by Aria Ford
“A- Ay-ya…” Choking on what little sound I could get out, my lungs burned as black spots assaulted my vision. Before me Luciano tossed his head, but his expression was lost to me as my eyes rolled in their sockets.
CHAPTER TWO
AYA
Waking up slowly, I groaned softly at the light that seeped through my eyelids. Foolishly my groggy mind wondered why the sun could just not rise- just for one day. Snuggling into my pillow, I sunk into the soft comfort beneath me. Relishing these few peaceful minutes, I let myself wake up slowly to postpone the Hellish nightmare I called my life.
“Luciano, sai che non la lascerò stare qui se non ha alcuna utilità.” Hushed, low, the voice pulled me into consciousness violently. Snapping open, my eyelids crackled from the crust that had built over their seams. My lungs filled from a loud, gasping breath, body shooting up even as my memories made seeing impossible.
Cradling my head in my trembling hands, I squeezed my temples as images of Trevor’s body hitting the floor rang in my ears. Whimpers slithered up from my dry throat, and under a silk sheet my toes curled as the muscles in my legs became spastic. Taking great, heaving gulps of air, my body struggled as my mind failed to find a distraction.
“Don’t give me that look. If she’s not useful, she doesn’t stay. I’m not running a house for abused women here, Luciano.” Even muffled by a wall, the words reached me clearly. Squeezing my eyelids shut, I forced my memories back to how Trevor had gotten shot- back to why he’d gotten shot.
Shivering at the monstrous man that had burst into the apartment, I sniffled hard. Dragging down to my neck, my fingers kneaded the tender area only to stiffen.
It doesn’t hurt… My brows came together, questions swirling in my mind in an endless loop. He’d choked me; he made me black out.
“Per cazzo, Luciano! Trovarla un posto e mandarlo lì o metterò una pallottola nel suo cervello.” Slipping into my hair, my fingers balled into fists at the thick, foreign language that breached my ear drums. Rocking slightly, I panted shallow breaths as my heart beat in overdrive. “Look at her- she’s pathetic. You should just put her out of her misery now, my friend. It’ll be easier for everyone that way.”
Thick, callused digits wrapped around my face, and a cry broke through my shivering lips. My bruised side flared with pain, throbbing from my jaw up to my hairline and ear. Tilting my chin, the hand loosened while tears obstructed my vision.
“Luciano-” Blinking hard, it took me a moment to realize the fingers had slipped from my cheeks. Scooting back to the head of the bed, I shakily wiped my eyes before they settled on the hulking, brutish man that stood at the side.
“Sylvi.” That one, harsh word held so much weight it threatened to crush me, and I held my breath. Luciano’s hands balled into fists, his bare arms straining as his muscles tensed under his tanned skin.
He doesn’t even need a gun to kill someone in an instant. The notion made the blood drain from my face, and I shielded my eyes with my palms.
“Fine, but only because you’re my anima fratello. Basta ricordare che ci sono conseguenze per ogni decisione, non importa quanto piccola.” A door shut as soon as the warning settled heavily on my skin. Blood rushed in my ears from a heart that beat too fast, and my gasping pants echoed in such silence. My mind screamed at me to be quiet; hopefully the menacing male would just forget I was here.
Just like everyone else had forgotten me.
“Aya.” Stiffening at the low, growling call, my body seized and my heart jumped into my throat. Those fingers I was becoming familiar with wrapped around my wrists, their grip so tight it drew a whimper from my dry mouth. Prying my hands away, Luciano anchored them to the headboard to search my face with dark, violent eyes. Holding my breath, a surge of panic filled my lungs instead when he scowled.
“Tell me why.” The steel edge of Luciano’s voice licked my skin as if it were an actual, physical knife. Wincing, I sucked in a shallow, heavy breath only to choke as it tried to pass my blocked throat. Squeezing my wrists, he leaned in until his nose touched mine, a sneer replacing his scowl when my hacking coughs plastered along his chin. “Tell me.”
