, reading my thoughts like they’re written all over my face. “You know my mother gave birth to a girl before me.”

  My eyes widen. “But … you don’t have any sisters.”

  “My father took her out back and threw her into the pool.”

  I gasp, my hand flying to my mouth. I wait for him to tell me that he’s joking, but he doesn’t. And deep down, I know it’s true. Tears spill from my eyes, and my hatred for Mr. Bianchi grows. I always knew that man was sick. How could you hurt an innocent child?

  “The word was my mom cried for days, weeks, even months after he killed her firstborn. I was born ten months later. Then she was gifted with Matteo. Then my twin brothers. But that wasn’t enough. My father wanted one more son. Well, I was six when another girl came along. I stood outside their bedroom door and listened to the baby cry when she delivered. My mother instantly started bawling. She knew the child’s fate would be the same as her first daughter. But she begged my father not to kill her.” He kneels in front of me. “Do you know what she said?”

  I just stare up at him through watery eyes.

  “She said, ‘Let me keep her. I’ll train her to be a lady, so she can be useful to you as a woman.’”

  My body begins to shake, and I swallow that knot that forms in my throat.

  “You see, Haven, we all play a role in this life, and a woman is very useful if she knows her place.” Then he stands, turns, and walks out of his office.

  Leaving the threat hanging in the air.

  LUCA

  I walk down the hallway, nodding to guests and shaking hands with a smile on my face.

  Fuck them all!

  I invited then to show off my bride-to-be, so they can see how powerful I am with her. My father looks at my mother like she is nothing, a toy to use, and I don’t want that with Haven. No matter how hard on her I am, or what I say to her, I want her to run this city with me. I want her to be the Mafia wife my father always wanted but never got, and I know she can do it. No matter how much she fights it right now, she will be the best damn thing I ever do.

  Walking out onto the back terrace, I spot the Kings standing over by the pool.

  “Nice party,” Bones says, lifting his glass of champagne as I approach.

  “Thanks for coming, Kings.”

  “I never pass up free booze,” Titan replies. “Or a hot piece of ass,” he adds, his eyes glued to a brunette walking by us. Without saying another word, he follows her.

  “Grave? May I speak to you for a moment?” I ask.

  He nods, stepping away from the guys, and we make our way over to the other end of the pool. The white lights floating on top of the calm water give off a soft glow along with the strand of white lights hung from one end of the patio to the other. I wanted to make this place as pretty as possible for Haven, but I don’t even think she’s been out here to see it.

  “Did it work?” he asks immediately once we’re out of earshot.

  “Yep,” I answer, sliding my hand into my pocket and pulling out a baggie. “Thanks for the help and make sure to share with Lucy.”

  He places it in his pocket and chuckles. “Anytime.”

  _______________

  The party has started to die down. Checking my Rolex watch, I see it’s a little after eleven p.m. I haven’t seen Haven since she found me with my pants undone in my office. And no one has bothered to ask me where my future wife went. To most of these men, women are insignificant. To them, her absence is just her way of obeying my commands. As though I ordered her to go and wait naked in our bed until I was ready to fuck her.

  “Nice play, Luca.” My father slaps me on the back. He looks to the left as Bones walks past us. He smiles to himself, conjuring up a plan in his mind. He wants Kingdom, and he knows exactly what to do to get it. “I look forward to this business plan of yours.” He’s referring to my marriage. And I’ll die before I allow him to fuck it up. “But I still think Maria would have been a nice fit to the Bianchi family.”

  I fist my hands at his words but give him a smile. I’ve been trained to stay silent when you don’t agree with him. “Where is Mother?” I ask, changing the subject.

  “She left earlier.” He tips back his champagne flute and eyes one of the waitresses who works for the catering service I hired for the evening. She’s currently talking to Titan who is eye fucking her. “Wasn’t feeling well.”

  I bet she wasn’t. She doesn’t want me to marry Haven. She’s disappointed in me and felt that such a sweet girl deserved better. I don’t disagree with her.

  “I got a call last night,” he says. “Heard that Rossi’s wedding chapel was hit. And Anthony is missing.” Diaz’s son.

  Matteo snorts from beside him. “They won’t find a body.”

  “I did what needed to be done,” I offer.

  I expect my father to argue, but instead, he just takes another drink.

  “I’m off to bed,” I tell him and turn to Nite who walks up next to us. “Kick everyone out and clean it all up,” I order.

  He gives me a curt nod.

  I make my way upstairs to the master suite. I enter, not surprised when I don’t see Haven in our bed. But she’s mistaken if she thinks I’ll let her ignore me tonight. I’ve allowed her to sleep
downstairs for two nights now. That’s more than enough.

