by Sam Crescent
“I’m not used to stuff like this.”
“Men touching you?”
“Anyone touching me, to be honest.” She bit her lip. Why was she telling him all these things? He didn’t own her heart or her mind.
He was a guy.
She didn’t get along well with men.
This was crazy.
Maybe it was the medication he’d given her.
She didn’t know.
“You’re a virgin?” he asked.
Her cheeks heated. “I don’t want to keep on talking.”
“It’s fine. If it makes you feel better, I have a knack for making people talk.”
“You do.”
“Yes. It’s why I’m so good at my job.”
“What do you do?”
“I make people talk, spill their secrets, and I protect my bosses.”
He’s mafia.
He’s a monster.
“I’m so tired.”
“Sleep, sweetheart. Sleep.”
Chapter Three
With the breakfast tray fully loaded, Vincenzo made his way upstairs to see his current guest. Not that he imagined she liked being called his guest. He’d watched her several times throughout the night try to make an escape, even though they had been pathetic attempts, seeing as she could barely move.
Clearly, it hadn’t taken her very long to put two and two together to realize who he was, or at least who he was associated with.
Normally, he liked to see that fear that people often got when associated with him. Seeing the look in her eyes though had left him cold. Again, this woman was doing things to him that he wasn’t entirely sure he liked.
This was all a new experience for him.
Opening the bedroom door, he saw she was missing.
Putting the tray on the bed, he glanced around the room. There was no sign of an open window. Just as he was about to check the rest of the house, he heard the toilet flush, followed by running water.
When she opened the bathroom door, she froze. “I just needed to use the bathroom.”
“You’re free to do so.”
“But not free to leave.”
“On doctor’s orders, you must be taken care of.”
“I, erm, I think I should be fine. You don’t have to come and, you know, take care of me.”
“Is it just me personally you have an aversion to?”
“An aversion to what?”
“Taking care of you?” He folded his arms, watching her.
She stood in her underwear with every single curve on display. She had a really nice set of tits, and he loved her hips. Damn, he could imagine holding them as he fucked her hard. She deserved a nice, good fucking. Something hard that made her scream.
Arika glanced down at her body and quickly started trying to hide herself.
“No need to do that for me.”
“I’m … I’ve never been nude before in front of a guy.” She slapped her hand to her mouth, and the jolt once again caused her to wince. “I really need to stop doing that.”
“I brought you breakfast. I hope you’re hungry.”
As if on cue, her stomach rumbled.
“Sit. Eat.”
“Do you always order everyone around?”
“Yes, and I always get what I want.” He pulled back the covers, and she gently slid into bed. He couldn’t help but stroke her skin as he placed the blanket back over her, making it look like an accident. She tensed up, but he ignored that.
Clearly a virgin when it comes to everything.
He put the tray on her lap.
“Now I want you to eat everything on this plate. It’ll do you good.”
She stared at the food, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth.
He wanted to pull it out and bite that lip. Have her mouth open so that he could taste her. She’d look so pretty with his dick sliding between her lips, hitting the back of her throat, swallowing him down. He’d make her take all of him as well, every single inch until he filled her mouth with his cum and watched her swallow every drop.
His dick hardened at the thought, and he quickly adjusted himself so he wasn’t in any kind of pain.
She poured some milk into the bowl of cereal he’d prepared for her. He had a lot of skills in the kitchen, but he didn’t know what she liked just yet. Besides that, the way she kept fidgeting showed she didn’t have an appetite.
“I’m not used to being taken care of,” she said. “I’ve been alone for a long time. I can usually take care of myself.”
“Well, you need someone now. I’ll talk to your boss at the diner. Anyone else I need to speak to?”
“My college professor. Erm, I really need to finish a couple of assignments that I have.”
“They’re not in your bag?” He knew they weren’t.
“They’re at my place. I don’t mind going home. You know. I can rest there.”
“And I can see a lie when I’m being told one. You’re not going home, not yet.”
“I won’t go to the cops.”
“You don’t need to go to the cops.” She had her head bowed over her bowl of cereal. Reaching out, he gripped her chin. “You need to understand something here, Arika. You go to the cops, you die. Who I work for will kill you because you were at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“It doesn’t exactly seem fair.”
“Life isn’t fair. Now, I will have a friend come here to take care of you while I go to your apartment.”
“Who?” she asked.
“The man I was with last night.”
He saw she wrinkled her nose.
“You don’t like him? He has a thing for one of the waitresses that works there.”
“I know him. It’s why Rachel changed shifts. She wants nothing to do with him. He kind of scares her.”
“A lot of people in our line of work will do that.” He couldn’t help but smile as it was just so fucking funny. Daniel didn’t have a clue that he was being avoided.
“Please don’t tell him. Rachel was already scared about changing her shift. She doesn’t want to get involved with him.”