“I- I… I-” Within the confines of my skull my brain tried desperately to come up with words. Gulping harshly, my throat burned as Luciano grunted low. “I- I’m… M-my parents d- died… OD… and T- Trevor… col- c-…”
A harsh, deep rumbling sound cut off my shaking explanation, and a scared mewl breached my open lips. Shuttering my eyelids, I turned my face away to hover up air that smelled like blood and sweat. Luciano’s grasp on one of my wrists loosened, trailing down my arm roughly until he reached my face.
"Tell me who you are.” Stroking my bruised, aching cheek, Luciano bit out the demand; his warm breath swept down to settle against my collar bone. Taking another shallow inhale, I fought the panic that rose up inside me as he probed my injury.
“A- Aya… Aya Wal- W- Walt-ers… Twe- twen-n-ty th-… two… 0- 0… 09- 77-… 6- 69..24…” Stuttering, my words barely made sense even to me, but Luciano simply grunted. My mind wailed, silently berating me for answering so thoroughly.
“You’re lucky, Aya- lucky that fucking pea brain piece of shit decided to play both sides. You’re lucky I was the one that got to you instead of those cunts, the Russians. You’re lucky Sylvi is my brother, or he would’ve shot your brains out of your pretty head along with that traitor’s.” Through my teeth chattering I heard a faint accent, and Luciano grabbed my chin in an iron grip. Forcing my head straight, he brought his other hand down around my neck, but my own didn’t fall. “Look at me.”
The command violently pulled at me, and I cracked open one eye as my breath caught against his hand. Luciano’s face was so close it was distorted; only a few centimeters and his light beard would scratch my skin. Carefully opening my eye on my injured side, I watched his almost black gaze swirl like endless pits.
“Be grateful.” Widening, my eyes took in this man that never asked for anything, instead always demanding. His brows were thick, coming together over a long nose littered with bumps and crevices where it’d been broken. There were thin, almost unnoticeable white lines under his eyes where he’d been punched and the skin had broken.
All of it framed orbs that looked blacker than the deepest part of Hell, holding a murderous turbulence that made goosebumps rise on my skin.
Slowly, oh so carefully, I leaned the tiny space between us, and Luciano did nothing to stop me. His palm was firm around my neck but didn’t push against my airway. My tongue sneaked out to pat my lips, but it did nothing to help the dry, crackling flesh. Tilting my head, I trembled as he cupped my discolored flesh as if I was made of glass; it was so gentle I almost couldn’t feel it.
My lips pressed against Luciano’s nose, the split edges catching on the roughness of his skin. Underneath, the point where his bone had broken and healed were distinct. For a long, heavy moment I kissed that spot, but it couldn’t have been over soon enough. Pulling away, I held my breath as he pushed me back against the headboard. His gaze never dropped mine, the darkness causing my insides to twist and knot.
“Strip. Use the shower in there-” Jerking his chin to the right, Luciano squeezed my neck as his rough voice bore down on me. “Don’t do anything stupid- like try to leave. You won’t like the outcome.”
Releasing me, Luciano stood to his full height only to turn on his heel and leave. His jeans rustled as he sauntered, and I couldn’t tear my eyes from his form. Even covered in a wife beater the muscles on his back were pronounced. Slamming the door behind him, he left me alone; the only sound in the room was the echo of his stomping footfall.
For the first time I noticed the space around me, and I nibbled diligently on my bottom lip. The bed was topped in rumpled, cream colored fabric, and the pillow I was sitting on had small, thin ruffles along the edges. Against my back the headboard’s decorative filigree dug into my flesh, and I winced as my sweaty, dirty skin peeled from the finished surface. Taki
ng a long, slow, stabilizing breath, I closed my eyes and willed my heart to start a regular rhythm.
Glancing over the side of the bed, my eyes widened at the pristine, fluffy, salt and pepper carpet that coated the floor. Underneath me my feet flexed, calves quivering with the ache to dig my toes deep into the ocean of gray. Pulling my leg out, I clutched the comforter as it caressed my skin.
Dripping my toe into the half inch long strands, I gasped at the shock that shot up my leg. My shoulders jerked in a shudder, and I groaned softly as I pushed the pad of my foot into the carpet.
It was so soft, so very soft. The strands slipped between my toes as they flexed and curled.
