Mafia Lullaby: A Dark Captive Romance

by Alta Hensley

  “Some Mommies will have hair on their pussies, and some will be like me and have none.” She continued the absurd lesson. If they didn’t drug the girls, they wouldn’t have to go through all of this stupid training. These girls were well into their twenties. No way they didn’t already know all of these things, but the fucking drug wiped all that away.

  “Mae, come here, kneel right in front of me like a good girl.” Nancy pointed to the spot she wanted Mae.

  Once Mae was in position, Nancy pulled her pussy lips apart. “I want you to take your tongue and lick my pussy. Don’t be afraid to lick hard, okay? Just lick, then when you get to my clit—I know you know what that is, your daddy and Uncle Frank have both had fun playing with yours.” Nancy paused. Mae’s face turned crimson and tears shone in her eyes.

  Nancy smiled.

  “It’s okay, little girl. That’s what you were made for. Now, when you get to my clit, just flick your tongue. Go on, try it. Girls, I want you to watch.” Nancy leveled them all with a hard glare. “After Mae’s had her turn, you’ll each try and then you’ll be practicing on each other. So pay attention,” Nancy said harshly.

  Ariana was going to lose her lunch, and the macaroni and cheese hadn’t been very tasty the first go around.

  “Go on, Mae,” Nancy chided when Mae remained still.

  Leaning forward, Mae placed her hands on the floor and brought her mouth down on Nancy’s cunt. The hiss of satisfaction Nancy let out cut through the tension of the room.

  “That’s right. Just…like…that. No, don’t stop yet.” Nancy placed her hand on top of Mae’s head and held her in place while Mae continued to lick. “Don’t forget…oh, yes, don’t forget to suck a little on the clit. Mommies love that,” Nancy said in a strange tone. Ariana studied her more closely. The woman was heavily aroused.

  “Very good. Okay.” Nancy pushed Mae’s head back. “That was very good for your first time. Now pick a spot on the carpet and lie down with your dress pulled up. The next girl will come by you when she’s done here, and she’ll practice on you. You’ll take turns.”

  Mae nodded and got up from her spot. As she passed Ariana, a tear spilled down her cheek. Even too drugged to know better…Mae seemed to feel it.

  “Courtney, your turn.” Nancy spread her legs further and inched down in the chair until she was seated on the very edge.

  Courtney moved into position and dove right in. Courtney was always looking for extra attention and wanting a gold star for everything. Apparently, pussy licking was one of them, too.

  “Oh, yes…very good, Courtney.” Nancy leaned her head back and touched Courtney’s hair, petting her sweetly. “Just like that.” Nancy bit down on her lip. “Hold still, I want to show you something else. No, keep your tongue out like that.” Nancy planted her feet firmly on the floor and lifted her pelvis, running her sex over Courtney’s face.

  Ariana’s breath hitched; tears filled her eyes. She wouldn’t be able to hold her composure through this. She’d be found out.

  “So good,” Nancy said, planting her ass back in her seat. “Go over by Mae and show her what you were doing. Teach it to her, and then she can try it on you.” Nancy gave Courtney’s shoulder a soft shove.

  A smug grin painted on her lips, Courtney moved to where Mae was lying on the carpet waiting.

  “Ariana,” Nancy snapped her name like it was a wet towel. “Come here and let’s see if you were paying attention at all.”

  Her mouth went dry.

  “Go,” Jessica hissed from beside her. Ariana nodded and got to her feet. This was just another part in a fucked-up play. She could do this. She had to. There was no other choice.

  Slowly, Ariana sank to her knees in front of Nancy. The nanny’s sex glistened with her own juices and the saliva of the girls before. When Ariana chanced a quick look up, she caught Nancy’s glare. Heated and spiteful.

  “Let’s see what you’ve learned,” Nancy said, reaching down to grab Ariana’s head.

  “Ariana!” Costello’s voice blasted through the room. The door banged against the wall.

  “Costello,” Nancy said, her hand dropping to her leg. She threw her shirt back down to cover herself. “I’m in the middle of a lesson with the girls,” she snarled.

