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 that he wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in my head.
“ You can’t force me to marry you. I’m not afraid to die. “ I said while trying to show confidence and bravery but my voice quivered in the end.
Nikolai chuckled darkly and trailed the gun down my face and stopped at my lips. He used it to stroke my bottom lips before trailing it down to my chest. He stopped at the valley of my breasts before locking me in place with his gaze. I hated my body for the flutters I felt in my stomach.
“ I can do whatever I want, principessa. Sicily is my turf and the sooner you accept that the better. Your life is in my hands now. “ He said with a sinister smile on his face.
More than anything, I wanted to shout colorful words but the gun he had against my chest willed me to keep my mouth shut.
I heard a chuckle beside me and I shut my eyes. I didn’t even realize there was a person beside me. Seeing Nikolai again had made everything else fade away. He had made a fool out of me and he was possibly the reason Malcolm was dead.
“ Stop scaring the girl, Nikolai. She has already had enough. “ The voice said from beside me.
I didn’t want to look in case Nikolai decided he didn’t like it and shot me. I felt Nikolai’s eyes burning holes in my head even with my eyes shut. I opened them and looked into his eyes with a ferocious look. I would die before I let him see me falter.
Nikolai withdrew the gun from my chest and leaned back on his seat. The gun was still in his tattooed hand between his legs. He stared at me with amusement dancing in his eyes. More than anything, I wanted to wipe the smug look off his face.
“ Is this the only way you can get women to come home with you? By kidnapping them? “ I asked and scoffed.
I knew I was pushing my luck but at the moment, I could care less. I also knew what I was saying was not true. He was a hot man and I could bet he had no problem picking up women. He was every girl’s wet dream.
“ If I were you, I would shut my smart mouth. Nikolai can snap in a matter of seconds.” The person beside me said.
I looked at him and glared. He was also a good-looking man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He had a friendly look on his face but it didn’t fool me one bit. It was the ones that looked inviting who were the most dangerous.
“ It’s a good thing you aren’t me. “ I spat out.
My nostrils flared when no one looked at me. Nobody was paying attention to my words.
“ Where are you taking me? “ I asked and I was ignored yet again.
I sighed and sat back in my seat. No matter how much I asked, I wasn’t going to get an answer. After what felt like an eternity, the car stopped. I looked out to see that we were outside an estate. The gates opened and the car moved again. I stared at the trees as we went deeper and deeper into the estate. The car stopped beside a fountain. There were guards situated in every corner of the estate.
The door to my side opened and revealed a guard in a suit with a gun in his hands. Nikolai stepped out and stood outside waiting for me to come out. I stayed rooted in my seat while glaring at him but he pulled me out roughly.
“ Get your fucking hands off me! “ I shouted.
He ignored me and dragged me into the huge modern mansion. How rich was he? I decided to stay compliant because of the many guards that were littered outside. If I made a mistake, any one of them or all of them would shoot me.
He dragged me inside the house and up the stairs. He dragged me into a bedroom and threw me on the bed.
“ If you do as I say, we won’t have a problem, “ he said.
“ Go fuck yourself! “ I screamed with all my strength.
“ Don’t test my patience, principessa. I can kill you in a matter of seconds. “ He said while pointing the gun at me.
It was my turn to chuckle. I wanted him to think he wasn’t getting anywhere with me. I wasn’t afraid of his threats. I was, but he didn’t need to know that.
“ You won’t kill me. You’re the Sicilian don but my father is the American Mafia lord. We both know if you put a bullet through my head, the whole world will burn with the fury of my father. “
As far as anyone knew, I was a normal middle-class American citizen but clearly, this man knew exactly who I was. I had gone to great lengths to change my identity and live a normal life but Nikolai had changed all that in a day.
“ You think I am afraid of your father? “ Nikolai asked while inching closer to me.
“I know you are. “
“ Why don't you rest? We’ll talk more about our wedding tomorrow when you’re in a better mood. “ He walked to me and untied my hands.
“ Wait! Did you kill Malcolm? “ I asked before he left.
He turned to me with a smirk.
“ I thought you’d be happy that he was dead. After all, he hurt you, didn’t he? “
Nikolai was the devil incarnate. Taking a life wasn’t something to be taken lightly and he had done so without a second thought.
“ You’re despicable! “ I shouted.
“ Get some rest, Brianna. You have a long day tomorrow. “
After that, he turned around and started leaving the room. I waited for him to go so I could plan my escape. With guards everywhere, it would be hard but nothing was impossible.
My heart sank in my chest when I heard the click on the door. The bastard had locked me inside. I ran towards it and tried opening it to no avail. I tried to kick the mahogany door but my frail body did nothing to aid me.
I looked around and spotted a door. Without any hesitation, I went to it and opened the door. It led me to the bathroom. I looked around for any windows and I found one. It was small. Very small. I couldn’t even fit half my body through.
I went back into the bedroom and looked for another window. When I looked through the one I spotted, I could see the gate. I couldn’t use it. If I did, I wouldn’t even get as far as the fountain. That aside, it had bars. Who even puts bars on windows these days?
It was getting harder to breathe as I came to terms with what was happening. I was a prisoner in a country I didn’t know. I couldn't even speak the language. Lily knew where I was but she wouldn’t know where to look and my father and I were no longer in contact.
Tears gathered in my eyes as I sank to the floor. I couldn’t stop the sob that broke out of me. I didn’t want to get married to a man I didn’t know. What was his agenda? Did he have a personal vendetta against my father and this was his revenge? If he did, how had he found me? Nobody even knew who my father’s daughter was.
I cursed my father over and over again. If only I was the daughter of a normal man. I walked to the door and kicked while screaming. They couldn’t put me here against my will. My screams got louder as hot tears continued falling down my cheeks.
No matter how hard I kicked the door and screamed, nobody came. It felt like I wasn’t even doing anything. Tiredness took over and I collapsed on the floor and continued crying hoping that a miracle would fall and I would be free.
I yawned and my eyes started closing on their own accord. I willed myself to stay awake but within no time, darkness took over.
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
The issue of Lily and Lorenzo was still on my mind. Lily was mad at me for sure. She hadn’t spoken to me during dinner and she ignored me when I tried to talk to her. I had taken that opportunity to glare at Lorenzo as hard as I could. “ You’re thinking about something, “ Nikolai said from the door and my head whipped in his direction. I hadn’t even heard him come into our room. I put my lotion down as I had been applying it on my legs for too long. “ You’re here, “ I stated, surprised. He hardly ever came to our room at night. At first, I thought it was because he was working but I figured that he was giving me the space I needed. Looking at him, I realized that he looked very tired. His shirt was almost completely undone, giving me a peak at his tattoos and his hair had been ruffled. It was like someone had run their hands through it repeatedly. I hated the feeling that settled in my chest at the thought. I couldn’t afford to be jealous. I needed out of that marriage, not to fi