  I undo my tie and rip it out from the collar of my white button-down. Laying it over the chair that sits in front of the bay window, I undo my shirt and shove it off my shoulders and then head into our en suite bathroom.

  Opening the door, I find her standing by the whirlpool tub in the corner of the bathroom. She lets out a growl as she tries to reach around and undo the zipper on her dress.

  “Would you like some assistance?” I ask.

  She spins around to face me. Her watery brown eyes narrow on me, but she says nothing.

  “I’ve been looking for you.” Lie.

  “Get out,” she orders, then goes back to trying to reach the zipper again.

  “Let me help you.” I walk across the bathroom, but she shoves me back when I get close.

  “Don’t fucking touch me!” she shouts, looking me up and down with disgust. “You think I’d let you come near me after you fucked that whore?”

  She’s drunk.

  I know it. She knows it. I told her no alcohol, but I know she spent an hour down in the wine cellar. Nothing happens in this house that I’m not aware of. I could have stopped her, but I chose not to. A bottle of wine wasn’t going to hurt her. And I needed the time to put my plan into action.

  “Do you really think I fucked another woman in my office at our engagement party?”

  “I know what I saw.” She seethes, slapping me across the face before heading for the door. Stomping the heels of her Jimmy Choos so hard that I fear they may break.

  “You saw what I wanted you to see,” I say calmly, feeling my cheek throb from her hand. It wasn’t as hard as it could have been. The alcohol’s making her weaker, but I like the way it feels. It tells me that she cares.

  She slowly turns to face me. She blinks. Once. Twice. I can see the words turning in her mind. The shock evident on her face. “No,” she says roughly and shakes her head.

  Fuck, I wanna bend her over the counter and fuck her from behind. It’s been too long since I’ve had her. Felt her. Heard her scream my name. I want to remind her what I do to her. How I made her feel. We can get past this, if only she would let it go.

  “I saw her … the blonde, walk out of your office, then fix her hair and makeup. Then you came out of your bathroom with your pants unzipped.” She swallows. “The used condom … you even confessed you fucked her.”

  I shake my head. “I did no such thing.”

  “Luca …”

  “I made you believe that I fucked her because that’s what I wanted you to think.”

  Her shoulders begin to shake. “Why?” she croaks out, and a tear runs down her face.

  “For this reason, right here. To prove that you still love me.” I walk over to her, and she doesn’t pull away when I reach up and cup her wet cheek.

  “I don’t love you,” she whispers, biting her bottom lip.

  “Lie,” I say, dropping my hand lower to grip her hip. Deep down, she knows I’d never hurt her. Not like that. I have loved this woman for as long as I can remember. How can she think that would just go away? That I could ever walk away from her if it wasn’t for a good reason? Haven isn’t the kind of woman you forget. She’s the kind you never stop thinking about. She’s in your daily thoughts and even in your dreams.

  She sniffs. “Why would you do this?”

  I sigh. “I needed to know that what we have is real.”

  She shoves me away, her face growing hard. “This isn’t fucking real. You’re forcing me to marry you. And this fucking dress …” She trails off, her hands trying to reach the zipper, but it’s too high.

  I spin her around, grip the expensive fabric, and rip it apart. The soft pink lace gives way along with the seam. She gasps as it falls to pool at her feet.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  HAVEN

  I STAND BEFORE him in a white lace thong and my pink high heels. That’s it. The once expensive pink dress lies ripped on the marble floor of the bathroom. Just like my heart. He tricked me. He wanted me to think he cheated. Why? Because he wanted me to get jealous? Will this be my life from now on? Game after game? Test after test? I’ll fail all of them.

  He’s right. I was jealous. But I can’t forgive him for what he did. Or what he made me think he did.

  My lips purse, and my hands fists. I lean into his face. “I will not play a role in your fucking life, Luca.” Then I turn around and go to leave the bathroom.

  His hand grips my hair and yanks me back. I cry out as he places me in front of the bathroom mirror, shoving my hips into the white and gray marble countertop. His hand stays in my hair while the other comes around and grips my chin.

  “Luca, what are you—”

  “Look at yourself,” he interrupts me, shaking my chin. I whimper. “Tell me I’m not the only one who has ever loved you.”

  I swallow the knot that instantly forms in my throat. My watery eyes meet his cold stare in the mirror, begging him to stop, pleading with him not to do this, but he shows no sign of mercy. “No …”

  He spins me around and cups my face. His dark eyes glare down at me. “Your biological mother didn’t want you.”

