by Haley Stuart
Luca doesn’t speak as he steps closer and closer to the bed. I subconsciously pull the blanket over my naked body. Luca’s eyes follow the movement, and he visibly darkens. He makes his way slowly over to the bed and crawls up the sheets to me. He is hovering right in front of me, his body still warm from the shower. He reaches a hand behind my head and threads his fingers through my hair, pulling me in, and roughly begins to kiss me. My mind is spinning, and I feel out of breath by the time he pulls away.
His eyes are digging deep into my soul. After a moment of silence, he traces a finger around my now-exposed nipple. I haven’t even realized in that heated kiss that the blanket has fallen off me. I shiver from the feeling.
“Don’t ever hide from me what’s mine. Understand?” He is not looking into my eyes, but at my naked breasts, as he speak. I nod hurriedly as my heartbeat skyrockets from the frigid tone of his voice.
After a moment, Luca finally gets up from the bed and heads into the closet.
We are both sitting at breakfast, eating in silence. It is a nice two-seater table that sits by the window in one of the dining rooms. Luca insists that we eat here and not in the grand dining room until I get accommodated to my new home.
Luca is watching me closely as he speaks. As if he is looking at each of my reactions. Reading me. I look out the window and let out a long breath. The yard is beautiful. It is more like a few football fields. I honestly wonder how Luca has lived here all this time by himself. Why not in a nice little bachelor pad? But Luca seems like the type of guy that likes to show what he has.
The first week I have arrived here has been blissful and peaceful. I actually, for a moment, believe that Luca will love me and come to care for me. But he has instantly changed, and now everything he does terrified me. He watches me like I am his possession. He never lets me go anywhere without him, unless, of course, it is around the estate. Lately, his fuse is getting shorter and shorter, so I try to keep quiet and stay out of his way.
Eventually, he leaves the dining room, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
As soon as he leaves, I make my way over to the practice room Luca has renovated just for me. I close the door behind me, pick up my instrument, and begin to play. I close my eyes and let the sanctuary I have built for myself build its wall around me. I spend the whole day in the practice room, only leaving for a quick lunch and coming back, not caring that my fingers are on fire. This helps me escape this marriage I have been handed into.
“Mrs. Pasquino.” The voice pulls me from my inner peace, and I open my eyes to see one of Luca’s men standing in the doorway. He is watching me with cold eyes and an emotionless expression. “Your husband has requested your presence.”
I only nod and set my violin down, ready to make my way to his office, but the man stops me.
“He asked that you bring your violin.”
I am a little unsure how to react to that, but I reach for my instrument and make my way to the office. Once I am at the massive door, I push it open gently to see Luca standing over a man. Two of his men are on either side of the man, holding his arms and keeping him in a kneeling position. My steps falter, as I fear what I have just walked into. At the sound of my entrance, Luca looks up, and my heart flutters.
The crazed look in his eye is the same look he held seconds before he pulled his gun on that girl that came to our engagement party.
“Ah, my beautiful wife has decided to grace us with her presence!” His loud voice echoes off the walls, and I don’t know what to do. Luca makes his way over to me, grabbing my elbow and pulling me over toward the man on the floor. He puts the tip of his shoe on the man’s chin and tilts his head up to look at us.
“Now, don’t be rude, James. Say hello to my wife.”
The man looks at us with a hate-filled gaze.
What the hell is Luca doing? Before I can think, Luca’s leg shoots out, slamming into the side of the man’s head, sending him sprawling on the floor. Luca leaves my side and grabs him by the shirt, thrusting him against the wall.
“Now, listen to me, you little shit. Don’t you dare disrespect my wife!” He pulls a hand back and punches the man across the face. I look away when he shows no signs of stopping, the sound of his fists colliding with the man’s head making me sick. “Now, fucking say hello!” I hear Luca’s voice grit out.
There is heavy breathing, and I look up, having to stifle a gasp. The man’s face looks awful. His once-hateful gaze meets mine. “Hello,” he quietly says out loud. Luca finally drops him and walks over to me. He grabs a fistful of my hair, pulling me in for a long, hard kiss.
