Chapter 7

“You”

Rose blinked hard, trying to compose herself and push Victor’s words out of her head. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the counter as she forced her breathing to steady. Vincenzo didn’t move, he simply relaxed against the bar with a smile that held absolute confidence the kind that made the air around him feel heavier, the same confidence that made her shiver despite herself.

She had searched for him earlier and found almost nothing useful. Only polished work-related articles and carefully controlled public information. Nothing about the life she now knew he lived. Nothing that prepared her for the man sitting in front of her.

“You’re order sir” she said quietly as she passed them their drinks careful not to let her hands shake. Stefano gave her a small polite smile. She stared at him a second longer than she should have, the resemblance was there in the bone structure, the dark hair, the controlled posture though Stefano’s presence felt lighter and less dangerous than the man beside him. Rose looked away quickly and focused on the other orders but her heart refused to settle. Somehow this man kept invading her thoughts and she hated how little control she had over it.

As soon as she finished serving everyone at her section she excused herself and headed to the toilet needing a moment alone more than she needed air.

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The moment Vincenzo had walked into the bar earlier, his posture alone had drawn attention. Conversations dipped for a second as eyes followed him as he moved straight toward the counter where the small, pretty dark-skinned girl was working. For a brief second he let himself imagine her beneath him, she was perfect.

“Two shots of liquor” Stefano ordered for him. After the breakdown earlier, alcohol felt like the only way to dull the sharp edges of the day.

When Rose looked up and whispered “You” Vincenzo’s smile deepened. He kept his gaze on her long enough to make her visibly uncomfortable and the moment she left for the toilet, he stood without a word.

“The girl from yesterday, huh?” he muttered to Stefano.

“I need to take care of something”

He followed her through the narrow hallway with his steps quiet but deliberate.

Rose finished and unlocked the door only to find Vincenzo already there leaning against the opposite wall with a gun spinning slowly around his index finger. The metal caught the dim light and he looked every bit the deadly mafia don he was: controlled, cold and completely at ease with the weapon in his hand.

“Who did you tell?”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t play dumb with me” His voice was low almost calm. “You saw me kill someone”

“And I spent the night at your place”

“That doesn’t change the fact” She let out a sharp breath as he stepped closer, boxing her in against the wall. The space between them disappeared she could smell his cologne mixed with the faint scent of alcohol and something darker.

“YOU’RE MINE”

“This is what it’s about right?” she spat trying to put strength into her voice even as her back pressed against the cold wall “You don’t own me, I’m not your property…yes I saw you kill someone in here yesterday and I’m grateful you saved me but then you teased me and left me wanting you- ”

Before she could say another word his mouth was on hers.

The kiss was deep, controlled and consuming. One of his hands braced against the wall beside her head while the other settled at her waist firm enough to keep her in place. For a moment the weight of May 29th seemed to ease from him. Aside from Elena, no other woman had ever made him feel this kind of pull. 

This girl was different, different that she made him want more than he should.

Rose caught off guard stiffened at first then responded by deepening the kiss even though the intensity of it was new to her. Her fingers curled weakly into the front of his shirt, when he finally pulled away, his voice was low against her lips, almost a claim.

“YOU’RE MINE” With that he stepped back adjusted his cuffs and walked out once again leaving her hanging in the quiet of the toilet.

Rose stood alone facing the mirror. The girl staring back looked wrecked her eyes wide, lips slightly swollen chest still rising too fast. Victor’s voice returned without mercy louder than the music outside.

‘He’s the man’ The moment those words had left Victor’s mouth her entire world had tilted.

‘You signed those papers, we have a deal, make him fall in love with you, deliver him to us and we give you everything. A deal is a deal’ She sobbed quietly as she washed her face with cold water, the words repeating louder with every second and by the time she reached for the door with a trembling hand while his last line was still echoing in her skull.

‘Make him fall in love with you’

She walked back to the counter like she was moving through fog, every step felt delayed by heaviness she carried in her head, the noise of the bar reached her as if was from a distance as Victor’s voice refused to leave her head no matter how hard she tried to push it away.

“One shot of Moretti” She poured the drink with unsteady hands and eyes unfocused. 

“Deliver him to us and we give you everything” with a trembling hand she passed their orders when suddenly, she looked up and caught sight of Vincenzo leaving with Stefano near the entrance.

‘A deal is a deal’

The final echo was louder than the music finally her strength gave out, tears spilled over before she could stop them as she broke down right there at the counter with her shoulders shaking.

Kelvin rushed to her side and pulled her into a quick worried hug but the bottle in her hand slipped and shattered against the floor and it's glass scattered near their feet.

Vincenzo had been at the entrance the moment he saw her break his eyes darkened. He let go of the door without hesitation and walked straight back to her ignoring the broken glass and the stares. Without a word he lifted her into his arms, one arm under her knees ony to admire while the other supporting her back.

“I’ve got her, tell your boss that she's with me” he told Kelvin voice flat but firm so Kelvin stepped back with a tight concerned nod saying nothing more.

Rose was too far gone to protest because her fingers clenched weakly into the fabric of his shirt as he carried her out of the bar. She no longer cared who was watching or what they thought.

A deal is a deal

The words echoed one last time before everything went black.