CHAPTER THREE
LUCIANO
“Georgio! È passato molto tempo da quando sei venuto a visitare.” Behind the friendly smile, the enthusiastic greeting, I could smell the frustration that was rolling off Sylvi’s shoulders. Leaning back on my heels, I eyed my brother with a growing scowl dragging down my lips. He was tense, his shoulder stiff under his fine suit and hair tousled from the raking of his fingers. Offering Georgio his hand, Sylvi stood tall and firm- but I knew the truth.
My brother was fucking pissed.
“Sylvi, my boy. We are in America! Let us speak English, yeah? So, explain to me what has been happening. I am to understand that with you in charge things have been… exploding.” I had to suppress a snort, and my gaze shifted easily to Georgio’s silver topped form. He might’ve been old, but he could give a good fight and proved it. Even just stepping away from Sylvi, the man screamed authority and power. His thick Italian accent settled heavily on the quiet tarmac, and my eyelid twitched in annoyance as Sylvi chuckled.
“Booming, Georgio. Business is booming. And yes, I like to think I’m an improvement over Luccia. Come. Let’s take a ride and we can discuss all that you want. I’m sure you remember Luciano, my best man.” Turning to me, Sylvi nodded his head even as my ire rose. Intelligent, blue eyes met mine, narrowing as they shrewdly skimmed my face and over my shoulders. Everywhere Georgio’s gaze lingered appreciatively I felt the urge to burn my skin off.
“Of course I remember. I was interested in him myself once, you know, Sylvi.” My pupils constricted to fine points at Georgio’s slight smirk, and my lip curled into a nasty snarl.
“I’ll never go back to Italy for you, old man.” If it had been anyone else, he probably would’ve had a heart attack as my voice ricocheted off the concrete. Georgio only nodded, his sharp eyes narrowing into slits despite the fact that he had lost this fight long ago.
“I’m very aware you prefer Sylvi to myself, Luciano. I can attribute your success here in America to his bond with you. I have no intention of severing it. Even the thought of you fighting cannot dredge up that casket.” Letting out a hot, hard breath, I pursed my lips together before Sylvi finally got between us. His cleanly shaven face was nothing short of bemused; he couldn’t hide the satisfaction that he had something Georgio would never get it hands on.
“Now, now. Let’s not get side tracked, Georgio. It’s good you two got this out of the way considering we’ll have an hour car ride ahead of us, though.” Easing the tension, Sylvi flashed a charming smile at his boss before holding his arm out. “Allow me to assist you. I would like to discuss the past few years better now that we’re face to face once again.”
Sliding into the passenger seat of Sylvi’s sleek, nondescript vehicle, I sunk in my seat and spread my legs wide. Taking up the entire space, my body relaxed slightly at the rumble and hum of the car beneath me. A divider separated Sylvi and Georgio from the driver and I, and my lungs finally deflated fully.
I hate that perverted, sick fucking bastard.
Even as a young man, not even into my own, I knew that Georgio was one crazy fucker. Never once had he disappointed me in the lengths he was willing to go for money or what he wanted. It was disgusting- the rumors I’d heard growing up in his Italy home.
That wisp of a memory had my hands clenched into fists against my thighs as it brought up a more recent scum I’d dealt with.
Trevor was a piece of shit, no doubt, but I had never expected him to hold a woman captive. He wasn’t charming or handsome enough to pick up a girl, and he hated working hard enough to kidnap one.
But Aya had been handed to him on a silver platter. A low rumbling sounded in my chest at the thought, and my nails bit into my palms. I almost hadn’t noticed her back in that shitty cesspool someone dared to call an apartment. She blended in with everything else- a dingy, gross brown coating her, bare skin or not. Turning to stare out the window through tinted glass, I let her puzzle fill my mind.
Aya’s parents had overdosed- I had been able to understand that much. They’d probably gotten their drugs from Trevor, too. It’d obviously been a long time since then.
Scowling at my faint reflection, I reached into the door to pull out a near full pack of cigarettes. Cracking the window, my hands knew what to do as my mind went back to my current problem.
There was plenty of evidence that Trevor was running for the Russians, but never once had any of Sylvi’s spies caught a whiff of a girl. Which means either no one knew about her, or she’s important to those ass fuckers somehow.
Sucking on the butt of my cigarette, I took the toxins deep into my lungs and held it. The taint seeped eagerly into my body, and I ashed my burden in the tray before blowing the smoke towards the window.
