by Linzvonc
“Care for a walk around the gardens before you leave? It would be a shame to waste an opportunity to explore something so beautiful,” he didn’t blink as he gazed at me.
My cheeks flushed beneath his gaze, but I lifted my chin and met his eyes. “I’d rather go home.”
“To Leo?” he said coolly.
“Yes,” I murmured.
“Then I shall get your things, and I will call him for you. I assume he will arrive quickly, but please, take a shower and put on some fresh clothes. I will have a maid bring you something in. We have clothes in all sizes, don’t look so alarmed. I can guess yours,” his eyes raked down my body slowly as he nodded.
“Please,” he gestured towards the bathroom and turned to leave the room, his cologne lingering behind.
You couldn’t make this shit up.
Part Two: Chapter Ten
CAL
I gripped the phone as Michael’s words washed over me.
“Lucia brought her here. Come and get her.”
I hung up, dizzy with relief as I stared into my brother’s eyes.
“That was Michael. He said she is there.”
Drake whistled with happiness. “Well, thank fuck for that. I’m coming with you.”
I didn’t have the strength to argue as he followed me to my truck, the two of us attracting attention as we walked.
I didn’t think it was that obvious we were brothers. I suppose we shared the same stocky build, but while I had dark blonde hair, his was a deep chocolate brown, which showed no sign of fading as he got older. He wore it long, tying it up in a bun in summer.
Summers in New York were deadly anyway, the heat bouncing from building to building like a pinball lost in a machine. I don’t know how he coped with long hair and a beard, I wanted to shave mine off in the heat.
We got in my car and began the journey to the Salvatore house, my heart in my throat the entire way. Every obstacle that could have cropped up, did. The traffic dragged at a snail’s pace as I growled with frustration.
“You aren’t going to lose your shit, are you?” Drake sighed.
I glared at him.
“That depends.”
“On?” he pressed.
“How she is. She better be as she was the last time I saw her.”
He smirked at me then. “Irrevocably in love with you?”
I didn’t answer as we pulled into the street that held my girl captive. The one place in the world I wouldn’t have ever wanted her to go to, the place that held my most horrific memories.
Maybe I should burn this fucking house down.
I cut the engine as I jumped out, running up the steps, the door unguarded this time.
Drake caught up with me as the door swung open to reveal Michael Salvatore, his dark eyes taking in my brother and me.
“Come in.”
I intend to.
My eyes scanned the room, and I frowned when I didn’t see her.
“Where is she?!” I hissed, unable to contain my rage.
Michael narrowed his eyes as he folded his arms, his voice low and deadly. “I think you mean, thank you. She’s a beautiful woman, I almost wanted to keep her here a little while longer.”
White hot fury ran through me as I walked towards him, my face close to his.
“She is mine. Don’t even think about her in that way.”
The eyes of the soon to be ruler of the underworld widened with delight at my words.
“I see. If she was mine, no one could take her from me. Yet, she spent the night here last night,” he leaned back on a chair, goading me to knock his teeth out of his handsome face.
“Because you fucking forced her, you bastard.”
Drake was between us, his eyes on mine as he spoke. “Leo. No. This isn’t what she needs right now. She needs to go home. Think of her.”
I turned away as Michael chuckled.
“I can assure you, Leonardo. I didn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to do.”
What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
I moved towards him when I heard her voice, like an angel calling to me.
“Cal?”
I turned as she raced down the stairs, her eyes filling with tears as I caught her in my arms, burying my face in her hair. Her scent filled my nostrils, calming my senses as it always did.
“Are you okay? I’m so fucking sorry,” I mumbled, aware my eyes were filling up too.
She meant so much to me and having her in my arms now made me realize how special she was. I held her away from me as I searched her face, her lips moving close to mine—
“Leonardo.”
The voice cut through our reunion like a knife as I tensed, turning to see Michael grinning at me.
“I suggest you take better care of this one. You are lucky to have such a woman.”
I noticed him staring beyond me, his eyes meeting hers. I glanced around as she dropped her eyes from his gaze, her cheeks flaming. He had that effect on women, being who he was, but also being blessed with those Italian good looks helped him along.
Suave bastard.
“Drake, take Gretchen to the car,” I ordered, as she made her way into Drake’s open arms. They had met before and had formed a friendship that drove me wild with jealousy until I realized they regarded each other as siblings would. They left, and I twisted towards Michael.
“I appreciate you letting me know she was here. It doesn’t mean I owe you a damn thing, though. I know you hate me; the feeling is mutual. I’m sorry about Lucia, but I’m not the one that hurt her. She cannot do this again, Michael. See that she doesn’t.”
The storm in his eyes forced me to step back, but it was then that I noticed a cigar being lit in the far corner of the room, the orange embers the only source of light.
“You’ve got some balls, kid. Speaking to him that way, others have died for much less. Lucia was in the wrong, and that is the only reason you are going to walk out of here. Now get the fuck out.”
I nodded, glaring at Michael as I left. Verno had spoken, and I respected him. But Michael— he was a different breed.
