128. After about an hour of that, I made myself a pot of coffee…it was going to be a long day. It had been three days since Alana had walked out. I had made a grave mistake by allowing myself the pleasure of making love to her when she was too drunk to have the capacity to consent. I truly hadn’t meant for that to happen. I tried to tell myself that I was beyond the point of rational thought as well, but truthfully I wasn’t drunk, at least not from the alcohol. I was intoxicated by her. I’d been researching her and watching her for so long…every fantasy I’d had for the past year had been wrapped up in Alana. I had just completely lost my mind the moment I was actually allowed to touch her. The fact that she was allowing me to, and even encouraging it had really sent me over the edge. It was wrong though…I was wrong. I knew from the time I’d spent watching her that she wasn’t a big drinker, and she definitely didn’t sleep around. I should have had more respec
129. I wanted to punch him for calling me sweetheart. What was with all of these suddenly over-familiar men? I picked up the photo and underneath it was another…it was one of Sammie and I walking arm in arm into the Glass Towers. It was stamped with Friday night’s date. The elevator Nate and I were riding in stopped and the doors slid open on my floor. I felt like my heels were glued down and I couldn’t move. To my horror, Nate had to take me by the arm and lead me out of the elevator. I think I was in some kind of mini-shock state. I found myself standing in the hallway, still gaping at the photos in my hand. Feeling sick to my stomach, I picked up the next photo and the last one was the best. It was a photo of me in Friday night’s clothes and a flagrant case of bed-head, getting into the back seat of Sammie’s limousine. The photo was clearly stamped with Saturday morning’s date. “What—Where---Why are you having Sammie followed?” I finally spit out.
He was a passive-aggressive son of a bitch. Shooting someone in the eyes meant, “I’m watching you,” in our world. I honestly had no idea who it could be that wanted to send me a message so desperately that they would kill my best friend to do it. “Sit down, Sammie.” Tony told me. I took a seat at the table with the others and Tony said, “Does anyone know of any beefs against us?” Everyone looked around the table and when no one said anything I asked, “Why are the Gambino’s absent?” “Carmine is still put off by the fact I won’t consider that fat fuck christopher for boss. He sent word that he couldn’t make it, made up some stupid fucking excuse so I couldn’t accuse him of disrespect, but we all know why he’s not here,” Tony said. Tony’s voice was getting raspier and he seemed like he had a lot harder time breathing every time I saw him. He was dying of throat cancer….but only he and I knew that. The Christopher he spoke so disdainfully of was the son of Carmine Gambino. Carmine ha
The doorman said. I don’t think it was the same one that had been here when I’d skulked out on Saturday morning…thank God. “Good afternoon,” I told him. “I was hoping that you could call up to Mr. Romo Romalatti’s penthouse and let him know that Alana is here to see him.” “Yes Miss, I can do that. Please have a seat and make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back with you.” I took a seat on one of the plush, off-white couches in the lobby. They were arranged around pretty glass tables with expensive looking vases full of flowers. I sat there and watched all the designer clothing clad people bustle back and forth while I waited. Suspiciously, I wondered how many of them were linked to the mob. “Miss?” The doorman brought me back to reality. “Yes?” “Mr. Romalatti asked me to send you up. He said that he’s in a meeting in the conference room next door but you should make yourself comfortable in the suite.” “Okay, thank you so much.” The doorman put me in an elevator that he said
Damian I signed the contract before me, pressing so hard the track of my signature left a groove on the paper. I looked at the papers one last time before sliding the papers over to Hope’s side for her to sign too. Both our parents were in the room as witnesses, after all they were the reason we were doing this in the first place. I looked at her again and for a second our eyes met, she was still a child, her eyes were puffy and red from all the crying. I quickly looked away as she looked back down at the papers that were going to bind us together for life. She focused on the papers in front of her for a while before she looked up at me again, unable to hold the tears, as if asking for help, I looked away she turned her gaze to her father her father. He was her father, he was supposed to protect her, that was literally his job, but instead he sold her to us, to my family to my father in order to pay off his debt. But his father just kept his gaze focused on the ground, unable
Five years later. Hope. I was finally going back home, but not my home. I was taking my place as Damian's wife. Now that I had finished my studies and was of age. I stood at the airport looking around wondering, if Damian would pick me up himself or send one of his drivers. I was still in deep thought when I heard my name. “Hope.” i heard the familiar voice that I hadn't heard for over five years. It was my sister's Lola's voice. I slowly turned around to face her. She looked different than the last time I had seen her. But again the last time I saw her was five years ago and she was pregnant back then. She was now twenty four years old, but somehow she looked older than that. Her eyes were puffy and she looked like she wasn’t sleeping enough. We both stood a few metres apart for a few minutes, taking in the five years. I was no longer the small girl she knew. I was a grown woman now. Abruptly, she then pulled me in for a hug and i could hear her sobbing on my shoulders. I
Hope I stepped out of the Limo into the well polished compound that held the beautiful home of Damian Spears. It was a mansion built on only God knows how many acres of land. It had what looked like an infinity swimming pool going all the way to the ocean. There was a garden full of different kind of flowers, there was even a play area for kids and a fish pond. Not exactly what I had imagined his home would look like. He however had men in black suits in almost every corner of the house. That part I had imagined. A woman who seemed little older cme our to greet us. "Good afternoon ma'am." She said with a huge smile on her face. "Am Alba the house keeper,i will take this upstairs for you." She said taking my bag. "I have known Alba since I was a young boy myself. She will get you settled in okay." Damon said gesturing for me to follow Alba. I walked slowly following Alba, as soon as i stepped through the front door it leaked sophistication. The house's interior was breath tak
Hope. This was the second night here and I still felt like a stranger. Damian had not yet returned since the previous night. I should be happy but some part of me resented him even more. I watched as Alba unpacked the bags that came in today, arranging my clothes, color coordinating them. "I noticed Damian's clothes are not there." i said it more of a statement than question. I didn’t even realize I had been loud enough. "That's because this is your room, his room is the next door." She said. I got up and slowly walked to the closet looking around. "Oh, I just assumed we were going to share a room." my voice came out disspointed more than I intended it to be. "He said you needed your own space.i assumed he had talked to you aboutit." "No he didn't." i said looking around the closet and all my clothes were neatly arranged and there were other new stuff I could not recognize, before I could ask, as if sensing Alba spoke up. “Your husband bought those for you; he said you w