  “I see that.” Costello strode to Ariana’s side and hauled her up, lacing his fingers through hers. “I didn’t authorize this lesson, however.” He tugged Ariana to stand behind him.

  Nancy stood from her chair and folded her arms over her chest. Mae and Courtney had stopped their practice and were watching the standoff along with Jessica.

  “I don’t appreciate you undermining me in front of the girls,” Nancy stated flatly. “Ariana needs this lesson as much as the others.”

  Costello increased his hold on her hand. “Ariana will be taught the lessons I decide for her, not you. You are her nanny and are only to watch over her when I am not available. If you think you can’t handle the task, I’ll bring in another nanny who will.”

  Ariana had not seen him so angered before. He didn’t raise his voice; he didn’t need to. The dark tenor of his tone was enough to shake her insides. Why was Nancy not backing down?

  “We’ll see.” Nancy rolled her shoulders back. “If you’re taking Ariana for the afternoon, that’s fine. But she will be expected to learn how to properly take care of a Mommy in case that’s who adopts her.”

  Ariana cringed. Costello’s entire back tightened up, and she wondered how much more could Nancy push him until he lost his temper. If he did, it would ruin everything. They’d take her away from him, she was sure of it.

  “Daddy.” Ariana tugged on his hand. “I’m not feeling good. Can I lie down?” She put on her best little voice and yanked on his jacket, too.

  The tension cracked, and Costello looked down at her, appraising her.

  “I’m taking her to her room. I don’t want her disturbed until dinner.” He turned, picking up Ariana and cradling her in his arms as he marched to the door. Ariana peeked over his shoulder. Nancy’s scowl sent a chill over her.

  “Why does she hate me so much?” Ariana whispered.

  Costello adjusted his hold on her.

  “I don’t know, and I don’t fucking care,” he answered, starting up the stairs.

  “Everything okay?” Shelby’s daddy asked as Costello made his way down the hall.

  “She’s not feeling well. I’m going to lay her down. Did you know Nancy took a few of the girls downstairs for Mommy training?” Costello stopped to ask. Ariana kept her face hidden.

  “What? No. Is Shelby down there?” Ariana heard the heavy concern he had for Shelby. He hadn’t done anything to keep her safe from the men in the playroom, but maybe he couldn’t. Maybe he was in the same situation as Costello.

  “No, but she can’t dictate who does what around here,” Costello said firmly. “Let me lay Ariana down. I want the other girls out of there, too. I doubt the guys know who was taken and who wasn’t.”

  “You handle Ariana, I’ll go down there and break up the class. That woman is getting too carried away.”

  “Daddy,” Ariana whispered. He adjusted his grip once more.

  “Go. I’ll take care of it,” Gianni said and they were moving again.

  Once they were inside Ariana’s room, Costello kicked the door closed and put her down on her feet. He cupped her shoulders and looked her over.

  “I’m fine.” She pushed his hands away and sat on the bed. “Thank you for getting me out of there.”

  “Did you do anything to get into trouble this morning?” he demanded, keeping a hard glare on her.

  She sighed. That’s all she was—trouble. “No. We had breakfast, went to the dayroom, had lunch, then Nancy came in and said the four of us needed to go down to the library with her for a special story time,” Ariana explained and pulled her feet up onto the bed. She felt fine now that she was away from that horrible woman, but fatigue was starting to wear her down. It was exhausting having to constantly be in cha
racter.

  “Has she said anything to suggest she suspects anything?” Costello continued his questions.

  “Not to me.” Ariana shrugged. “Where were you this morning? The other Daddies were around, but I didn’t see you.” She hugged her knees to her chest and leaned back against the headboard. Had her attitude the night before made him change his mind?

  He was putting himself in danger by not reporting her. She may not have to pretend around him, but she wasn’t entirely safe yet.

  “I had business to do. Sometimes I have to go into the city. Nancy took advantage of me not being here.” He pulled the chair from her vanity and sank into it, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes.

  “Can I ask you something?” she asked.