  “Stop.” My body shakes.

  “Your adopted parents didn’t want you.” His voice rises.

  “Please,” I cry.

  “They sold you into the Mafia, a world that they know you may not be able to survive, for five million dollars!” he screams.

  “Stop!” I shout back.

  “Where are they, Haven?” he demands, his hands gripping my upper arms painfully. “Where the fuck are the people who were supposed to love you?”

  I punch his chest. My fists just slide off, and my body shakes. I hate that he’s right. That he’s all I have left. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. My life. Our love. “You son of a bitch,” I choke out. “I … hate … you …”

  “Quit lying,” he growls. “Quit acting like this isn’t what you’ve always wanted.”

  “You’re not my savior,” I cry, hating that he feels as though he’s doing me a favor. As if he didn’t love me, then no one else ever would.

  He smirks. “You can’t raise hell with a saint, darling.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you’re no innocent, and I have a job to do,” he growls.

  “Now I’m a job?” I shout. “I thought you were doing me a favor?”

  “What I’m doing is none of your business,” he snaps.

  “This is my life!” I seethe. “And I don’t want you anywhere near it!”

  He yanks me to him, and before I can even open my mouth to protest, he slams his lips to mine, aggressively kissing me. I open for him as I always have, and I hate that I pull him closer to me. That I need the contact. I need to feel something.

  Luca has always been my home. My protector. But that changed when he left me alone. Vulnerable.

  I pull back and slap him across the face. The sound bounces off the cream walls. “Fuck you.”

  Without missing a beat, he grips my thighs, lifts me up and slams my ass down onto the countertop. The cold surface makes me whimper.

  He spreads my legs wide, coming to stand between them.

  I try to shove him away, but he easily pushes my hands behind my back and holds them in place by my wrists. His lips fall to my neck. “Fight me, Haven,” he growls, his teeth nipping at my sensitive skin, and goose bumps break out across my body. “Pretend you don’t want me to fuck you.”

  “Luca …” I breathe his name.

  “Tell me you don’t want this. That you don’t want me.” Taking both of my wrists in one of his hands, his now free hand grips my hair and yanks my head back.

  The sound of heavy breathing fills the large bathroom. My chest rising and falling quickly. My nipples are hard, and my mouth is dry. Add the alcohol to my lack of sex life, and I’m completely fucked.

  Letting go of my hair, he straightens and runs his hand up my rib cage and cups my breast
. He licks his lips as his thumb runs over my pebbled nipple before pinching it.

  I cry out, and he releases my wrists. My fingers run through his hair, my nails digging into his scalp. He hisses in a breath before ripping my underwear from my hips. The fabric cuts into my skin before giving in to his strength.

  His hand falls between my parted legs, and he shoves a finger into my pussy.

  I throw my head back and cry out.

  “Tell me,” he orders.

  “What …?” My breath gets caught in my throat as he adds another.

  I could almost cry at the sensation that I’ve longed for too long. No memory or dream could come close to the real thing. To him.

  “How many guys have you fucked since me, Haven?” he growls.

  “Enough.” I pant.

  A growl rumbles his chest. His free hand comes up, grabs a handful of my hair, and yanks my head back again. I pant.

  His dark eyes bore down on mine. And for once, I don’t shrink back. I forget about why I’m here and the ripped dress that lies on the marble floor. My heart pounds and my pussy throbs. I’m wet for him.

  I need to be reminded that I’m his.

  It’s pathetic and completely wrong, but that’s us. Nothing about our lives has ever been clear. Or morally right.

  I lick my parted lips, and whisper, “How many women have you fucked since me, Luca?” I shouldn’t ask, but the alcohol makes me daring. Stupid even. Why not cut myself and bleed for him?

  He gives me a smile that makes my heart beat faster. “You really wanna know, Haven?” he asks, running his nose long my jaw.

  “Yes,” I growl, trying to swallow. He still holds my neck back at an odd angle, and my pussy throbs, begging for his fingers to return.

  “Five,” he answers. His nose runs along my chin. “Each one better than the last.”

  I ball my fists and hit him in the arms.

  “Get mad, baby,” he whispers roughly. “Spread those soft legs and let me show you why you were always my favorite.”

  LUCA

  Another lie. I haven’t been with anyone else since her. And it’s going to stay that way.

  She tries to push me away, but she’s unsuccessful. Her hands slap at my chest, but then they fall to my slacks. She undoes them quickly and shoves them down my thighs, along with my boxers. She grips the base of my hard cock, and I jump when she squeezes it.