It took an hour for me to arrive at the casino. Ricardo was waiting for me outside, pacing along the brightly lit entrance of the casino. I stopped the car in front of him before I stepped out. Ricardo opened his mouth to say something, probably to request to throw out the cops himself. But I cut him off. "Go park the car." I ordered as I walked past him. "Yes, sir." He replied before I heard him jog over to the car I left open. I walked into the casino, eyeing the men of the web standing around, keeping a close eye on the customers. I glanced around myself, looking for any suspicious person waltzing around the casino. "They moved to the slots, sir." One of the security men spoke to my right, and I moved my attention to where he said the cops were. It took me a few more seconds to pinpoint them out as they were newer cops I had never seen around here or pocking around my family's company. I walked over, my steps slow and calculated. The two cops, a man and a woma
Ezabell Viper...Boredom and hunger settled in after a few hours when the sun hung low in the sky and the cold from my body finally left.It took me about ten minutes to convince myself to take the damn shower, ten minutes to stop my brain from making my body think that I was back in that horrible cage, being woken up with splashes of cold water. After ten minutes of just staring at the cold water run, I stepped in and shivered my way through a quick shower that lasted half the time it took me to get in.By the time I stepped out of the shower and was drying myself, I thought about letting Jacopo Nicolo know that either there was something wrong with his shower, or I didn't know how to operate it.I wore the warmest clothes I could find in my suitcase, a black sweatshirt and leggings, and braided my hair into two sides before I settled in the living room.I had nothing else to do after that. I wasn't willing to return to the suitcases and venture deep in them, looking at the pho
I found myself in front of the window behind the long couch, standing in the thick drapes so I would be able to fully look out into the real world.My phone was in my hands, and for the past ten minutes, I've been rejecting Ella Smith's calls. She'd called about six times before she stopped, and I assumed she had given up.I looked down, my eyes following the small figures of cars and barely visible peoples walking around. I envied their normality, how they were able to wake up this morning and walk out of their homes so freely.I'd finally understood that I had taken the last years or so for granted, sticking to my father's house and my room only, without venturing out and trying to heal myself. I could have healed my body and soul, could have gained some confidence, and become unbothered by the heavy limp I have with each step. Instead, I continued to limit myself and carry out the emotional and mental punishment my captor had started for me. And now, I was back to that horrible l
It took me ten minutes to get ready. I didn't want to make Ella Smith wait too long, and I also had no desire to have a longer shower with the ice-cold water.A simple black dress was chosen for the occasion, one that flutterly fell down below my knees. My feet were covered with the same white flats I had worn for the past two days.I tied my hair up to the top of my hair, trying to hide how tangles the strands actually were from the lack of brushing for the last two and a half days.Ella Smith was right where I left her, looking down at her phone with a soft smile on her face."I'm ready." I called out, drawing her attention towards me.She shot me another smile, and the enthusiasm and positivity within her surprised me. It was practically radiating off of her in waves, forcing it upon myself. She didn't even need to speak to show some sort of affection. It was all so easily written all over her face."Great. Connor is waiting for us downstairs." She commented before she tucked her
It took me some time to stop the tears from flowing down my cheeks. By the time I came down, my eyes were red and swollen, my nose stuffy, and my hands, along with the phone in it, wet from tears.Ella offered me a red handkerchief, along with a soft, sad smile.I took the handkerchief and wiped my tears, taking deep breaths through the slight hiccups. I tried my best to calm myself down and thank her without stuttering. However, her phone rang before I could speak, disturbing the silent gallery.She reached into her bag and pulled her phone out, answering it within the next second.I returned my eyes to the painting, sniffling a bit, while she replied to the caller."No, Cilvia. We're not that close, but we'll get there on time." She said."Alright. See you soon."She hung up the phone and tucked it back into her red handbag.Ella Smith returned her eyes to me."Would you like to look around before we hit the road again?" She asked.That would be nice, looking at the colorful paint
The food came about fifteen minutes later, and while the ones who were forced to order a salad even though they wanted something else didn't look pleased, I was more than happy to be served with a good-sized steak.My mouth immediately watered at the sight of the food in front of me, my stomach growling at the memory of not eating anything good for the last two days.I didn't hesitate to reach for the knife and fork, ready to dig in. The table full of stranger women melted away as I started cutting into my perfectly cooked steak, the sight of how well done it was making me satisfied.I took a big bite that filled my entire mouth, slightly struggling to chew the meat as I scooped up some mashed potatoes from the side and shoved it into my already full mouth.The sigh of relief that escaped my throat was audible, and for once, the twisting hunger I was feeling deep in my gut was not letting me feel the shame of being round people I didn't know. I dug in like my life depended on it, and