  “You can ask, but I don’t promise I’ll answer.” He dropped his hands to his lap, worry and exhaustion wrinkled his brow. Maybe he’d had enough of all the pretending as well.

  “I heard Mae talking to Courtney at breakfast today. Mae complained that since I got here, you haven’t had playtime with anyone else.” Ariana hugged her knees tighter.

  “Oh?” He arched an eyebrow.

  “She said she missed playtime with you.” Ariana swallowed, clearing her throat. She couldn’t sound like a jealous girlfriend. She was neither of those things.

  “Hmmm.” He made a face that suggested he was thinking it over. “I suppose I haven’t had any play dates since you arrived.”

  “Is it because the daddies are only supposed to have playtime with one girl?” she asked, pushing as much of a feathery touch to her voice as possible.

  He shook his head. “No. We’re allowed to play with any of the girls. We’re good about talking with the other Daddies though. Some of them have the girls on a specific training schedule, so we take that into consideration. Some of the girls don’t have a Daddy right away. Courtney didn’t when she got here. For the first few weeks, she was taken care of by mostly the nannies and whoever else had time for her. Now she has Marco. We’re only supposed to have one dedicated girl at a time. But sometimes there aren’t enough Daddies living here to do that.”

  Ariana’s chest clenched. “That means you had a girl before me, and she was adopted...I mean sold?”

  Costello leveled a steady gaze on her. “Yes.” He gave a curt nod. “I’ve been here a year. You’re my fourth girl.”

  “But not your fourth playmate,” she accused with heat.

  The bubble of hurt surprised her. They weren’t anything to each other. He was her prison guard, and she was the prisoner. Nothing more. She had no right to have any feelings about it.

  “No,” he said without emotion. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking when he blacked out his tone. Was he getting upset about her line of questioning, or was he defensive, or did he not give a fuck what she thought about the whole thing?

  “So, if you wanted to, you could take Courtney for a play date?” She kept asking even though she didn’t really want the answers. Things had been so much better when she’d thought she was completely alone in this.

  “If Marco gave the okay, yes.” He folded his hands and leaned back in the chair. “And if Marco wanted to take you on a play date and I gave my approval, you’d be sent to his room,” he further explained.

  Her mouth dried. He’d do that? He’d send her to another Daddy’s room?

  “We really are just a bunch of drugged out whores for you guys,” she said softly, letting her arms fall away from her knees. Pulling off her shoes, she let them drop to the floor. “I think I’m going to lie down now. You can go…do whatever you do, Costello.”

  “Ariana.” He folded his arms over his chest, the blank expression twisting back into his authoritarian glare. “What did I tell you last night?”

  “A lot was said last night,” she said, wiggling beneath the warmth of her light purple quilt.

  “Then let me remind you.” He pushed off the chair, getting to her side within two large strides. He pressed his hands into the mattress and hovered his face over hers. “You’re mine, Ariana. Mine. Not Nancy’s, not Marco’s, mine. And there’s no way I’m letting anyone have a play date with my girl.”

  Her chest expanded with emotion, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. The feeling was too foreign for her, too new. He wanted to keep her for himself. And Costello was a possessive man. He wouldn’t let anyone play with his toys.

  But did she want to be his toy?

  “Did you let the Daddies play with your other girls?” she asked quietly. Just because he didn’t like sharing his things, didn’t mean being his held any more meaning.

  His nostrils flared. “Yes. I did.”

  “But you won’t with me?” she pushed, getting used to the sweet blossoming in her chest.

  “No. And do you know why that is?”

  “Because you think I’m yours?” she whispered. A storm brewed in his gaze. If she pushed the wrong way, the winds would take her somewhere she wasn’t ready to go.

  “No, little girl,” he said, his voice raw and low. “Because I know you’re mine. And I know you think this is still pretend, but it’s not. I’m not Costello to you.” He grabbed hold of her chin, pinching hard until she winced. “Who am I?”

  “This is stupid,” she protested.

  “Who am I, Ariana?” he asked again, in a near growl.