I didn’t trust him at all.
Part Two: Chapter Eleven
GRETCHEN
I bit my lip nervously as Cal slammed the door shut behind me, his eyes on mine.
I knew he would beat himself up, and I wished there was something I could do. He frowned as he took in the deep red vest I wore over tight jeans, his jaw tensing.
“Where did you get the clothes?” he muttered.
“Michael said he had some clean ones as all I had were my pyjamas.”
His eyes narrowed as he nodded slowly, walking towards me.
“I don’t like you wearing anything from him.”
I reached down, pulling the top over my head and peeling the jeans from my legs, tossing them on the floor.
“Better?” I snapped, annoyed that was all he cared about right now. “I get it. You don’t like him. But he was perfectly decent to me, and all I want right now is for you to change the fucking locks.”
His eyes widened as he took in my words. “Lucia did this. I’m so sorry.”
“Cal. She’s messed up... she went through so much it’s insane,” my voice trailed off, aware he was shaking his head at me.
“I know what she went through, Gretchen. But that doesn’t give her the right to abduct my fucking girlfriend,” he spoke through his teeth and I froze, aware this was probably the angriest I’d ever seen him, but what chilled me to the bone was how eerily calm he was.
“Cal, it could’ve been so much worse. I’m fine, no one hurt me. Okay?”
“No, Gretchen. It’s anything but.”
I wanted him to hold me in his arms and kiss me, fuck me, anything but look at me like he was now. His green eyes filled with sadness.
“Cal—”
He held his hand up, silencing me.
“I can’t protect you against a woman. What good am I to you? She could’ve killed you. Yet the
only reason she knew you even existed was because of me. She wanted to hurt you— because of me. I need to consider that.”
He moved towards the kitchen, peeling off his hoodie and tossing it to me, his scent wrapping itself around me like a comfort blanket.
“I’m going to make you something to eat.”
What is going on?
Why is he being so cold?
I followed him into the kitchen, wrapping my arms around myself as I watched him pouring oil into a pan. He pulled out vine tomatoes and began chopping them roughly, tossing them into a bowl of salad leaves, his eyes refusing to meet mine.
“Cal, don’t shut me out,” I whispered, a lump rising in my throat as he dropped steak into the oil, the sizzling filling the silence.
He continued cooking, adding mushrooms and garlic to the pan as though I hadn’t spoken.
“Cal.”
I moved towards him, pressing my body against his back and felt him tense beneath me.
“Talk to me.”
He turned the steaks with one hand, the other holding mine tightly. I trembled as he turned to me, his eyes dark and deadly.
“I’m fine. Just tired and hungry, I guess.”
He was lying to me.
Despite everything we had been through, he’d never pushed me away like this. I moved back, hoping he would pull me back to him, but he didn’t, he just carried on as though nothing had happened.
“I’m going to takea shower, okay?”
He nodded silently as he grabbed a beer from the fridge, putting him out of my sight temporarily.
Where is my Cal?
After I showered, I dressed quickly, my tummy rumbling at the smell of steak and garlic.
I walked into the kitchen to see mine in the pan, with the large salad beside it in a glass bowl.
He’d poured me a glass of my favourite red wine, and I took a sip, closing my eyes as the familiar taste slid down my throat with promises of calm and relaxation not far away. Before I knew it, I’d drained the wine, and I examined the empty glass with surprise. I shrugged, topping it up and taking a large mouthful.
“I’m sorry.”
The voice startled me as I jumped, turning to see Cal leaning against the doorway watching me, his eyes staring down at the floor.
He was still topless, and I tried not to stare at his delicious body, tanned and toned in all the right places. His jeans were loose on his hips, as though he had taken them off but changed his mind last minute, meaning I could see the delicious V that led down to his silky cock.
I blinked, aware I was off in a fantasy world whilst he was watching me with a bemused expression on his face.
“If you are thirsty, you’d be better drinking something that will quench your thirst, not wine,” he nodded at the half-empty bottle in my hand, “but it goes down very well with the steak.”
I took another gulp of wine as I slid the steak onto my plate, the mushrooms and garlic falling along with it, making my mouth water. I added salad for the fact it was there more than any intention to eat any. I carried my plate to the table and closed my eyes as the steak fell apart in my mouth, amazed that this man knew exactly how to cook my steak despite only being told once.
Wow.
He grabbed another beer as his phone rang, and I heard him answer as he walked into the hall. I never listened to his conversations because I didn’t want to hear the content if I was honest— I knew Cal did business with some unsavory characters and I liked to distance myself from that as best as I could.
Since being in New York, I hadn’t been exposed to any part of that world until now, and it was fucking terrifying.
I chewed my food as I sipped the wine more slowly now as it took effect, making my heart beat that little faster and making the day behind me seem almost delightful.
You’ve got to love wine.
Cal walked back into the room, his green eyes burning into mine as I felt those butterflies flying around my stomach. My mind extracted one of my favorite memories of us, and I watched it play happily in my head.
“What are you smiling about?”
I pushed my plate away as I finished the last piece of steak, letting out a contented sigh.
