by Haley Stuart
It would have been the perfect retribution for their blackhearted father and his treacherous family. The only son of the infamous capo of the South, under my rule. Even if he finds out the truth behind my motives, there is nothing he can do about it. He will be sworn in. No way out. Everyone will see the example that has been made of the Trovolis. Completely exterminated, all but whom I’ve decided. And even then, under my rule. Controlled by me.
“It’s okay, ma’am, we’ll get to the bottom of this,” the officer says comfortingly to Elise.
She nods slightly. If only she knew that this officer and more than 70 percent of the police department are under my control. I look him in the eye as he puts away his notepad. He returns my gaze with a grim nod. He probably already knows this is my doing, but they will rule this as a random crime and move on.
“What about the boy?” I ask.
The officer looks up. “He’ll probably be placed into foster care. We’ll be sure to get him in the system.”
I nod and lean into Elise, whispering in her ear, “Go wait in the car for me, baby.”
She looks at me with watery eyes and nods slightly, walking to the car. Once she is out of earshot, I turn back to the officer, giving him a hard stare.
“You and I both know that boy isn’t going into the system. I want him. I want the paperwork in my home tomorrow.”
The officer’s eyes widen, and he shakes his head slightly. “B-but, sir, there are protocols we have to follow, reports we have to dr—”
“Do you know whom the fuck you’re talking to?” I interrupt him, giving him a murderous look to get my point across. Whoever this man is doesn’t understand whom he is dealing with. His eyes grow wide, confusion evident on his face.
“Sir, I think you need to calm your voice down and—”
“No, let me tell you something, you pathetic excuse of a human being. I’m the man that holds your job in the palm of my motherfucking hand. Whatever the fuck I say fucking goes, and I’ll be damned if some mall cop has the nerve to tell me about fucking protocol.” I take a step closer to him and can feel the fear radiating off him.
“Is there a problem here?” Officer Benson steps in between us.
I know Officer Benson well. He is the man that I trust with my cases. And I add a hefty bonus to his paychecks to keep it that way.
I look back to the cop I’ve just cussed out. “Is there?” I narrow my eyes at him.
He immediately shakes his head as he takes in the gravity of the situation. I turn to Officer Benson.
“Sorry, Mr. Pasquino. He’s only been here a few months.”
I ignore him and keep my eyes on the new officer. “I want the paperwork tomorrow.” I walk away without waiting for a response. Nicolai and Romelo are waiting for me. I speak to Nicolai first.
“Take my car home,” I say, gesturing to the one Elise has driven out here without permission. I then turn to Romelo. “Take Matteo to my home once you’re finished here.”
He nods to me, and I walk away to the car I have brought out here, which Elise is now sitting in. I step into the car, and Elise has her head in her hands. I don’t know if I should feel angry at her for leaving the grounds, taking my car without permission, and speaking to Matteo or if I should feel pity for her because she has personally seen my handiwork.
I don’t speak to her as I sit in the car. Now that all this is behind me, I can feel the anger and resentment boiling up deep within me. She brings this on herself. If she weren’t so damn disobedient, she wouldn’t have found anything.
I put the car in drive and head home.
We reach the house in record time. Elise still isn’t speaking; she is just looking out the window with a blank stare on her face. There are still tears flowing freely out of her eyes. I shut the car off, and the only sound is the rain pelting the car. I open my mouth to speak, but Elise starts before I can get a word out.
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
The car is silent. She is still not looking at me. I can see her lips trembling. For once in my life, I don’t know how to respond.
“You disappeared yesterday and came back last night covered in blood.” She chokes on a sob. “And the next day, his mother wound up dead.” She places her hands over her mouth as violent sobs rack her body.
“He told me he searched the house. Including her room. And when we showed up there, she was suddenly in her bedroom.” She finally turns and looks at me with big brown eyes. She is too smart for her own good.
I grow irritated as I feel something once more festering up inside me. Guilt. She is searching my face for any sign that it isn’t true, but I keep my expression blank. She sits back against the window and gasps.
“Oh god, Luca … why? What did that boy ever do to you? Why would you treat him so nice, give him a job here, just to mutilate his mother? H-how could you do that to a woman?” She seems to just be talking now.
I reach out for her, and she immediately recoils from me, slapping my hand away.
“Don’t touch me! You … you’re a monster! You’re fucking sick!” She is shouting all kinds of obscenities at me, and I can see that she is forgetting who I am. She is forgetting her place.
“Elise!” I snap at her.
All the anger dissipates from her face as she shuts her mouth, and it is replaced with fear, her training kicking in. Good. She looks back down at her lap and stifles a sob. She bites her lip softly and takes a deep breath as she brings her gaze back to mine.
“I thought you, of all people, would understand the pain of having a murdered parent. How could you consciously bring that pain on someone else? An innocent boy?” She keeps her gaze locked with mine as we both sit in silence.
I don’t know what to say. She is right.
She sighs and shakes her head, opening the door and stepping out into the rain, closing it behind her. I watch through the window as she makes her way into the house.