  She knew what he wanted. The correct answer, but saying it would make it real. And everything about it was wrong. This was all a fucked-up mess. She couldn’t be thinking to make it anything more than an act. Ariana just needed to keep pretending in order to get out of this House and away from the Romero family.

  Even if that meant getting away from Costello.

  “Answer me.” The threat was there, unspoken beneath the darkness. Ignore him much longer, and she’d be tossed over his knee, or over the bed, or anywhere that would give him access to whip her ass.

  That idea shouldn’t make shivers run through her body.

  But it did.

  She clenched her eyes for a brief moment, and when she opened them, his steady, dangerous glare remained focused on her. He’d outwait her without problem.

  “You’re my daddy.” The words danced on her breath. Soft and sweet, and in her bones, deep in her core, the truth took root.

  Costello released Ariana’s chin and stood to his full height. “That’s right, little girl. I’m Daddy, and you’re still going to obey me, and you’ll still get your ass whipped if you don’t. Am I making myself clear?” He dipped his chin and folded his arms over his chest. There could be no misunderstandings here. Not only to keep her safe, but to draw out the right dynamic from the start.

  It had been years since he had anyone he was willing to call his, but now that he was going to do it, she needed to understand how things would operate.

  “You still want me to color for you and play with dolls and maybe you’d like to give me a bottle now and then?” she asked with more snark than he liked, but it wasn’t an unfair question. Lullaby girls behaved exactly that way until they were adopted, then their new daddy would mold them to whatever behaviors they enjoyed.

  “No, you don’t have to do any of those things.” He paused. “Unless you want to. You may have been pretending, but there were moments when you enjoyed the carefree time. You can’t deny that, even though you may want to.”

  She blushed.

  “We can talk about it later,” he said with a laugh. She’d had a rough afternoon as it was, making her face desires she wasn’t ready to analyze could be put off a little longer.

  The door opened and Maria walked in. “I’m sorry, Costello. But Frank wants you down in his office.” Her gaze moved to Ariana then back. “I’ll finish getting her settled. He wants you now.”

  Costello’s muscles tensed. “Okay.” He looked back at Ariana; her wide eyes fixated on him. “It’s okay. Don’t worry. Maria will get you down for a nap, and I’ll come get you for dinner. Okay?” He ran the tips of his fingers over and down her cheek.
<
br />   “Okay, Daddy.” Ariana’s voice went up a pitch.

  “Nancy there?” Costello asked Maria as he passed her.

  “I believe so.” She nodded. “I’m sorry. I just…Nancy had such a mean look in her eye when she called Ariana with the other girls.”

  Costello shook his head. “You did the right thing calling me. I’ll handle it,” he said and shut the door behind him as he entered the hallway.

  The House was quiet as he made his way down to Frank’s office on the first floor. The girls would probably be put down for their naps now and the Daddies would convene for a meeting. If they weren’t having a special play date with one of the girls, that is.

  Nancy was already sitting in front of Frank’s desk when Costello entered. She craned her neck enough for him to see the over confident smirk on her dried-up thin lips. Her dark hair was pulled into its usual bun on top of her head. Deep wrinkles framed her mouth. Probably because the woman seemed to get off on misery.

  “Costello.” Frank leaned back in his chair. “Don’t bother sitting.” He waved his hand. “This will just take a minute.”

  Costello kicked the door shut and leaned against it, with his arms crossed over his chest. He’d been working for Frank for years outside the House, and he’d never had an issue with the man before. He’d been one of his top earners, which is why he’d been picked for the House assignment. He was able to keep his rackets going on the outside while giving the House the attention it needed while he was working with the girls. He was the model employee.

  “What’s this about Nancy telling me you broke up her lesson?”

  “I didn’t break up the lesson. I removed my girl from it,” Costello said bluntly. This wasn’t high school, he wasn’t a weak boy, and he wasn’t going to pussyfoot around the truth. “I never gave my permission for Ariana to be taken to the Mommy class. This is the second time Nancy has made a decision like this without my knowledge. I am the assigned Daddy. I am the one in control.”

  Frank turned his tired gaze to Nancy. “You want to explain that?”