by Ella Miles
“Thank you for telling me.” I put the spoon down. “I guess I should be getting back. I need some sleep. “
She smirks. “Yes, you’ll need some sleep to be able to keep up with my brother. “
I blush.
“He cares about you too, you know.”
I freeze as I’m standing up. “What?”
“Matteo, he cares about you. He would never admit it to you or anyone, but he looks at you differently. Even differently than how he looked at Nina.”
“He cares about me because he likes to fuck me and I’m his best shot at getting Nina back. That’s all.”
“Maybe, or maybe he’s falling in love with you.”
“Even if he is, it doesn’t change anything. I don’t love him. I don’t want this life. I want to go back home to my old life.”
“You sure about that? Because it would seem a woman who wasn’t falling for him would try a little harder to escape, especially when given such a glaring opportunity tonight, instead of rushing back to his bed.”
I ignore her and go back to Matteo’s bed, but her words stay with me. I’m not falling in love with Matteo, and he’s not falling in love with me. We hate each other. Sex won’t change that. Killing for each other won’t change that. Not even kindness will change that.
14
Matteo
She thinks she’s winning.
Ever since I killed the Espocito family, she has gotten cocky. At first, she was scared, hesitant. She didn’t like that she was accepting I killed Armas’s family. But now, she’s fearless.
I tested her, leaving the door unlocked giving her a bit more freedom. And every night since the night I killed the Espocito family, she has snuck out.
Every. Single. Fucking. Night.
At first, I thought she was planning on finding a way to escape. I thought she was sneaking out to test my security, to find the weak points so when the timing was right, she would run to freedom.
But that’s not what she was doing. It seems that merely leaving my room whenever she wanted was freedom enough, at least for now. She’s happy with her life, though she will never admit it. And I can’t have her happy. Happy means I’ll never get what I want.
I close my eyes pretending to sleep like I always do. I wrap my arm around her naked body after fucking her earlier in the shower. She thinks I was rough then; she felt like she was drowning as she laid under the water while I fucked her. Tonight, I have even darker plans for her.
She waits for my breathing to become slow, I even fake snore for a while, so she thinks I’m fast asleep. My arm weighs her down, and I think for once, she might not sneak out tonight and my plan to tame her happy thoughts might be squandered.
But she sneaks out like I knew she would.
I grin as I throw the covers off. I’m going to enjoy tonight.
15
Eden
I sneak into the darkness, not for any other reason than I can. I enjoy the little bit of freedom Matteo has decided to give me. I spend the night eating, walking, reading, or sitting quietly in a new room in the house. It’s hard for me sometimes to pull away from his arms. I like sleeping with him wrapped around me, and I still sleep plenty with him. I don’t spend more than an hour or two out of bed. And I have plenty of time while he’s working during the day to nap if I’m tired.
I let the door close slowly behind me, planning on only reading for twenty minutes or so in the library and then returning to Matteo because I enjoy snuggling with him in bed.
“What are you doing out of bed?” Maximo says, as I freeze in the hallway.
“Just getting some food to bring back to Matteo. He’s hungry,” I lie.
“No, you’re not,” he says as Dierk and Paul walk up behind me.
“Matteo gave us strict orders to punish you if you ever broke his rules,” Maximo says.
I smile, trying to keep it together. “I’m not breaking his rules. Ask him.”
“We will,” Maximo says pulling out his phone and dialing Matteo’s number.
Shit.
“Matteo, we caught Eden out of bed. What would you like us to do?” Maximo says.
Please let him say take me back to his room.
Maximo grins. “Done.”
I swallow hard, trying to keep the fear down. Whatever Matteo told them to do I can handle it. It won’t be bad.
“I’ll go back to Matteo…” I say.
“No, you’ll be coming with us,” Maximo says, grabbing my arm.
I elbow him as hard as I can instinctively, not liking his hands on me.
He ducks though, prepared for it this time, and I panic. More hands go on me. More hands than I’m prepared to handle. I try fighting back, but I know at least three guys are holding onto me, and there is no use fighting.
I let them hold onto me and carry me into a room. I feel the bed beneath me as they toss me. My initial thought is to panic. Fight. I’m on a bed with three men standing over me. I should be afraid. Terrified they are going to rape me. But I’m not. If Matteo has made anything clear, it’s that he doesn’t share. The consequences of sharing me are enormous. Death.
So I try to calm my breathing as they stretch my limbs wide and tie me up. Each limb. One by one until I can’t move.
Deep breath. In and out. They can’t touch me. They won’t touch me.
I feel hands on my clothes though. Clothes are being ripped from my body. My shirt is torn in half, exposing my breasts. My pants are cut off.
I’m naked. In front of three men. Men I now hate. Men that had no right to try and embarrass me like this.
They all stare down at my naked body hungrily, and I’m what they are hungry for.
“You’re disgusting. All of you.”
Maximo grins. “We are about to get a lot more disgusting.”
He holds a blindfold in his hand and ties it tightly over my eyes so I can’t see.