Fuck! I hit the steering wheel with all my might. There is this heavy weight on my chest, a weight that feels unfamiliar to me. That fucking bitch! How dare she make me feel this way! This is all her fucking fault in the first place! No, it is her disgusting father’s! Yes! That is why all this is happening—that is the source of our problem!
I hop out of the car quickly, all the rage and anger coming to the surface. I force open the door with all my might. This is all their fault. All her fault for making me love her. She should be dead now, along with her father and the rest of her tainted line. I take the stairs two at a time, searching for her. I am going to put an end to this right now.
I reach for my holster, pulling out my gun. No more games. I walk quickly past each room until I hear it. Something I haven’t heard in a very long time. Elise’s violin. A beautiful melody is pouring out in a room. I walk to the door to see it wide open. Elise is sitting in a chair, her back to me. She is swaying softly to the music. I step in the room quietly, making sure not to make a sound. I walk closer and closer to her unsuspecting body, each step bringing her fate into play. I am right behind her as I bring the gun up, aiming it to the back of her head. She is still playing that lovely melody, not knowing that I am directly behind her, about to end her life.
I run my finger over the trigger. Just one pull, and it will be over. Completely. I squeeze the trigger. Lightly.
I can’t do it.
Elise is still playing, immersed deep in the song she is creating, unaware of the danger that is standing behind her.
I slowly back out of the room.
Chapter 24
Elise
I haven’t seen Luca since I’ve left him in the car. And it is getting dark out. To be honest, I never want to see him again. At the moment, I am scared and confused. I have thought Matteo’s mother’s death is random, but with the fact that the officer has told me “We’ll get to the bottom of this” without asking any further questions when I am the one that has found the body, I’ve started to get suspicious. And when Luca has told me to go to the car, I
’ve seen him speaking to the officer and getting heated, from what I can see. I have been going out on a limb in the car, accusing him, but when he doesn’t respond, I know.
But why? Why will he do this to Matteo?
I hear the front door open and sit up from my seat on the couch. I quickly walk to the entry area, thinking it is Luca, but I am surprised when I see Matteo and Romelo. I slow my pace as Romelo stands there.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
Matteo is looking at the ground, not acknowledging me.
“Luca said for me to bring him here. I can’t seem to find him anywhere, though. Have you seen him around? He’s not answering his phone.”
I am a little stunned at that.
“No. He never came in the house when we got back. I assumed he had business to do,” I tell him.
He looks a little confused and tries to hide it.
“I can take Matteo and put him in a room until Luca gets back,” I assure Romelo.
He grows tense as I take a step toward them.
“No. That’s all right, we can wait for him.”
My irritation and nerves get the better of me, and I stand a little straighter and look Romelo straight in the eye.
“I said he can stay here. This is my home. I will tell Luca when he gets home that Matteo is in a guest room. Matteo doesn’t know you and needs to be around people he knows right now, especially with this situation.” I give him the best bitch face I can, and he shifts uncomfortably, obviously weighing his consequences in his head. He finally relents, though.
“Yes, Mrs. Pasquino. I apologize for forgetting my place.” He turns and exits.
I look at Matteo and immediately give him a hug. He stands there for a moment before the sobs finally come. I can feel his arms slowly wrap around me as he lets out his sorrowful wails for his mother’s death. I know the feeling all too well.
* * * * *
“There’s a bathroom in there. You can take a warm shower. You’ll probably want one after being in the freezing rain all day.” I walk over to him, handing him a stack of clothes.
“These are Luca’s. They may be a little big, but we’ll have to make them work until we figure out what his plans are for you.” I cringe a little at the double meaning of what I’ve just said.
Matteo is looking at the floor with a vacant expression. He is sitting on the bed in one of the guest rooms. I’ve put him in the farthest one from our bedroom in fear that Luca may be looking for him when he gets home. Luca has killed his mother for some reason, but I don’t know that reason. Then he has him sent here to stay with us. Something is going on behind the scenes, and I have no idea what.
“The towels and soap are all in the cupboard in the bathroom, and you can just throw those extra pillows on the floor if you don’t want to use them.”
Matteo still doesn’t respond. I walk over to the bed and take a seat next to him, rubbing his back comfortingly.
“I know how you feel right now. I lost my father also in a horrible way. But things will get better soon, and we’re here to help you get through it.”
Matteo looks up at me with his large emerald eyes, tears flowing heavily out of them.
“Thank you. I don’t know why Mr. Pasquino is doing this for me, but I appreciate you both. All I really have now are you guys.” He breaks off into a fit of violent sobs.
I wrap my arms around him comfortingly. After his sobs die down, I stand and walk to the bedroom door. I can feel my heart shattering in my chest as I replay his words. We are all he has, and the man he is appreciative of is the very reason he is here in the first place. I turn back to him and give him a small smile.
“Try to get some sleep.”
* * * * *
I step out of the shower in nothing but a towel, my wet hair clinging to my shoulders. As I open the door, my heart jumps in my chest. Luca is sitting in the bedroom. His pupils are dilated, and he has a blank expression on his face.
