I sat in the interrogation room with my hands on my head. It was pounding so hard and I wished it would stop. I didn’t know how many hours I had been in there. All I knew was that it was way too long. I still didn’t know why I had been arrested on my second day in Sicily.
Suddenly, the door opened and a man stepped in. He looked like he was in his early forties. He had a bushy beard covering his face and empty green eyes. He was tall but I could tell his height stood lower than six feet. He handed me a water bottle and I took it carefully.
I unsealed it and drank from it, almost downing the whole thing. He chuckled at my behavior and I gave him a bad look.
“ Why am I here? “ I asked.
“ We are carrying out a murder investigation and you are on our list of suspects. “ He answered and sat in the chair across from me.
I looked at him in disbelief and fought the urge to scoff. Surely that must have been a mistake. I hadn’t been in Sicily long enough to know anyone let alone kill them.
“ There must be a mistake-” I started to defend but he cut me off.
“ Do you know this man? “ He asked and placed a photo in front of me on the table.
Tears welled up in my eyes when I saw the man he was referring to. Malcolm. My heart was beating at an alarming speed. I mean I hated the man but I wasn’t heartless enough to want him dead. Who would do such a thing?
“ I want a lawyer, “ I stated, making sure my face revealed nothing.
“ Do you recognize this man? “ He asked, ignoring my request for a lawyer.
He slid another picture on the table and this time, it was Nikolai. I couldn’t contain the gasp that escaped my lips. What did he have to do with anything?
“ You recognize him, don’t you? In the eyes of the press, he’s a billionaire but he is also suspected to be a mob boss. You can help us take him down and I’ll make sure all charges against you are cleared. Just tell us where they store the drugs and weaponry. Once we bust him, you’re free to go. “
His thick Italian accent disgusted me. It wasn’t like Nikolai's which was pleasant to listen to.
“ I have no idea what you are talking about, “ I said, looking him in the eye to make sure he got the message that he couldn’t intimidate me.
“ You were seen cursing and arguing with a man who turned up dead in the night. The next day, you were spotted with a suspected mob boss. I can say it’s not looking good for you. If I were you, I would cooperate. “
“ It’s a good thing you aren’t me then. I want a lawyer. “
“ It's the likes of you who associate with the mafia that rot the society. A rot that must be eliminated. You look like a smart girl. Be smart and cooperate. “
“ If I were you, I would get a lawyer. You better make sure I don’t make it out of here because the hell I will reign on you will be unlike one you’ve ever seen before. Do you know who my father is? He is Jonathan Lucchese. I’m sure he would love to hear about how the Italian police held me in custody without any evidence. “
I hated throwing daddy’s name like some brat but desperate times called for desperate measures. Lucchese was a known name worldwide. It was no wonder the detective shook with fear at the mention of that name. He must have thought I was just another tourist.
“ You’re an accessory to murder-”
The door opened before he could finish his statement and another man walked in. He was in a perfectly fitting suit and he was carrying a briefcase.
“ My client is not obligated to say anything more. “ He said while sitting down next to me.
He placed some documents and pictures on the table for the detective to see. From his accent, I knew he was Italian. I saw recognition flash in the detective’s eyes. This wasn’t their first rodeo.
“ As you can see, my client had an alibi for when the victim was murdered. You are free to crosscheck everything and see if it’s true.”
The detective huffed and stomped out. I knew who sent him. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Malcolm was dead. Was Nikolai involved? Did he kill him? If so, why? The man had lied to me he was a legit businessperson when in reality he was a mafia leader.
In one night, he had single-handedly thrust me back into the life I had tried so hard to get away from.
“ Are you okay? “ The man beside me asked and I merely nodded my head in answer.
I was angry, hungry, and tired, and I felt dirty. I just wanted to get out of there to let the events of the night sink in. What would happen to Malcolm’s wife and child? My head ached just thinking about it.
After almost thirty minutes of waiting in silence, the detective came back into the room and uncuffed my hands. He gave me a dirty look before stepping away from us.
“ I’ll get you, little girl. You don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into just by talking to that man. He’s evil. I have never seen anyone like him in my whole career. “ The detective warned.
“ Stop scaring her-” The lawyer started to speak but I cut him off.
“ I’m not a little girl. You’ll do well to remember that just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I’m weak. That’s why you brought me in here, right? You hoped you could scare me. You better prepare a good defense team because I will sue you for this. “ I said and walked out.
I hated sexist men and I knew them when I saw them. As I was leaving, a familiar woman caught my eye. It was Malcolm’s wife. She was sitting on a bench with tears in her eyes. Her eyes turned cold when she saw me.