Jacopo Nicolo...I paced in my study, cracking my knuckles as apprehension filled my gut.I glanced at the screen of my laptop, the focus made on only a single camera, which showed the real-time view of the street outside the front entrance of the apartment building.I glanced at the clock hung on the wall, scowling at how much time they had taken. It's already been about three hours since that woman came to the house and took the other woman I have been trying to get rid of.I needed to keep my eyes on the Viper Princess. I needed to watch all of her moves, but damn it, she just had to meddle in my life again.How was I supposed to gather dirt on the woman I married if I didn't have eyes on her the entire time?Pressure was starting to build at the back of my neck, vexation twisting my insides into a single giant ball.I was still irritated about the fact that Ella Smith called her husband so he could call and give me an ear full. Whatever happened to minding their
Ezabella Viper...I hid in the bathroom, slightly upset with myself for not properly thanking Ella Smith before I stepped out of the elevator. I made sure to lock the door before I ventured further into the bathroom, standing in front of the sink to look at myself in the mirror above it.I cringed at the sight of my hair, knowing it was going to be extra tangled once I freed it from the bun. I dropped my eyes to my face.Despite sleeping the entire late afternoon and night the previous day, I looked extremely exhausted, as if I had not slept for 48 hours straight.I sighed, dropping the phone on the edge of the sink and dragging both of my hands down my face, stopping at my eyes to give them a quick rub before I reached down for the sink.Turning the water on, I leaned down and splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would chase away the exhaustion from my body.The gathering with the other women truly felt like I had walked myself into a battlefield and came out on the other s
"Helena, hi..." Ella finally spoke into the phone, and it was obvious from her voice that she did not expect Helena to answer the phone."Hi." Helena chuckled at how awkward Ella sounded."How have you been?" Ella asked."I've been better. But honestly, I'm fine. More than fine, actually. I feel like I'm finally finding my footing again, you know, getting back on my feet. I feel like I can finally breathe again." Helena replied.Her enthusiastic voice and manner rubbed me the wrong way, and it was obvious that the other ladies were feeling the same way as well."The last time I saw you was at the Fimbar Mansion, and you really didn't want to look at us anymore, let alone speak to us. What changed?" Ella slowly asked, trying her best not to upset Helena."Well... I was a bit mean back then, weren't I?" Helena chuckled. "I was just a hit under pressure...""Under pressure from what?' Cilvia spoke up, and we looked at her. The three of us had agreed that if by some miracle the phone is
Ezabella Viper...I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed, and it was not because I had the bed sleep ever of because I had the long sleep my body craved. No. It was because of what Jacopo did the previous night, and how he stepped into the shower knowing it was something his body didn't want him to do.This man was constantly putting his body in the line for me, and I don't know what more proof I could possibly need to know just how much he loves me.First it was running into a burning building for me, and then it was choosing to save me first, and then it was stepping in front of a bullet for me the previous night, and then on the same night, it was stepping under the warm water knowing he would have a bad reaction to it because of his horrible experience.It felt like I truly don't deserve the amount of love he has for me, like I haven't given him enough as much as he has given me.Waking up next to him after we had a scary night and then an amazing moment in the shower f
Jacopo Nicolo..."What are you doing, Jacopo?" Eza asked as she watched me push my shoes off my feet and then lean down to take my socks off."I just told you..." I softly replied. "I don't want to stay away. I can't stay away."Once the socks were off, I pushed myself to my feet.I shrugged the suit jacket off my back before dropping it to the floor."Jacopo?" Eza whispered, realizing what I wanted to do.I carried on to unbutton my shirt no matter how hard the shaking of my hands tried to sabotage me. To succeed in taking my shirt off before I carried on to my suit pants.Once I was done peeling my clothes off, I looked towards Eza and the steam that was coming out of the shower from the hot shower.The second I started stepping closer to the shower, Eza reached for the shower nob to turn it towards the colder side."Don't, Eza." I called out, stopping her from turning the water off and then on to cold.I stood just outside of the shower, just out of the reach of the hot water.