“She is a beauty, isn’t she?” he says, holding my jaw in between his thumb and forefinger. After a moment of silence, Luca turns to the man on the floor. “Isn’t she?” he repeats.
The man nods, and Luca is satisfied.
He leads me over to a chair in the corner and begins to speak. “Not only is she a beauty, she is talented as well. She plays the violin, very beautifully, I might add. Unlike anything I have ever heard.” He sits me down in the corner, and my heart rate spikes because I don’t know where the hell he is going with this.
He pulls out a gun, aiming for the man. I can’t help the squeak that emits from my throat. All eyes turn on me, and I shrink back in fear as Luca’s intense gaze glares me down in warning. I bite my cheek, remembering what he said the last time I interfered. Interfere in my affairs again, and I will break your pretty little jaw. I shudder from the memory.
Luca begins talking again, pulling me from my unwanted thoughts.
“I want you to hear how beautiful my wife plays, James. So we’re going to play a little game. Elise is going to play a beautiful melody for us, and you’re going to guess what the song is. You get three tries. Only three.” He cocks the gun and looks my way, excitement sparking in his eyes.
“Okay, Elise, play me a tune. Any tune your heart desires.” Luca looks at me with a sadistic smile on his face.
My fingers are shaking, and my heart is pounding out of my ears. He is going to kill this man in front of me. He says if the man guesses any tune I play, he’ll go free. And I don’t want him to die because of a complicated melody I’m playing. So I do what any Good Samaritan will do. I play “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
I have done some dumb things in my lifetime, but this is up there at the top. The look that Luca gives me is enough to make anyone shit their pants and run screaming into the night. But I am his docile, obedient wife. So I have nowhere to go. A shot rings out, and I scream. The man hunches over in pain, but he isn’t dead. Before I can celebrate my good fortune, Luca comes storming at me with the intent to kill. He hauls me out of the chair and drags me out of the room.
Once we reach our bedroom, he turns on me, slapping me across the face. Hard. Stars dot my vision, and I fall to the ground from the force of his attack. Before I can even register the pain, I feel a rough tug on my scalp. Luca is literally lifting me off the ground by the hair. I scream in agony, and a hand closes around my throat, pushing me into the wall. My vision is blurry from tears streaming out of my eyes, and I take in Luca’s rage-filled face. He looks ready to kill. My chest is burning from the lack of oxygen, and I reach up, clawing at his hand. He slaps my hands away with his free hand each time. I am a fool to think I can even fight back. This man has been raised to kill. My attacks are probably nothing to him.
Just when I think he is going to kill me, he lets go of my throat and I collapse onto the ground, coughing and gulping in as much air as possible. He crouches in front of me and places a finger underneath my chin, lifting my face to meet his. Tears are still falling out of my eyes like a waterfall.
“I am Luca Pasquino, future capo of the North.” His grip on my chin tightens, and I wince in pain. But I know better than to pull away. “When I give orders, I expect them to be followed. If you ever try to outwit me again, you will not like the consequences, Elise. I swear to you, you won’t.”
I shiver from his cold tone.
&nb
sp; Luca is a man not to be messed with, and I am the fool that has provoked him. I nod, choking on a sob.
Luca’s hand travels down from my chin to my breast. He cups it, giving a light squeeze, and I cringe from the contact.
“I have to admit though, Elise, no one has ever thought to cross me the way you did tonight.” His hand reaches underneath my shirt, caressing my bare skin. “I was shocked, to say the least, when I heard that silly song coming from you.” His hand travels down, and he lifts the dress that I am wearing, yanking my underwear down. My heart slams into my chest, and fear shoots down my spine. Oh, please don’t let him do this to me. Especially after he just beat the hell out of me.
I feel his hand thread through my hair as he grabs a fistful, jerking my head back at an uncomfortable angle. I can almost feel the smile he gives me as he leans into my ear.
“We’ll have to focus on your playing from now on.” He tosses my underwear aside and begins sucking on my neck.
