"Who hurt you?" Antonio's deep voice cut through the air like daggers. Isabella lowered her eyes timidly, holding on to her wounded arm. "It was Master Pedro." Mario, his bodyguard, answered instead. Antonio said nothing more. He uncrossed his legs and grabbed the large butcher knife on the table. "Wait here." He murmured to Isabella. He stormed into the gambling parlor, his face set in a deep scowl, his eyes burning with rage, his grip tight on the knife. When Pedro spotted him, he grinned and waved. "Antonio, have you come to join us?" Antonio marched up to him, grabbed his hand and chopped it off. Pedro's painful scream echoed all over the gambling room. "Next time, keep your hands away from what is mine." … Orphaned at a young age, Isabella Valdez always thought her aunt Sophia who raised her wanted her to have a good life. But it was all a lie. She was being sold off. At the auction center, tied to a stake, she watched as the crowd of men bargained loudly, each trying to buy her for the highest amount. Until a deep emotionless voice spoke calmly from the crowd. "A hundred thousand pieces of gold." … Don Antonio de Marino is the ruthless El Capo of La Vendetta Oscura, the powerful and most feared mafia organization in Las Vegas. His world revolved around three things: Wealth. Power. Revenge. But nothing could have prepared him for the chaos that came with the innocent Isabella Valdez. … This is a Mafia dark romance story and strongly rated 18. If you like the concept of BDSM, dominant and submissive, dark obsession, and possessive dark male leads who would burn down the world to save their women, then this book is for you. If you don't, you've been warned. Xoxo.
Lihat lebih banyak"Where are we going to, aunt Sophia?" Isabella asked as her aunty ushered her out of the apartment and into a waiting car.
"We have to meet with one of your uncles." The elderly woman replied. "He has promised to give us some money for your upkeep." "Oh. Maybe I can finally go to college." Isabella said hopefully, but Sophia ignored her. They got into the car and the driver sped off. Soon the dusty roads of the countryhome where they lived gave way to the bustling express of Las Vegas. Isabella was just twenty two, young and totally dependent on her aunty, Sophia. Her parents had been murdered when she was just an infant, so the only family she relied on were her relatives. According to Sophia, she had her mother's physical beauty, but her father's rebellious streak. Isabella had midnight dark hair, a shade which was unlike any other. Her eyes were the darkest obsidian, sharp and filled with a million questions, with skin as pale as milk. Growing up, she had been curious about everything. When she turned eight, she demanded to know how her parents were killed. Sophia had told her that a notorious mafia king had murdered them for refusing to pay back their debts. Ever since, Isabella had harbored a deep hatred for every mafia gang out there, and she burned with vengeance whenever she thought about it. She had been with Sophia since she turned three, and had managed to graduate from high school. She had dreams of her own, and one of them was to own a dress shop someday. But due to lack of funds, she couldn't pay for the designer' school of fashion. Everything came down to going to college first. "What are you thinking about, child?" Sophia asked after a while. Isabella shrugged, then turned away from the window. "I can't apply for fashion school because I don't have a degree." She explained. "You know how bad I want to own a dress shop." "I told you, Isabella, you dream too big." Sophia chided her. "Your parents left back a huge amount of debt, some of which I'm still struggling to pay back. We can't afford tuition fees for college right now." "But I don't get it." Isabella sighed exasperatedly. "Why do you have to pay back their debts? They're dead. You shouldn't have to be burdened with it." "Isabella, don't talk that way." "But it's the truth." Isabella said stubbornly. "My parents are dead, and it has been years. It's not like they're going to come back to life if we don't talk about it." "Isabella!" Sophia snapped angrily. "That is no way to speak about the dead. Have some respect." "Respect." Isabella scoffed and rolled her eyes. She totally despised the fact that her parents debts were preventing her from achieving her dreams. The car sped on for hours, zooming past acres of lands and luxurious houses. As they drove through the wealthy neighborhood, Isabella's mood worsened. The houses here were pure luxury, compared to the tiny apartment she shared with aunt Sophia. Some people had all the luck, she thought. Finally after several hours, the car slowed to a stop beside a large building which looked like an abandoned warehouse. Isabella stepped out of the car beside her aunt, scrutinizing the building and surrounding. "Where is this place?" She asked. Sophia ignored her and dialed a number on her phone. She moved away, speaking softly so Isabella wouldn't hear. After a while, she came back and told the driver to leave. "We're going to wait here for your uncle." She said. "He's running a bit late, but he will be here soon.' Isabella nodded, watching the car they came in drive away. Then a thought occurred to her. "Which of my uncle are we waiting for? Do I know him?" Sophia shook her head, but her eyes were restless. She kept