“I was just remembering the first time you kissed me.”
He raised an eyebrow as he walked over to me, pulling me up by my hands.
“I don’t think I can remember, it was just a kiss,” he teased, knowing how much I had talked about it afterward.
I rolled my eyes, secretly delighted he seemed more relaxed. “It was in the rain, remember?”
He nodded, his finger brushing down my face. “As if I’d ever forget, baby. I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone as much as I did that night, standing in front of you in your little dress.”
He leaned down, his lips smashing against mine as I grabbed his hair in my hands, wondering if I would ever tire of tasting him. His tongue explored my mouth as he held me close, his warm body sending goosebumps on mine as our skin touched.
“I was with someone else then. Technically,” I mused as we broke apart, our foreheads still touching. He growled as he pushed me against the wall, tilting my face up to his.
“Fuck technicalities. You were mine the minute I saw you in the hallway, wondering who the fuck I was and why I made you feel the way you did. Admit it, Raven,” he smirked as I gasped under his grip as he watched me with interest. “We haven’t had this conversation yet.”
He flipped me so I was facing the wall, as he trailed his hands down to my hips, pulling me against him as though trying me on for size.
“Admit what?” I croaked out as he hooked his thumbs through my bottoms, pulling them down in one swift movement, exposing me to him. He pushed my legs apart with one foot as I heard his belt hit the floor, bracing myself for his entrance.
“When I saw you in the bathroom. At Luke’s dinner party. You wanted me to bend you over the sink and fuck you hard, didn’t you?”
The head of his cock pressed against my wet slit and I moved myself against him, begging him to enter me.
“Come now, Gretchen, we are having a conversation...”
“Yes. Now fuck me,” I demanded as he obeyed, sliding his entire length inside of me. I gasped as he pulled it back out to the tip, before slamming it back inside of me.
“Is this hard enough for you? Would you have screamed out or would I have had to do this?”
As he thrusted in and out of me, I moaned loudly, unable to control myself as he covered my mouth with his hand, so no sound escaped me. The only sound was the slapping of his crotch against my ass, the skin hot and slick as my juices wrapped around his cock, spilling out with each thrust.
His hand slipped down to my hip as his other hand grabbed a handful of my hair, pulling it back as he used me for leverage, the thrusts becoming deeper and more demanding as I felt myself shudder against his cock as he moaned with approval.
“Fuck, Raven. You’re killing me.”
I smirked, the pain in my hips from fingers that were now digging into my flesh, told me he was close.
“I’m yours,” I gasped as he grunted with each thrust, the grip tightening on my hips.
“You’re mine,” he growled, lust and desire spilling from his perfect mouth.
Then he let go, and I felt him shooting his seed deep within me. He pulled me tight against him as he swore.
“Now that,” I gasped as I wriggled from his grasp, our juices slowly dripping down my thighs as he sat back on the chair beside him, “Was fucking insane.”
He laughed, and I kissed him, although we were both out of breath.
“You shouldn’t ever mention you and anyone else in the same sentence, you know what it does to me,” he warned as I smirked.
“Did I ever tell you about—” I teased as he jumped from the chair, my heart in my throat as I tried to run away from him.
He caught me by the stairs, and I let out a squeal as we kissed, with such desire I felt him harden against me once more.
“Don’t fuck around. You’re mine,” he whispered as he moved my hair from my eyes softly as he gazed at me with adoration.
“I know, and you’re mine,” I whispered back as I kissed him, feeling him smile against my mouth.
God, I love him so fucking much.
Part Two: Chapter Twelve
MICHAEL
The woman bounced on top of me, her tiny breasts barely moving as she made an elaborate show of herself on my cock. I stifled a yawn as the shock registered in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, I guess you just aren’t capable of keeping me entertained. Not for lack of effort, though.” I lifted her from me as she snatched her clothes up, her doll-like features twisting into a nasty snarl.
“You won’t get anyone better. I’m the best in the entire state,” she snapped as she walked away, grabbing her cash on the way out.
She was a whore, why was she so offended that she just didn’t do it for me?
My cock was going flaccid already, bored with the same old pussy. I peeled the condom off and slung it into the trash can with irritation.
You can’t even pay for women to fuck you without attitude.
I stood, walking over to the open doors of my room that overlooked the flawless gardens of the home I had grown up in, letting out a deep sigh. It was beautiful here, but like all beauty it hid a deeper layer, one that was not as pretty to look at.
I had grown up around crime, one of the first executions I saw at the age of eleven burned into my retina. The man had betrayed my father, apparently, by leaking secrets to a rival family. My father told me to watch without fear, that this is what happened to rats. The man had begged for his life, but he was tied to a chair with wire and beaten to death with baseball bats. I will never forget the look in his eyes, the way he pleaded for mercy repeatedly as they ignored him. I can still hear the clatter of the bats on the floor as the clean-up guys arrived, someone pushing me out of the door so I could follow my father, who was covered in blood.
My first kill was a tad more brutal, but at least I felt it was for a valid reason.