“Fuck it.” Grumbling lowly, I gnashed my teeth as smoke seeped from my nostrils to cloud my vision. Across the center console the driver shuffled, and my eye rolled in its socket to watch him. He was new, young, but if Sylvi was to be believed could drive like a maniac. Taking another drag, my lips upturned as the boy frowned before parting in an exhale.
The more uncomfortable the better; it was always fun to watch people squirm.
By the time the car rolled to a complete stop my window was all the way down, my arm flung out to hang against the door. The courtyard of Sylvi’s rather modest mansion was absent of all life aside from Lilli. Casting my gaze on her curvy, buxom form, I couldn’t help the irritation that clogged my throat. Of course she would be waiting with that power hungry glint in her eye.
Tossing my half burned cigarette onto the cobbled pavement, I popped open my door to climb out with a grunt. Instantly Lilli’s gaze was on me, and a small, innocent smile picked up the corners of her thick, plump lips. Rolling my eyes at the display, I left the door open just as Sylvi opened his. The woman had big dreams and even bigger tits no matter the thin, black turtleneck that kept them at bay. Sylvi really knew Georgio’s tastes.
“-ll admit, I didn’t expect you to live in such a… humble place.” Georgio fixed his suit jacket as he spoke, ogling the place his underling called home. Sylvi’s was a fraction of the size of the mansion we’d grown up in, but it was still more than enough. Baby blue siding covered the entire exterior; it looked like an abnormally large house from the front.
“You know I don’t like the pompous fanfare, Georgio. Anyway, let me introduce you to Lilli. She will be your hostess for your stay. Anything you need, just ask her.” Glancing back at the brunette, I almost felt bad for her as she played herself up. Her pale cheeks filled with red as Georgio gave her a once over, and she even did a small curtsy.
I wonder what Sylvi told you about Italy… Behind Georgio my friend caught my eye, and he let a small, sinister smirk peek through his businessman facade. I didn’t react; torturing women wasn’t my fancy, after all. Whether it was him or someone else, Sylvi got off on beating poor, defenseless women to death. There was no doubt in my mind Sylvi had put Georgio in a room he could monitor just for that purpose.
And Georgio was the type of man that could only get off watching pitiful creatures piss themselves in fear of him. It didn’t matter if he was inside them or simply pummeling them with his weapon of choice.
Taking the small, short step that led to the front porch, I shook my head free of the past three hours. Striding through the foyer
and the living room, I shouldered my way into the kitchen. Chrome and stainless steel surrounded me instantly, the metal standing out against the dark orange that coated the walls and swirled into the marble counter tops. Easing my way around a wide, long island, my legs automatically carried me to the refrigerator.
Already the meals for this week were prepped, waiting for skilled hands. I pushed past it all, ignoring everything but the container of leftover chicken and pasta. Tomatoes squished against the side of the clear tub, and I shut the refrigerator door to grab a fork.
The house was quiet; only a few staff worked here after six P.M., and it was only Sylvi, a few trusted men, and I. As I shuffled up the stairs to the second floor there were no pictures on the wall to distract me. Instead, there was just a monotone eggshell color that was slowly but surely fading.
“Luciano, you’re back. How’d it go?” Glancing at Tyler, I only grunted in response as he swiveled in his chair. My gaze went straight to the wall of monitors he watched constantly, and he didn’t waste any time opening his mouth again. “I’ve been watching her like Sylvi wanted. I gotta say, Luciano- she’s a weird one even for me.”
Aya was on the main screen, her body prone as it sprawled across the floor face down. Her nakedness was flawless, but a frown still dragged my lips at how skinny she was. Jerking my head, I set down my burden and leaned against the desk before Tyler continued.
“I have no idea why she was with Trevor, but I really doubt the Russian’s know about her. She spent ten minutes just feeling the carpet with her feet. I could say she’s extremely sheltered, but the way she’s acting doesn’t add up. It’s odd. With the carpet, she acted like she never touched one before, but she could use the shower knobs fine. Even then… it was like she didn’t know what hot water felt like. She was in there for two hours, and a good chunk of that wasn’t even in the shower. She just let the water run along her hand and stared.”