looking around, as if she was waiting for someone. Another hour went by and Isabella grew impatient. "How much longer?" "For God's sake Isabella, let me be." Sophia snapped impatiently. "He'll get here when he gets here." Sulking, Isabella turned away and leaned beside the building. After another hour, Sophia's phone beep with an incoming message. She read the message, and the look on her face changed. Pocketing the phone, she turned to Isabella. "Your uncle is on his way. Wait here for me." "Where are you going?" "I want to meet him halfway. He doesn't know where we are." "Let me come with you then." Isabella suggested. "You stay right there, Isabella Valdez." Sophia snapped. "I will return with your uncle." Isabella watched her aunt walk down the long deserted road until she was out of sight. She mimicked her, then hissed and found a place to sit and wait. A few cars drove past, but most of the time, the road was silent and empty. It seemed she was in a remote part of Vegas. She looked up suddenly as a sleek dark limo drove by. The limo screamed of wealth, and Isabella couldn't help but imagine how her life would have turned out if she had been born to a wealthy family. She expected the limo to drive on like the rest of the other cars, but it stopped. She watched, expecting her uncle to step down and call out to her. Then she laughed at her own thought. There was no way on earth her relatives would have an ordinary car, not to talk of a luxurious limo. She looked away, but for some reason, she kept looking back at the limo. She couldn't see a thing through the tinted windows, but she could feel someone's eyes on her. The feeling became so strong that she began to feel uncomfortable. Fortunately, the limo continued and drove down the road until it disappeared. Isabella breathed a sigh of relief, then jumped in fear when thunder crashed loudly. There was no place to take shelter and soon, she was totally drenched by the rain. Night fell and Isabella began to panic. Sophia hadn't returned and she was all alone, miles away from home. As she thought of what to do next, she noticed someone walking towards her from the road. Her first thought was her aunt, but the person approaching was a man. She thought it was her uncle and she dashed out to meet him. "Isabella?" The man called her name. "Yes. You are my uncle, right? You're late. My aunt and I have been waiting for you." "Where is she?" "She left to meet you. You must have missed her." The man's expression changed suddenly. He ogled her body with hungry eyes, then sneered at her. "She won't be coming back." Isabella frowned, wondering what he meant. She suddenly felt uneasy. "Maybe we should go find her then." She muttered and started to walk away. But the man grabbed her hand viciously. "Hey! Let me go!" "Silly girl." He snarled. "I paid in full, and you're coming with me." Adrenaline suddenly shot through Isabella's body. She wrenched her arm out of his grip and bolted into a run. "HELP!" She screamed as she ran, slipping on the wet ground. "HELP ME!" "Bitch!" The man snarled, chasing her. She could hear his footsteps getting closer and she began to cry. She knew he would catch her, but still she kept running. "HELP ME!" She screamed one last time, and suddenly... BAM! Something heavy and sharp hit her head and she dropped to the ground, dazed. She saw the man crouch before her, grinning like a maniac, and she passed out.Isabella awoke with a shrill scream. Strong hands wrestled with her and she thrashed in terror, fighting to jump off the bed. In her mind, she was back in the mansion. Leonardo stood before her, with a gun aimed at her. She heard the roar of a gunshot and pain exploded in her stomach. Her screams turned raw and primal, but everything ceased when she heard Antonio's voice. "It's okay, my love. You're safe now. I'm here with you."He spoke in a whisper, and she almost concluded that she was hallucinating. She calmed down, breathing shakingly, clutching him tightly as if she was terrified to let go. Then she felt him stroke her cheek. She opened her eyes and looked around. The room was dim, and the curtains were drawn, keeping the harsh sunlight away. Antonio was lying beside her on the bed, softly stroking her face. She looked up at him, taking in his appearance. The was a tiny plaster taped over a cut on his eyebrow. He was putting on a light blue hospital gown, the same as the
"ANTONIO!" Isabella screamed as he fell down the stairs. She started to run towards him but Marcello held her back. "Let me go!" She cried, struggling with him. She bit his arm hard and when he pulled away with a painful howl, she rushed up the stairs. Antonio lay on his side, groaning from the pain of the gunshot wound. Blood soaked his shirt, spilling down his back to the stairs.Beside him, Mario lay totally still, the gun still nestled in his hand. He was unconscious, and he was losing too much blood. But that wasn't what made him worried. He lifted his head as Isabella rushed up the stairs towards him. She collapsed beside him and pulled his head onto her laps. "Oh Antonio." She cried softly. "This is all my fault. I never should have left.""Mi amore." He groaned weakly, worried for her. "You have to get out of here...""No! I'm not leaving you again." She shook her head. "I didn't mean what I said. When I said I didn't love you, I didn't mean it. I didn't mean any of it.