“We won’t cover your mouth. We want to hear you scream. We want you to fight. It’s music to our ears. That way we know we are doing a good job when we break you. You’ll be speaking about Nina by the end of the night,” Maximo says.
I keep my lips closed. That’s what this is about. It’s what this is always about. Nina.
A fear tactic to try and get me to talk. It won’t work. Nothing will work.
I’ve endured worse. Whatever they are going to do to me is nothing.
I still don’t believe they will rape me. They might beat me though with whips and bats, anything to get me to speak.
I have to prove to them I can’t be broken. I will never speak, and they will stop.
I feel the strike I was anticipating on my stomach, but I don’t flinch. I’m used to the pain. I imagine Matteo doing it instead of Maximo.
I’m whipped again on my breasts, and the sting against my nipples makes them harden. Begging the attacker for more.
Next is my thighs, arms, and pussy. Each strike is hard and perfect from the hands of someone experienced with a whip.
“You’re sick. You like the pain, don’t you?” Maximo says.
I focus on breathing. I should try meditation after this is all over. I can see the benefits.
“You’re like Matteo. Dark, sick, and cruel,” he continues.
I hear the whip crack again as it hits my stomach.
“Let’s see how dirty you like it.” His tongue licks the side of my face, and my lips curl in disgust.
I don’t want to feel him on me. I don’t want him touching me.
I feel more hands. On my breasts, my stomach, my arms. They are everywhere. Exploring my body, touching me places no man should touch without permission.
“Stop,” I let slip from my lips.
I bite my lip again hating that I spoke.
“You want us to stop, huh? I thought having three men at once turned you on?” Maximo says.
I deeply exhale as I feel hands twisting my nipple and I can’t help but get turned on a little.
Lips on my neck send ch
ills down my throat, and an erection is pushing at my entrance.
No.
I won’t be raped.
Ever again.
But that’s precisely what’s happening at Matteo’s orders.
I take a deep breath in again, letting the musky scent of whichever guy is on me. Matteo?
I try not to react. I take another deep breath as the cock pushes in. A very familiar cock to go with a very familiar scent.
The asshole was messing with me. Trying to make me think I was being raped when I wasn’t.
Two can play this game.
“Stop,” I scream again letting it all out as his cock pushes deeper inside me.
The other guys may have their hands on me as well, but it’s mostly on the outskirts. Holding my arms and legs down, and saying dirty things to keep up the appearance they are raping me, while Matteo does the dirty work himself.
“No,” I cry out as he roughly takes my breast.
“You don’t get to speak,” Maximo says as something covers my mouth and nose so that I can’t even breathe.
I pretend to panic, my arms flailing as best as I can with everyone’s arms on me. I don’t panic though. I know Matteo is here and he is the one in control and if sex with him these last few weeks has taught me anything, it’s he knows my limits and won’t hurt me. So when my lungs start burning and aren’t able to breathe, that’s when the hand is removed, and I suck in a deep breath.
The hand covers my nose and mouth as Matteo thrusts inside of me, hitting the sweetest spots making me come alive like only he can.
I can’t breathe as he thrusts, but it only makes it more invigorating. The fact that three other men are watching with their hands on me should embarrass me, but it only turns me on more that Matteo will let them participate to intensify the experience.
I feel my orgasm growing, and now I can’t hold on. I can’t keep up the ruse that this is hurting me, and I no longer care. I want my orgasm to explode out and give me freedom and pleasure.
The hand is removed so I can breathe, but I can’t breathe as my orgasm explodes through my body.
“Matteo!” I cry out as I come around his dick as he explodes into my body.
No one speaks or moves. Eventually, I feel hands slowly leaving my body until I know it’s just me and Matteo left in the room.
I grin widely and bite my lip as he slowly removes the blindfold.
“When did you figure out it was me this whole time?” Matteo asks.
I smirk. “The second you touched me basically. I know your scent, your touch, and I know what your cock feels like. You can’t fool me.”
He grins. “I thought I would teach you a lesson for sneaking out every night. I guess I need to try harder next time.”
I shake my head. “Lesson learned. But I wouldn’t sneak out if you locked the door.”
He leans down and kisses me hard on the lips. I don’t know why he kisses me. It’s a gentle after fuck kiss, the kind that lovers or people who care about each other give. Not us.
“Let’s get you back to bed,” he says when he stops the kiss, like nothing happened.
I nod and let him undo the ties on my arms and legs before he carries me back to his bed and climbs in next to me before snuggling close.
I don’t understand what we are or even what I want. But maybe that’s the point. He’s messing with my head completely confusing me, so I don’t know how I feel or what I want. I need to get my head cleared now before I let any more confusion cloud my judgment. Or like Gia said the other night, fall in love.
16
Matteo
I should be focused on the new client we are delivering weapons to today. This client is enormous, and if this first delivery goes well, it could continue to be extremely lucrative for the Carini family in many ways.
But I can’t focus on the trade. All I can focus on is Eden.
Damn it.
Fabio said words and I have no idea what. And now he’s waiting for me to respond.
“Exactly,” I say.