“ Tu ciò pagare per che cosa tu ha fatto! Io odio tu! io ciò uccidere tu! “ She screamed.
She tried to get to me but some police officers held her back.
“ I didn’t kill him! I swear! “ I tried to defend but she was too busy kicking her legs and screaming to hear me.
The lawyer led me away from the scene.
“ What did she say? “ I asked, wanting to know her words badly.
“ She believes you killed her husband so she said that you’ll pay for what you did and that she hates you. “
I pressed my lips into a thin line and looked away. I had lost Malcolm too but I couldn’t compare myself to her. She had a one-year-old to take care of.
“ Who are you? “
I crossed my arms across my chest and looked at him, wanting to know where he had come from. I knew for a fact that the detective had not asked for a lawyer on my behalf. Plus this one looked expensive because he was wearing expensive clothes.
“ Nikolai sent me, “ he answered.
My body boiled with anger and bitterness for that man.
“ Did he kill Malcolm? “ I asked but I had a feeling I already knew the answer to that question.
“ You’ll have to ask him yourself.”
Before I could answer and say I never wanted to see Nikolai again, a bag was put over my head and I was grabbed. I tried to kick and twist my body in an attempt to free myself but the person who was holding me was too strong.
My arms were tied from behind and I was thrown into the backseat of a car. I felt the car moving. Suddenly the bag was removed and I was face to face with the bastard who had ruined my life.
“ Hello, Brianna, “ he greeted with a smile on his face.
That was the first time he had said my name and even though I wanted to act like I hated him, I couldn’t deny the butterflies that fluttered in my stomach when he said it. For some reason, it felt sensual.
“ Hello yourself you jerk! “ I screamed when I remembered how he had made me look like a fool.
“ Marry me. “
I laughed at his statement thinking he was joking until I saw the serious look on his face.
“ Are you fucking mental? “
His face was right in front of mine in seconds and his hand was wrapped around my neck. His grip was tight but not tight enough to cut off my air supply. However, I knew that if he added a little more pressure, he would have me thrashing and begging him to let go.
“ I wasn’t asking,
il mio pupazzo. “-----------
Translations: il mio pupazzo-my doll ; Tu ciò pagare per che cosa tu ha fatto! Io odio tu! io ciò uccidere tu!- You'll pay for what you did! I hate you! I'll kill you! ; bellissima- gorgeous
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His grip on my neck tightened a little and he chuckled before letting me go. He must have seen the look of alarm on my face. I wasn’t going to let the bastard force me into a loveless marriage. I wasn’t like all the compliant Italian girls he had met. “ Over my dead body! “ I screamed and spit on him. He closed his eyes and wiped my saliva from his face. He stared at me with a deadly look to show me just how dangerous he was. I didn’t falter. I continued moving my body in an attempt to break free from the binds around my wrists. However, all I achieved was hurting myself. “ I hate you! “ I screamed out in frustration and flung myself at Nikolai, just to hurt him. “ Why don’t you scream one more time and see what happens? “ Nikolai said after removing a gun and putting it on my temple. My mouth snapped shut and I stayed still. The patient and sweet Nikolai was gone. In his place was a dangerous and ruthless man. Did he wear glasses or was it also part of his act? I didn’t doubt
I jerked awake and frantically looked around. Sweat was trickling down my body and my heart was beating rapidly. I didn’t know what I was dreaming about but I knew it wasn’t pleasant. My life was a nightmare in itself so I wasn’t shocked that it had translated into my dreams. I put my hand on my chest and that was when I realized I was on the bed. How did I get here? I vividly remembered being on the floor. Someone must have carried me to the bed. When I looked down at my body, I saw that I was dressed in silk pajamas. I hadn't done that. My nostrils flared when I registered that there was a possibility that Nikolai put his dirty bloodied mafia hands on me. Just then, the door opened and a maid walked in. She was dressed in a black and white uniform. In her hands was a tray full of breakfast. “ Maam, Sir. Nikolai asked me to bring you breakfast. He also asked me to tell you to shower and then meet him in his study. “ She said in a low soft voice. I wanted to argue and tell her
Vivienne dragged me down the stairs to the kitchen. For the first time, I took a good look at the house. It had a black Gothic design. The ceilings were high and the staircase was spiral. It had black marble floors that glinted in the light. The windows were floor-to-ceiling and they were covered by black and gray curtains. The kitchen was very spacious and it had a black counter in the middle. Contrary to the design of the rest of the house, the kitchen was white and gray. I was convinced that it was the only bright room in the house. The devil had made his house black like his heart. Vivienne guided me to sit on a stool that was near the counter. I was worried that she would get in trouble with Nikolai for being nice to me. “ Hey, Patrizia. I’m sure you know, Brie. Please give her your infamous chocolate cake so she can feel better. “ Vivienne said to a middle-aged lady with dark hair. She looked between us and smiled. “ Hey, Brie, “ she greeted and I greeted her back. Sh