Isabella clamped her palm over her mouth, muffling her cry. She shut her eyes as the pain heightened, almost splitting her stomach in two. It released her suddenly and she gasped, breathless from the pain. This couldn't be happening, she thought. She couldn't be going into labor. But the water pooling around her feet told her otherwise. She was having her babies. The footsteps alerted her again, getting closer, like they were creeping forward silently. Gritting her teeth hard, she lifted the gun, prepared to protect herself no matter what. She counted to three, then with a shrill scream, she leaped out. She slammed the gun on the intruder's head and he collapsed, groaning in pain. Isabella froze. That voice, she thought. It sounded familiar. She gasped when he raised his head and stared at her. "Marcello?"Marcello looked battered. His shirt was bloodstained, and a thin trail of blood spilled down the side of his lips. His eyes widened in shock when he saw her. "Signòra?"Is
Isabella queued up with the other boarders as they prepared to board the plane. Her lower back was beginning to really hurt, making her uncomfortable, yet that was the least of her worries. As she moved closer to the jetway, her heart constricted. A tiny voice kept telling her to stop, to turn around before it was too late. But she didn't stop. She kept walking, getting closer and closer to the jetway. If she wanted to change her mind, now was the time, because once she stepped into that plane, there would be no turning back. As she lifted her foot to climb, a memory flittered through her mind. It was the day Antonio proposed to her, and she remembered the promises he made. ...I'll give up being el capo. I'll take you away from here, to a safe place where it will just be the two of us... She shut her eyes, willing the memory to stop, willing herself to move, to board the plane, but she couldn't. She couldn't get Antonio's voice out of her head, couldn't forget how his face lit
The words tore at Isabella's heart. She hated herself for what she was doing to him, hated herself for hurting the only man who had ever shown her what true love meant. But she had to do it. It was the only way to make him leave without her. He had to understand that she couldn't be with him until the danger around him was gone. So she hardened her heart and looked him in the eye. "No. I've never loved you." She said. "When I came back to you that night, I decided to use you to get what I wanted. I used your affection for me to my advantage. I used you, but what I didn't expect was to end up pregnant for you."The more she said those hurtful words, the more Antonio's heart shattered. He couldn't believe it. All those times, the love, the affection, the promises, they were all lies? "So you see, Antonio, I can't be with you." She continued. "You're surrounded with death and bloodshed. I'm too innocent for the world you live in. I can't be with you."Antonio took a step towards her,
‹I'm leaving you, Antonio. But first, you need to know this. Leonardo is coming. He's planning something big, something dangerous, and I'll die if I remain with you.I know you think can protect me, you think you can keep me safe, that everything will be fine. But let's face it. I'll only be a burden to you. I won't be able to live with myself if you die because of me. Please, don't look for me. Stay focused and end Leonardo once and for all. Live for me. Live for our babies. I'll be carrying a piece of you with me always, and I hope fate brings you back to me when all this is over. I love you. More than life itself.›Antonio's hands shook violently as the letter fell from his grip. His vision blurred as tears brimmed in his eyes. It couldn't be. It had to be a dream. A nightmare. His Isabella couldn't be gone. But reality hit him hard when something round and shiny fell out from the handbag. He leaned down and picked it up, staring in horror at the diamond engagement ring he gav
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