I freeze in the doorway as he watches me. He doesn’t say anything; he only watches me. I walk slowly toward the closet, and his eyes follow me across the room. I turn my back to him to open the door, and suddenly, I am being yanked back by my hair. I cry out in pain and stumble backward. Luca shoves me roughly onto the bed, jerking the towel off my body, exposing me to his gaze. His eyes are so dilated they look black. He runs his eyes up and down my body, still not speaking.
My breathing is rapid as fear swells up within me. Something is wrong with him, and I am here naked and vulnerable to him. He steps back from me and drops the towel on the floor. He comes closer to me and grabs ahold of my leg, yanking me roughly off the bed so that I fall in a heap on the floor. I cry out as the carpet burns my naked butt.
I hear Luca break into a fit of giggles as he stands over me. I look up at him, but he is not smiling at all. He is just laughing, with a deranged look on his face. I don’t know what to do in this moment.
He kneels on the floor next to me and begins speaking as he pulls my body in close to his like he is cradling me.
“I want to kill you so badly.”
My heart skips a beat as he speaks. He leans in and nuzzles my neck softly, moaning in pleasure. I can feel his erection straining against his pants as he grows aroused. I realize that I can smell something on him. Alcohol. He is drunk. Oh god, Luca is drunk. Luca is insane when he is sober, and I have no idea what kind of drunk he is.
“But I want to fuck you too.” He purrs into my ear.
He reaches behind him and pulls out a blade. I immediately begin to struggle. Please don’t let him carve something into my skin again! His face grows serious as he brings the blade to my throat.
“You move, and I slice your throat and let you bleed out on this carpet. But wait, you wanted to die. Maybe I should go get your brother instead.” He chuckles to himself, as if he knows some kind of joke that I am not in on.
He hauls me up onto the bed and turns me over so that I am on my stomach. He reaches under my belly and hauls me up so that I am on my hands and knees. He slaps my ass hard, and I cry out in pain.
I can feel him rubbing my butt.
“Baby, you’re so damn sexy,” he groans.
He leans in and kisses each of my butt cheeks. I begin to whimper in fear. I hear the sound of his zipper, and before I can think, he shoves into me roughly from behind. My body is still wet from the shower, so he slides in without having to get me ready for his intrusion.
He begins pounding me roughly, and I cry out in pain. He reaches around me, and I can feel his hand around my throat as he shoves my face into the bed. The sounds of our skin slapping echo throughout the room, and I have to bite my cheek to keep from crying out. Luca threads his fingers through my hair and jerks my body upright so that he is level with my ear.
“I hate all of you,” he groans out. I have no idea whom he is talking about. I can barely focus from the brute force he is using as he slams into me over and over.
“You’re just like your father, manipulating me to your will. I want to kill you, but I fucking can’t. I should kill your brother instead to make you suffer, just like I killed his pathetic mother.”
I gasp. “What?” I cry out, but Luca places his hand over my mouth, silencing me.
“Yeah, I killed her. Because of you. I was protecting you. And I enjoyed every second of it. I loved the sounds of her screams as she begged me to stop. I’ll do the same to your innocent little brother. He deserves it. He’s right up the hallway. I know, because I told them to bring him here. And I can end his life just like that.”
I begin screaming underneath Luca’s hand as realization dawns on me. Matteo is my brother. Matteo is my fucking brother. I have been looking at my brother every day for I don’t know how long. That is why he looks so familiar. He has my father’s features! I haven’t realized it then because I rarely see my father. But now as I realize it, I feel like an idiot. It all adds up now.
My body is shoved forward into the mattress as Luca’s thrusts spe
ed up, and I can feel him getting larger inside of me before he leans over my body, shuddering in pleasure as he finds his release.
He pulls out of me slowly and rolls me over so that I am on my back. His eyes are frightening pools of emptiness as he stares at me.
“Cross me, and I kill him. You’ve seen what I’m capable of. Don’t you dare speak a word of this to him either.” His voice is cold and deadly. He places his hand lightly around my throat, giving me a threatening squeeze.
“I have plans for the both of you. Big plans.”
He stares at me a moment longer and leans in and begins sucking violently on my throat. I cry out from the pain, and he finally lets go. He stares at my throat in satisfaction. He rolls over and pulls me with him, wrapping me tightly in his arms.
“The whole world will know you’re mine. All of you,” he murmurs before his breathing evens out.
Chapter 25
Elise
Luca steps out of the shower with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He walks by the bed, only glancing at me momentarily before entering the closet. I don’t know if he remembers what he has done last night or if he doesn’t. He hasn’t spoken to me this morning.
The knowledge that my little brother has been here all along is shocking, to say the least. All this time, I have been looking at him and not knowing who he is. It now makes sense why Luca has never wanted me near him. But why does Luca have him here? According to Matteo, Luca has been in his life over a year. I’m guessing, from the time we have been married since the time slots add up. But why? Why is Luca interested in my little brother?