“If it helps I will talk to Daniel a little later and he’ll stop bugging your friend.”
She nodded.
“Eat your food. I’ll grab you a shirt so you don’t have to worry about covering yourself. I don’t own a television, but I do have a vast collection of books.”
“Any romance?”
“I can get you a few romance books if that’s what you want.”
“You can?”
“Yes.”
“Have you read them?” she asked.
“That is not something I’m going to tell you.”
He held out a shirt, and she pushed her arms in the air. He slid the fabric over her body, pleased with the fit. His clothes looked good on her.
Once she finished her breakfast, he took the tray and located the books he’d mentioned. He had read them as they were a nice way to relax after a long day of death and torture. Placing them on the bed, he called Daniel to arrange for him to keep an eye on her. With that done, he grabbed a bag to put her items inside, and within thirty minutes, Daniel was there.
“I can’t believe you’re making me babysit her.”
“You’ve got no choice. If she is hurt or dead when I get back, I will keep you alive for a year while I make you pray for death. Do you understand me?”
“For fuck’s sake, Vince. What is this? She’s not even pretty.”
“Do as I say, got it?”
“Got it. Not a hair will be harmed in protecting her.”
“Good.” He left his home, ignoring the suburban wives that were cleaning their cars. Most of them looked like they were being neglected by their husbands. He got a good kick out of watching the world go by. Seeing them flirt with either the postman or someone else that caught their attention. There was a young man who mowed lawns, and that kid had gotten a lot of personal attention.
He didn’t need to be near the mafia to get h
is kicks. Just watching normal people was fucking crazy.
Climbing into his car, he headed toward the diner first. He had no doubt that one word from him and Arika would be clear to keep her job and have a few days’ paid vacation. They didn’t need to know that she had a gunshot wound that she was recovering from.
His cell phone rang, and he clicked the accept button, placing it against his ear. He had no problems driving past cops. They all knew his car, and if they didn’t, running the plates would let them know who they were dealing with.
“Barbato,” he said.
“Ah, my favorite executioner. What do I need to know?”
“I extracted the names of the traitors that would serve to throw off your crown and replace you. We took one out last night. It had to be a body dump as something came up. Don’t worry, it also contains a message so those will know who they are dealing with.”
“The Vitales need to learn to keep their own turf.”
“They’ll get the message.”
“Is there anything else I need to know about?”
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell him about Arika. Galiza had been more than a friend; he’d been his savior. He didn’t get along with all in the family seeing as Galiza had several sons who felt like their father showed him more attention.
There was no way he’d take over as a Galiza. He was merely a tool for their use, the mafia beast they needed to make the bad shit go away.
“There was a complication, but I’m dealing with it.”
“Do I need to worry about this … complication?”
“No.”
This was his safety net. He wasn’t lying to Galiza. He was just not telling the man the whole truth.
“Then I will let you handle it the way you know how.”
Conversation terminated.
Vincenzo hung up and continued with his plan.
****
The romance book had clearly been read, but that didn’t mean Vincenzo had actually read it. Arika ran her fingers down the spine and wondered if he had. Would he have enjoyed this kind of book? He didn’t seem like the kind of man who would read something like this.
Biting her lip, she flipped the book over, staring at the sexy man on the cover.
She liked a good romance.
For a few hours she could pretend to be like the heroine in the story, just waiting for that special someone to come and take her away. Of course, that would never happen, but she didn’t need a man to be happy.
Movement near the door scared her. Holding the book tightly, she stared at the man from the diner last night, the same one that had been harassing Rachel. Well, not really harassing, but in a way, yes. She didn’t know if asking for dates would constitute harassment. Rachel said most guys wouldn’t be a problem, but, seeing as Daniel was who he said he was, she didn’t want to get involved in that life.
“You’re alive,” he said.
Glancing down at herself, she nodded. “It certainly appears that way.”
He tilted his head to the side. “I don’t get what he sees in you. He barely knows you, and yet he’s determined to keep you alive.”
She didn’t say anything as he walked into the room.
He shrugged. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. If you stay tense like that with a gunshot wound, you’ll hurt later.”
She tried not to tense, but, seeing as she was now alone with a man she didn’t really know, she couldn’t seem to help it.
He sat down in the chair near the bed.
Vincenzo had sat in it last night, watching her.
She didn’t know if he’d even been able to sleep.
“Do you know who we are? What we’re associated with?” he asked.
Staring at him, she nodded her head.
“Ah, so you know you’re dealing with one of the deadliest messengers the mafia has?”
“You’re a deadly messenger?”
“Not me. I’m the bodyguard to the messenger. Vince is…”
“Vince is the deadly messenger?”
“Yes. He has a knack for hurting people. For making them talk. For getting them to divulge all of their secrets, really. You know how it is?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have a clue what you mean.”