He smiles happily at my response. Hopefully, I didn’t agree to give him double the number of weapons for the same price.
I pull out the piece of paper and slide it across his desk.
“Have your team meet us at this address in ten minutes.” I stand up and walk out of the office and out to my car where my team is waiting next to their own cars.
“It’s on,” I say.
The men nod and get in their cars. I do the same and start driving fast to the trade location. The car ride gives me plenty of time to lose myself in ways I can fuck Eden. On the balcony, the pool, my car. Tied up, from behind, in the air. Every way makes me want her more, grow more desperate for her.
My cock can’t stop thinking about her. My brain can’t stop dreaming of her. And I don’t just want sex. I want to drive her in my car and show her all Italy has to offer. Take her to drink fine wines with me and delicious foods. Explore the city and countryside.
I don’t understand what is wrong with me. Or why I feel this way. It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a date. Perhaps I need to invite one of my old girlfriends to do something fun with me this weekend instead of spending all my time on work or Eden. That was my father’s problem. Work started consuming him until it was his entire life.
I hear the danger before I even arrive. I’m the fifth or sixth car to get to the location, but I know that we are being ambushed. And I know it isn’t our new client. He was far too eager to do business, and although he is wealthy, he doesn’t have the experience to launch an attack like the one I’m witnessing.
I don’t hesitate, I park the car and jump out with my gun out, firing off shots into the woods at our attackers. Some leaders don’t get involved in attacks like this. They hang back and let their men do the fighting for them. Carini’s don’t hang back and let others fight our battles. If I’m going to ask my men to fight, I better be willing to take the risk equally as much.
We are outnumbered. I know that much from the bullets whizzing past my head, but that doesn’t mean we are going to lose.
I see my number two, Maximo, to my left. And I give him a look, telling him what I’m thinking without having to say anything. We’ve had plans like this for weeks after the last almost ambush.
We’re ready.
But it’s risky.
Maximo takes some of the men and starts moving them to the left side while I stay with some of the men in the middle. We need to draw them to us so that Maximo and his men can attack from behind.
I move forward out of my hiding spot so Clive and Erick’s men will focus on me. I’m their target anyway. They want to take me out. Make me feel pain. They don’t give a shit about my men.
They think if they can take me out, my men will switch their loyalty to them. They don’t realize to join my ranks you have to be loyal. Too loyal. So loyal you’d die rather than join anyone else.
I see Clive hiding behind his men, not even bothering to attack. Letting his men do the dirty work for him.
I aim at him trying to take him out, but he’s too far away. A bullet grazes my shoulder, but I keep shooting, sticking to the plan. Another hits my leg; I kneel on the ground still shooting. Not stopping until I the plan succeeds.
Another hits my hand knocking the gun out of my hand. I start to reach for it, but one of Clive’s men knocks it out of the way.
A gun is pressed against my head, and I hold my hands up, not that I will surrender. I won’t. I would rather die than surrender.
I glare at Clive and Erick, my body red with rage, as they walk over. They are the reason everything started in the first place.
“Ready to give up yet?” Erick asks.
I don’t give him a response. He doesn’t deserve one.
“Don’t worry; we aren’t going to kill you yet. What fun would that be?” Erick says.
I frown. The only reason they wouldn’t kill me now is if they had bigger plans they thought would hurt me worse. “You can
’t hurt me. Arlo and Nina are gone. And I know you won’t hurt Gia. So there is nothing you can do to hurt me.”
Clive smirks. “Oh, there is certainly a way to hurt you.”
“No, there isn’t.”
“There is,” Clive looks to Erick both smirking at me. “Eden, your new slave toy. Except, she isn’t a slave. You love her.”
I growl. I don’t want them threatening Eden or telling me I have feelings for someone that I don’t. I will never love again. Love only makes things worse.
“My slave is nothing more than property to me. If you steal her, it would be the same as if you stole my car. I would be pissed and kill you. So go ahead and try. I’ll enjoy hunting you down.”
“We will. The only way to stop this is to turn over Nina, but I bet you won’t do that. I think your feelings have shifted.”
I open my mouth to respond but I see the gun coming down on my head, and I know it’s useless anyway. I close my eyes to control the darkness before it comes. But then I don’t have any control at all. I’m lost to the darkness.
I open my eyes and find Eden’s. She’s staring at me, looking at me worriedly, and I’m sure I’m still dreaming. She can’t be worried about me.
I close and open my eyes again to try to force myself to wake up, but when I open them again, she’s still sitting on the foot of my bed staring at me with her big eyes.
“How are you feeling?” she asks.
I frown. “Like hell.”
She nods. “You want some pain meds?”
“In a minute,” I say, sitting up and examining my body. My left shin is sore, along with my right shoulder and right hand. And my head is pounding like I was knocked out.
“Don’t worry; I didn’t stitch up any of your wounds. You wouldn’t be alive if I did. Maximo had the doctor come and remove the bullet fragments and stitch you up. He said you should rest in bed for at least a week, but you probably wouldn’t listen to his advice.”
