EmmaAfter being invited to breakfast, I stupidly thought perhaps things were changing and that Luca would now start to treat me as he should. Yet it was as if he had set out to hurt me, and I foolishly allowed him to continue doing so for the rest of the day. The pain was so intense that I retreated to his room, sulking and nursing my wounds alone. I even called out to Anna, treating her like she was only there to cater to my needs. I asked her to bring me mountains of chocolate, hoping to help ease the pain.As I sat there in bed, I devoured bar after bar, trying to find solace in the sweet and creamy goodness. The words that Luca had hurled at me kept playing over and over again in my mind like a broken record.I couldn't help but wonder aloud, "Does he really hate me so much that he doesn't even want to give me the wedding I deserve? Every girl deserves a wedding to remember..."I couldn't believe how ruthless he had become. It was as if I didn't even know him anymore.The night w
LucaI'm rapidly losing control of the situation and putting Emma in the firing line and off-side, which seems stupid, even in my eyes.I walked back to the bedroom to tell her I was sorry. Yet, I found her talking to her father, obviously having a means of communication with him. Her begs for him to take her home hurt my chest, making the hollow cavity ache even more than it was a few days ago before she arrived back in my life.I'm unsure why I presumed she had no phones or devices she could call him on; after all, she is a Rossi.I leave the bedroom for a second time in as many minutes fucking livid as hell, but this time at myself for hurting her.She wants to leave, and it's all my fault.I finally reentered my office to see Stephan and Isaac looking at me with wide and assessing eyes. I've never had a whore here before, but the truth is she isn't a whore, and she told them as much.These two goofballs have been more than just hitmen of mine; they've become somewhat excellent fri
EmmaAs I made my way towards the door, the man inside the office Luca just left summoned me to enter. Even though I felt hesitant, I knew I had to go in; if not for following instructions, I'd do it to ensure Luca had what was coming to him. Anyway, I had heard through small talk that this man was Luca's number one, and it would be beneficial to have him on my side if I ever wanted to gain a foothold in Luca's life.The man introduced himself as Niko and held his hand for a greeting, but I was not in the mood for pleasantries. I ignored his outstretched hand and walked past him into the office. My father had always taught me that I was worth more than an outstretched hand in greeting, and I was not about to let anyone make me feel otherwise.As I looked around the room, I quickly assessed the layout and noted any potential escape routes or hiding places. The room was rather bland, with only a single desk with no hiding place, an open chair, and a small filing cabinet. The only other
LucaEmma surprises me by attending training again at six o'clock the following morning. Her presence was a commodity, one that made my men excited due to the fact this deviated from their routine.I watch, enthralled, as she works her way through my men, yet as tired as I am, her abilities irk me. I failed to go to bed last, knowing that the money she squandered out of me on the pretence of her having the wedding she deserves has made me want to make her submit below me just for the slight loss to be worth it. The more time I spend in her presence, the more I want to fuck her. It doesn't help that since that night my father forced her onto me, I haven't had any sexual encounters at all. A man has needs—I have needs, but it seems this man has a future wife to tend to them, so the need to have a whore has diminished. Not to mention, I finally have Emma back after years of thinking the worst happened to her and her family.Even so, despite the fact her virginity is already taken, somet
EmmaLuca lends me his office when the planner arrives. She's obviously Italian. Her sun-kissed skin and brown hair proved that before her mouth even opened, but her greeting in Italian, stating her name was Alessandra, further supported my thoughts.I should be ecstatic that I'm planning my wedding day, but after this morning and the memory of the knife I pulled on Luca, my thoughts have been spiralling into the depths of my own hell.Why did I reach for my knife?And why the fuck did I press so hard that a line appeared in crimson over his neck?I'm spiralling when she sets things on the desk I'm sitting behind. Luca's smell is surrounding me, and though that should be comforting, it isn't."Luca instructed me that the invites must be delivered no later than tomorrow morning. I have a list of important families he wants to attend. Would you like to add to it?" She asks, shoving a bonded folder of instructions that Luca seemingly put together for her.I take the folder quietly, flipp
LucaAfter telling her the horrid, feared gown didn't suit her, I desperately wanted to look at the CCTV in the parlour to see what dress Emma had decided to wear.Honestly, she looked beautiful beyond words, but I had never imagined her in such a gown as she walked down the aisle towards me before becoming my wife. So I made sure to make her dislike it, only for me not to know which gown she had ultimately decided to go for."I've deleted the footage," Niko grinned as I'd never seen him grin before whilst he peered at the CCTV app I had opened on my laptop."Why?""It's bad luck to see the bride's gown before the wedding day," he chuckled as my hand hovered over the laptop's cursor bar before me."Niko...""Trust me?" He asked."Fine, is she ready? We need to leave?""Waiting for you outside, I want to send a small team with you. I have one of those feelings," he tells me as his eyes darken and he looks thoughtful.My father summoned us to attend a charity ball for children in a hosp