“Luca, p-p-please don’t,” I whisper in fear. My voice comes out tiny and shaky. Filled with fear.
Luca suddenly stops, letting go of me and stepping back. A dangerous glint in his eyes.
“Fine. I will figure out a suitable punishment for you later.”
He seems to be thinking for a moment before looking down at me.
“I’m going to kill that man. Slowly and painfully. And when he thinks I’m going to let him have the mercy of death, I’m going to play him a little song that was his ruin. And begin his torture all over again.”
My eyes widen at his words, and I tremble from his choice of words.
“No, please, Luca! I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. Just don’t—ah!”
I am immediately cut off. Luca is holding my jaw in his hand; an uncomfortable pressure where the hinges meet is making me cry out in pain.
“What did I tell you would happen to your jaw if you interfered, Elise?” His voice is deadpan, making me want to piss myself right here. The pressure on my jaw increases. I cry out in agony.
“I really don’t want to see it, as I need your mouth for … other tasks.” A small smile worms its way onto his face. “So I’ll let it slide this time.”
He finally lets go and immediately grabs my face, trying to deter the pain. He is about to break my jaw. He really is going to do it. I hear rustling, and he leans down, giving me a kiss on top of my head.
“I’ll see you after I finish with my business.” He walks to the door, pausing to look at me before speaking again. “I really wish he had heard one of your beautiful melodies before I ended his life.” He smiles at me, a wicked, cruel smile. “Too bad. Good night, my wife,” he says, closing the door behind him.
I sit there on the ground, not knowing what to do. Too shocked and afraid to move. This is Luca Pasquino. The real Luca Pasquino. The man that is known for killing someone with his bare hands. This is the man that is feared by all. A sob rips from my throat as fear for my future enters my mind. Luca is crazy. A man not stopped by emotion or a conscience. A man ruled by pure desire. How can someone so cruel exist? I hold myself. I am petrified. I have no idea what my future with this sadist holds. And that is enough to scare anyone.
Chapter 5
Elise
I sit in the mirror, brushing my hair out, like I do every morning. It is a routine I put in place for myself to keep some form of normalcy in my life. Twenty-three strokes on each side. I look at my left cheek and see a bruise forming from Luca’s attack the previous day. I touch it lightly and cringe from the pain. Luca didn’t disturb me when he came to bed last night, and he hasn’t said anything to me yet in the morning. I look in the mirror and gasp when I see he is standing right behind me, watching me with an unreadable expression on his face. It scares me. I have no idea what he is thinking or what he has in store for me.
I step out of the room, heading for the kitchen. Somehow, I remember how to get there. I step into the five-star-restaurant-looking kitchen to see a whole slew of people working hard to make some kind of course. Upon my entrance, they all freeze and stare before immediately bowing their heads in respect.
“Oh, please don’t stop on my account,” I say, hoping they’ll go back to their work.
They slowly go back to what they have been doing. I slowly step around them, focusing on what each of them is doing. This is the first time I have seen any people outside of Luca’s men since I’ve been here. They all look at me like they are terrified, trying to avoid all eye contact with me.
A woman that looks a little older than me walks up to me with her head down. “Are you lost, ma’am?” She is still avoiding eye contact with me.
“Uh, no, I was just passing through.”
She still refuses to look at me. “Well, the kitchen is no place for you to be, ma’am,” she says, kind of rudely.
I am a little taken aback.
“And tell me, why is the kitchen no place for her to be?”
I stiffen as I feel Luca’s presence behind me. The whole kitchen falls silent, all eyes on Luca and me. He puts a possessive arm around my waist, staring the woman down.
“I … I … I’m sorry, sir, it was not my place,” she responds. Her skin is burning red, and she looks about ready to pass out.
“You’re right, it’s not your place. This is my home, as it is my wife’s home. She can be anywhere she pleases. And if you have a problem with that …” He laughs a little and walks away, tracing his finger over a knife lying harmlessly on the counter. “Well, I know you better not have a problem with that.” His face is completely serious as he makes eye contact with the girl.
She nods vigorously. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry.”