Ezabella Viper..."So, you decide to create a club of your own?" Cilvia asked, her back hunches and her elbows pressed against her knees as she attentively listened to the three women speak one at a time about their stories.I didn't even realize when it happened, but we were all suddenly talking to each other about our lives, sharing moments that we usually would not share with strangers."Yes." Red replied. "It was the only logical next step. We were able to find a fee working bikes from the last house we escaped from, and on the road, we were able to learn more and grow as a team. We got to take revenge and acquire more wealth from those men, which led us to get ourselves a small club house in a small town. People started hearing about us, and women and little girls started coming to us for help. Some needed help getting rid of people who were troubling them while others needed a place to stay. And so it all started. A small club grew bigger and bigger until we had to move to
Jacopo Nicolo...I sat in the passanger sit of Victor's car, while Elijah and Dante followed us in Elijah's car. My heart refused to settle down, my head still filled with the image of that red dot on my wife's forehead.There goes my heart again, almost beating out of my chest with fear, fear that I could have lost her.My hands refused to stop shaking, itching for a trigger to squeeze, my nose desperate for the scent of the blood of whoever tried to kill my wife right in front of me despite my own blood already attacking my nostrils.I had to tuck my hands into my pockets to stop them from visibly shaking."Heard you stepped in front of a bullet." Victor commented. "Pretty brave of you." "Not now, Victor." I mumbled.I couldn't deal with the voice in my head, let alone get nagged by my father-in-law."I am trying to thank you for saving Bella's life." He said, forcing my eyes towards him."It's the bare minimum. I am her husband. That's what I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to
Jacopo was sitting in the sitting room the ladies of the web and I were chatting in earlier while the members of the web were having their meeting. I had calmed him enough to forget about his gun, and someone had suggested that we moved to the sitting room until a thorough search has been made around the area to make sure that there were no more shooters so it would be safe enough for the rest of us to leave.The only people left in the villa besides Jacopo and I were Ella and Elijah, Connor and Cane, the three women of the Motorcycle club, and Cilvia and Dante, along with my father, who was apartment in one of the bathrooms while everything was happening and only came the join the chaos while Jacopo and I were in each other's arms.I was sitting right next to Jacopo, his right arms around me while his left was balled into a fist as if he was trying to stop himself from reaching for him gun again."Dante?" My father called out. "Did thay have anything to do with this,""We are standi
Ezabella Viper...Most of the conversations after Piper Fimbar left were smooth. I tried to stay engaged in the conversation, but my mind kept going back to the conversation Ella and Cilvia had with Piper. I kept dissecting every single word she had said, every reaction she made to the mention of the Fimbar blood line, and I tried to piece everything together.But why Helena?Why was she trying to keep Helena away? Piper never liked Helena to begin with, and it was not like she hid it to anyone. So shouldn't she be the first to send Helena out of the house the second her son died?I was pulled out of my train of thoughts when the door was pushed in, and the men started pouring in."So, brunch tomorrow?" One of the ladies said before the men came closer.I wasn't aware that we were discussing brunch to begin with."Of course. I will look for a nice place and let you ladies know." Ella replied.I looked towards the door, waiting for Jacopo to come. But he didn't. It took him a whil
Dante ended in meeting by adding a little more detail in the Elizabeth case."We will be initiating our attack two weeks from now once everything on our side is settled. If we need extra man power, then please expect some of your own people to be chosen to join the attack. That will be all for today." A stillness went around the room at the people of the web glanced at each other. They didn't like how he just said some of their own people might be ordered to join the attack, but I didn't like how he had extended the time of our attack by a week and a half. Unless ge is only saying this because he truly believes that there is someone in here who had truly betrayed the web and would relay this massage to Elizabeth so they would get distracted by the length of time the preparation for the attack would take.Seeing as Elijah didn't seem surprised by that announcement, I just assumed he too knows about this, and so does Victor.The men started leaving the office once Dante announced that
Jacopo Nicolo...I was amongst the last members of the web to enter the office. Dante had already taken his place behind the large desk, his arms crossed and his face covered with hard lines as he nodded his head towards the one man standing by the door so he would close it.Harvey had taken his usual spot standing behind Dante, and Elijah had taken a seat by the window, his eyes more focused in A.J Fimbar than the three women of the club. I guessed his wife gave him an assignment as mine did."Well, now that everyone is here, shall we begin?" Dante said, looking around and stopping for a few seconds to allow anyone to speak their minds first before he started the meeting. Here is the thing. Dante usually gives the people of the web time to speak their minds first before him, but he is well known for killing anyone who dared to raise a single point before he does. So, everyone usually remains quiet and waits for him to start the meeting."Alright then." He started. "As a lot of