I apologise to Councillor Steven and his wife, Bella, as I guide Emma out of the grand hall, moving us through the house as I stride purposefully, I lead us out to the gardens, and then I guide her to the fountain we used to spend more of our time than we were supposed to."Luca?" Emma whispers at my change in direction. I think she's keeping her voice low so as not to betray the emotion flitting through her, but I see her eyes as she appraises the fountain.They're wide and hurt. Does she think I'm purposely bringing her back to the place we first fell in love to hurt her?I drop to one knee as she walks a little ahead of me, her hand dipping inside the pool below the fountain as she swipes at the water in much the same manner as she used to.I snag the chain around my neck, breaking it in the process.The ring falls into my palm as I pocket the broken chain, intent on keeping it in the hopes that breaking it will bring us a new life together.Why have I brought her out here to where
EmmaI walk through the evening like a zombie, the ring a stark reminder that I'm only here because my father and Luca's father deemed it a good business deal to tie our families together using us as collateral.Once, I would have been perfectly happy to be standing beside Luca, but I don't feel like his equal anymore, and that doesn't bode well for me.My finger still smarts, the stinging giving way to swelling around the metal he placed on, knowing it would never be removed again.For some reason unknown to me, I feel somewhat honoured he would give me a ring I had always fantasised about owning and in the face of admitting that he would never let me go by ensuring the ring would never leave my body again unless I were dead and they severed my finger to claim back the heirloom that now belongs on my ring finger.I hadn't known his grandfather designed the ring to hurt the one he loved. I hadn't expected that, but it doesn't seem unsurprising. Men in the mafia seem to have dark souls
Continued:Sven turns back to rejoin Bianca and me by the bed, and as I stand, I peep out the small window to my right. My heart races as my eyes dart across the street below, searching frantically for a way to get Bianca down and into another building safely, away from the danger lurking just beyond that door. Each hotel looks inviting, but just as with this one, its buildings are tall and overtly open."Not going to answer the door, Niko?" Densel's voice booms, dripping with mockery. I can almost envision the twisted grin on his face as he twirls his gun, the metallic glint reflecting the darkness of his intentions. The threat is unmistakable, hanging in the air like a storm cloud, and I brace myself for what comes next.Laying on the floor, hoping to crawl out of sight to the balcony door, I move precariously. Climbing the wall, with my back flat against it, I extend my hand toward the door, carefully unlatching it to avoid making a sound that might alert anyone nearby. As the door
Niko A profound sense of connection envelops us, and a look of mutual respect passes between our eyes. We've worked together long enough to know how each other thinks, which can only be helpful for the pair of us.In the background, I hear Bianca let out a soft sigh, drawing my attention back to her. She remains frozen in place, her expression a mix of tension and confusion. What is troubling her so profoundly that she feels compelled to stay anchored there, motionless?"I need a favour," I whisper."What is it?""I need you to go down to the Western to collect whatever Luca has just sent over." I showed him the phone, and a one-word message from Luca remarked, 'Done.'"You owe me," Sven chuckles dryly before picking his weapons out of the bag, ensuring they are full before he turns to the door, his hands on the chain, it hanging open between him and the door when suddenly, a sharp knock echoes through the room, jolting Bianca out of her reverie. She springs up, darting to my s
Continued: "Do you have money?" Sven barrages me with questions. "Yes," I nod, but in the same instance, I frown. It's all fucking digital, every last penny. "What?" they both mirror my horror. "Applepay, it's traceable," I mumble. "May I?" Bianca asks for my main phone, and I pass it to her without question. Only a second later, she turns it back to my face. She's downloading a banking app, and I'm not sure where she's going with this. "Use that," she stipulates with indifference as I glance down at the phone, reading her father's name on the card now residing in my wallet. I nod, but I'm not sure I will use it. There has to be another way; I think to myself as we walk in unison to the counter, Sven standing on our six until I ask him to step closer. "Do you have any cash at all?" I request eagerly. "No," he shakes his head. Swearing softly to myself, a profound sense of unease settles in as I contemplate the idea of using Bianca's father's money. The truth is, it feels li