“Well the longer you stay here the higher the chance is that you’re going to find out. I’d be careful around Vince. Nothing ever ends well with him.”
“Why are you telling me this? Do you just want to scare me?”
“I want to prepare you.”
“Prepare me for what?” She didn’t like this man. He made her nervous.
“For what is to come if Vince doesn’t get over this little obsession he’s developed with you.”
She stared at him, not really sure what to say.
It seemed in the past few hours she’d not been able to say anything of any real relevance in her mind. Between Vincenzo and Daniel, her life was in danger.
“He’s part of the mafia, Arika, but he’s not one of the most important families.”
“He told me that if I knew too much it was dangerous for me. I don’t want to know anymore.” She didn’t want to die.
“You’re scared?”
“I just want to get well and go back to my life.”
“Too late for that, I think. You’re involved now. Whether you like it or not, you’re not going to walk away. You see, Vince is someone special.”
She noticed he kept calling the man who was taking care of her “Vince” and not his full name.
She rather preferred Vincenzo. It sounded less threatening to her.
“He’s the one the mafia sends to get a message across.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat, seeing the joy in Daniel’s face.
“You get off on scaring people?” she asked.
“I get off on doing my job. It’s why I was placed with Vince in the first place. I keep him safe. Of course, that bastard is even more sick in the head than I am. I admire him. He’s known as the ‘Mafia’s Beast.’ He gets the job done. When he comes to call, there’s going to be a lot of pain and a lot of death. He’s got a reputation for torture. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. I once saw him cut a man’s dick off and shove it in his mouth. He then taped his mouth shut while he proceeded to cut another body part off him. It was a work of art, I tell you. Fucking disgusting, but so damn good to watch.”
Tears filled her eyes.
She didn’t want to be here, and this man was making it impossible for her to be comforted by what he was saying.
“This man will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Right now, you’re a distraction. If I was you, I’d use whatever it is that has him so enthralled to keep him that way, otherwise it’s not going to end well for you.”
He leaned over, patting her leg.
She couldn’t help but flinch at his touch.
The last thing she wanted was for him to touch her.
He laughed, the sound of delight spilling from his lips.
He got up and made his way toward the door.
He wants you to be afraid.
That fucker just got off on terrifying you.
Watching him leave, she saw the swagger in his walk, and she hated it. This man was a fucking bully. Thinking about Rachel, she didn’t want to be another woman scared.
“How did he become this beast?” she asked.
She didn’t really want to know, but she also didn’t want to back down. This man got off on hurting people, scaring them.
Living in the foster system, she’d seen a lot of stuff. There wasn’t a lot that could frighten her. Many of the kids would tell each other tales of some of the real shitty placements they’d been in. The abuse, the pain, the sex trades. All of it had been a living, breathing nightmare. It was why she stopped wanting to be adopted and just waited until she left the system when she was of age.
Daniel turned around.
For a second there was surprise on his face. “You want to know more
?”
“Why not? You’re more than willing to talk, and I’m a little bored.” The last thing she wanted was for this man to think he’d won. There’s no way she’d let that happen.
Fear wasn’t something she was ever going to allow to defeat her.
He walked back to his seat and sat down. “You do surprise me.”
“You think that’s the scariest thing I’ve heard in my life?”
“I’m not talking about horror stories, girl. This is real life. Vince tortures people. Rips out their fingers, cuts body parts off, hurts them. He’s even killed women too. Backstabbing whores that needed to be put in their place.”
In the back of her mind, Arika actually gave a cheer for Rachel for changing her shifts. This man came across as the nice guy, but the reality was far worse than that. He was one of the biggest monsters out there.
“So he kills people. Tortures them. Does he use stuff?”
Daniel smiled. “That depends on the job, really. Whatever takes his fancy, he’ll use on anyone. Knives, guns. I watched him shoot a guy in the leg, not to bleed out or have a quick death, that’s not Vince’s style. No, he likes to make it painful. The traitors always get what’s coming to them.”
“So, if it wasn’t about bleeding out, what was it about?” she asked.
“He had a bunch of rats with him. Once he shot this guy and the scent of blood started to fill the air, so he unleashed the rodents and watched as they all swarmed around this guy. There was no way for him to escape. It was a thing of beauty, really. You’d be surprised what a group of thirty rats can do to a human.”
She was going to be sick.
This was a really bad idea.
Up until last night she’d been in her own little bubble where no one could touch her. Now, she was living with a man who would be taking care of her. Only, the man taking care of her was a monster.
A monster she couldn’t run from.
Did she know too much now?
Daniel kept on talking, and after a while each story seemed to bleed into another.
She had to get out of here.
Chapter Four
Vincenzo placed the bag of books on the kitchen counter, and within seconds Daniel was there.
“That didn’t take long,” Daniel said.
He noticed the smug look on his guard’s face.