Luca doesn’t wait for a response; he grabs me by the arm, leading me out of the room. We stop in the entryway, and Luca turns to speak to me.
“The day’s barely even started, and you’re already causing trouble.” There is a light smirk playing on his face. I look away, slightly embarrassed. His mood has improved, making me feel a slight bit lighter.
“Go get your violin and meet me in my office.”
As soon as the words leave his lips, my heart drops in my stomach. I hope he isn’t going to make me play again with some man’s life in my hands.
Luca reaches out and lightly traces my bruising cheek. His gray eyes meet mine head-on, piercing me to the center. “Do as you’re told.”
I can only nod with wide eyes; he has me captivated within his trance.
I hurry to the practice room and grab my instrument out of its case, making my way to Luca’s office immediately after. I push open the heavy door, expecting to see a poor man about to face death, but am shocked to see Luca sitting behind his desk with his head down, his focus on some papers in front of him.
He looks up once I step into the room. He motions for me to sit in the chair in the corner of the room. I make my way slowly to the spot, feeling uncomfortable under Luca’s watchful gaze. Once I am seated, he decides to finally speak.
“Play me a song,” he says simply. I am a little shocked, to say the least. I have not been expecting that.
“Uh … what song?” I ask, a little shaken.
“Any song. Preferably the one I heard when I came to your home.” He puts his head back down and begins to look over the papers that sit at his desk, waiting for a tune.
I close my eyes and let the music pour from my fingers. For how long I sit there, I don’t know. But once the music finally ceases, I look up to see Luca seated back in his chair, watching me with that intense expression.
“You couldn’t play any of those songs the other night when I asked you?” he asks. There isn’t a hint of emotion on his face, so I don’t know if he is still in a good mood or if something bad is about to happen. He gets up from his desk, standing at his full, intimidating height as he walks over to me, leaning in my personal space.
“I asked you a question.” His voice is deadpan, making me fearful. I honestly don’t know how to respond to him.
“I … uh …” I trail off as the door to his office is opened, and my heart drops.
The girl from the engagement party steps in. She looks a hot mess, if I’m being honest. Her hair is kind of tangled, and her eyes look wild. She looks at the spot behind Luca’s desk, and when she sees he is not there, her eyes find him across the room standing by me. Immediately, rage bloom behind her blue irises as she makes her way across the room.
Instead of stopping at Luca like I expect her to do, she lunges straight for me, shoving me out of the chair I am in. Hard. I fall to the ground with a hard thud, crying out from the shock and the pain. I look up to see Luca holding her back from me. What the hell did I do? This insane chick just barges into the room, trying to fight me.
Luca shoves her back into the desk, annoyance plastered across his face.
“Jessica! What the fuck are you doing?” he shouts at her, but she is still trying to get to me.
I stand up slowly and try to back out of the office. This is clearly a matter for him and his lady friend, whom he just tried to kill a few weeks ago for showing up to our engagement party.
“Stay right there!” Luca’s voice whips across the room, rooting me to the spot. I am too scared to move, but I don’t want to be in there if he decides to play another game with her life on the line.
“You fucking whore! He doesn’t love you! He loves me! He’s mine! He’ll always be with me! He’ll never love you!” The girl—Luca has said her name is Jessica—is screaming all kinds of obscenities at me. I honestly don’t care what she says to me; I just wish she’ll shut up, because Luca’s face is getting darker by the second. The last time he saw her, he told her if he ever saw her again, he’d kill her. And he is seeing her again.
“I will fucking slice your—”
She is cut off in the middle of her shouting as Luca spins her and grabs her by the neck, slamming her face-first into the desk. We both shout unexpectedly. Luca’s face is filled with an emotion I have yet to see.
“What. Did. I. Tell. You.” As he whispers each word, it seems as if his grip on her neck is getting tighter and tighter. And if it were even possible, her face is getting pushed deeper into the desk. I stand helplessly in my spot in the corner, terrified that Luca is about to kill this girl in front of me. I know that if he tries, I will step in, but I also know that I like my jaw attached.