I looked at my reflection in the mirror as the girls moved around while trying to get me to look presentable. The dead look in my eyes scared them. No matter how hard I tried to smile, I ended up looking constipated. “ Honey, are you okay? “ One of the designers asked. I nodded my head even though I wanted to shake it. I knew if I told her what was going on, I would probably get her killed. She wanted to ask more but she must have thought better of it because she snapped her mouth shut. The door opened and the groom came in. He smirked at me through the mirror and turned to face the girls who were working on me. “ Leave! “ His voice boomed and the girls scurried away. It was just me and him in the little room he had kept me prisoner in. He looked good in his black Armani suit and his hair slicked back. With great difficulty, I peeled my eyes away from him. “ Don’t you know it’s bad luck to see a bride in her wedding dress before the wedding? “ I asked with a bored look on my
The ceremony went by in a blur. I could barely remember reciting my vows and saying yes to being Nikolai’s wife. The only thing I remember vividly was the kiss. Oh, the kiss. I could still feel his lips lingering on mine. Every now and then, I found myself touching them. They still tingled and it was a feeling I could not explain. I wanted to hate him but it seemed my body thought otherwise. “ Smile, mìa regìna, “ Nikolai said. We were in the car and headed to the venue for the wedding night reception. I hadn’t even realized that he was looking at me. He had been so busy with phone calls ever since we got into the car. News of our marriage must have traveled like wildfire. His vows must have traveled the fastest. Nikolai had me there. He expressed such emotion that if I wasn’t the bride, I would have believed that he loved me with all his heart. If only they knew how much he hated me. “ What does that even mean? “ I asked, irritated. He always called me names in Italian and I
" I'm taking my wife home now, " Nikolai announced to the men he had previously introduced me to before they started talking business.They laughed and congratulated him once more before he guided me away with his hand on the small of my back.It felt protective and somewhat territorial, like he was letting everyone know I belonged to him.I had already informed him that Lily was not leaving Italy and he had agreed to host her in his–our house. He led me to the car, and acted like a perfect gentleman by opening the door for me. I rolled my eyes at his silly attempt to prove to me that he was a decent man." I'll fix that attitude of yours, " he muttered." Maybe if you had courted me the right way I wouldn't have an attitude. " I replied with a scoff.There was silence after that. Nikolai smirked and stared at me the whole way back. It was like he knew something I didn't.The feel of his eyes, however, sent a shiver down my spine. It felt good for a man that handsome to eye me like t
When I woke up the next morning, the spot next to me on the bed was empty. Nikolai had worked the whole night.Did he ever rest? He reminded me of my father. My mother would always complain that my father was never home. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to have the same fate as her.I shouldn't have cared anyway because it was a fake marriage. I got out of bed, showered, and wore a blue long-sleeved sundress with white flowers on it. I also wore white sandals to go with it. I headed downstairs and found Lily in the kitchen munching on Patrizia's infamous cake. She jumped when she saw me and her eyes gleamed with mischief and curiosity.She pulled me to the chajr next to hers and sat me down." So, is he a beast in bed? " She asked and I choked on the cake I had bitten from her plate.She rubbed my back and I blushed profusely when I recalled the moans of pleasure I heard from the girl he was having sex with a few days before.He must have been a beast in bed. I would never f
I was sitting in the garden reading one of the novels I found in the library when I heard cars enter the estate. Cars usually entered the estate but this time, it was many cars at once.That meant someone important had come to the estate. I shrugged my shoulders as it wasn't any of my business.A few minutes later, Lily came to the garden and stood in front of me with her arms crossed against her chest." What are you doing here? " She asked and I raised an eyebrow at her wondering what she meant.I raised the book to show her something that was already so obvious." Your father is here and you're just sitting here? " She asked.I didn't believe what I was hearing. Didn't he go back to New York? I laughed realizing that Lily played pranks like these all the time." If this is some silly joke-"" Your father is here! " Lily exclaimed.She had a serious look on her face so I stood up and left the garden in a hurry. Sure enough, my father's cars were parked around the fountain.Had the o