NikoThis morning, an unsettling instinct crept into my mind—a gut feeling or perhaps a sixth sense—that today was poised to take a dark turn. With this foreboding hovering over me, I pulled Sven aside before Bianca even woke up. The weight of unpreparedness settled heavily on my shoulders. I had nothing that I usually had at my fingertips, and I couldn't shake the echo of Alexandra's words: living without permission but forever at the forefront of my thoughts.When I arrived on this isolated island, I came armed with the weapons that had adorned me on my wedding day—two knives and two guns with only one round in each, reminders of a day when I was meant to be the groom, not the protector. It wasn't until just a few days ago that I finally reclaimed my phone, another lifeline to reality.A wave of unease washed over me as I stepped off the boat. It felt as if I was walking into my impending fate. I turned to Sven, my voice low and steady, asking him to gather everything we needed to e
Continued: As I sat there, my mind wandered to Alexandra. Would she be joining us on the flight home? The mere idea of enduring her incessant chatter for an entire journey left me feeling uneasy. I could already imagine her animated and unrelenting voice filling the cabin as we soared through the clouds, unable to escape one another.My thoughts then drifted to Niko and how the familiarity of home might alter our dynamic. Would the ease we shared during this honeymoon transform back into the more complex opposition we had previously experienced? It would be disingenuous to say these questions didn't preoccupy me. However, Niko kept his silence, and I found myself caught in the web of my own musings, choosing not to voice my uncertainties. The air around us was thick with unspoken words, and I remained wrapped in quiet contemplation as we readied ourselves with Sven on his boat.The journey to the mainland was tumultuous, with the ocean raging against the boat's sides as we travelled
BiancaI hate to admit the days pass with blinding speed, but we fit as much sex and physical touch into them as we possibly can, and in the times between, we do a lot of talking, exploring one another and our future and how that might look upon leaving this island. We fuck in the hot tub, on the kitchen counter, with hushed giggles at the thrill of potentially being caught, fucking against the window I can't help but stare out of when I'm standing in the bedroom. Soft sensual sex in bed, hard fucking from behind when I tease him about something, and he just can't keep his hands off of me. That has got to be my favourite, but I've not voiced that to him.My sexual appetite has doubled, if not tripled, in such little time that I wonder where my need has arisen from. But similarly, our need to explore what one another wants to uncover itself.As our conversations flowed seamlessly from one topic to the next, we found ourselves wrapped in a captivating exchange that lasted two days. It
Continued:My previous thoughts of not forcing this on her and making her happy in our forced marriage chose this exact time to crop up, my teeth grinding in annoyance as I looked at her thoughtfully."Niko," she breathes my name, making me move to sit up further. Our chests come together as I reach to kiss her neck.I reach around her waist and pluck the bottoms bows just as she had the tops so they float off in the water as the bubbling swirl that's them under their wings."You're beautiful," I murmur against the skin of her neck."Please," she begs. Fuck the beg is almost my undoing; in fact, my cock pulsates at that one word, and yet I find myself exercising complete control to elongate this as far as I can.Instead, I kiss along her collarbone before moving down her breast, sucking her nipple into my mouth to pebble it. I rhythmically lavish it with attention before I release it with a pop so I can move on to its twin."Bianca." I grin when I pop the second one from my mouth. Her
NikoThe morning unfolds with unexpected tranquillity, the sun streaming through the windows and casting warm golden rays across the room that was yesterday shrouded in intense darkness. This ease, however, only amplifies my thoughts, drawing me into a spiral of self-doubt and guilt, haunted by the reality that Bianca faced danger because of my actions.As evening descends, the sky blushes with hues of pink and orange, and we find ourselves ensconced in the soothing embrace of the hot tub. The gentle warmth of the water contrasts with the cool air, wrapping us in a cocoon of serenity while Sven eagerly busies himself, constructing a makeshift bedroom for his stay. The humid air carries the faint scent of cedar and the distant sounds of nature, creating a false sense of security.Our trio had engaged in deep discussions about Sven's plans as we ate breakfast, each idea shared like a lifeline, reinforcing the belief that having another person around would heighten our chances of safety.
Contained: "Sure," Niko nods, touching his mug on the counter with a soft clink. "We'll try," I agree, though the truth looms heavily in my mind: a bond can only deepen with time, and it feels like we've had too little of it. I keep this to myself, reluctant to acknowledge that a part of me senses a wedge still exists between us. However, once we're back home with Luca and Emma, I'm confident we won't get close enough to others for them to attempt to pull us apart anytime soon. "I'll walk you out," Niko offers, trailing after Lucia as she strides towards the front door. The moment she reaches it, her men snap to attention, bowing their heads in unison—an unspoken testament to the respect she commands. Stepping outside onto the already warm, sun-kissed sand, I cast my gaze toward the water and see her boats bobbing gently in the surf. A few small vessels equipped with retractable engines lurk close to shore, while a larger yacht lies further out, seemingly calling for Lucia to ret