Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

Lena’s povIt was surprisingly easy slipping out of the hotel this morning. The halls were empty, no guards no nothing. *pfft what a joke* But the important thing was that I was out and by the time Vincenzo Maranzano woke up, I would have already been back home at my Brooklyn apartment. It was strange how Vincenzo’s Jacket wrapped around my body perfectly, not in terms of size or anything, but it just felt right, like some sort of invisibility cloak as I slipped into the streets and hailed a cab that took me back to my side of town. Far away from here.I watched as the city streets fazed past me, my own reflection in the glass window stared back at me. The make-up I had on the previous night was all gone and my hair was a mess, my lipstick, whatever was left of it was smeared messily across my lips, a testament of the wild night I’d had and out the corner of my eye, I noticed how the cabby kept giving me side glance from the mirrors. Bet he was questioning what a young girl like myse

Jazz and I have been good friends since our freshman days and we had bonded over a shared love for late-night study sessions, cheesy Rom-coms, and the occasional nights out on the town. She had that effortless cool that most girls could only dream of, with her sleek black hair and catlike green eyes, she always made a statement. And where I studied Psychology, she was a medical student.But last year, she dropped out of the program. ‘I just couldn’t keep up’ she told people. But I knew better than anyone. Jasmine Moretti, is a freaking genius, but the truth was, she just wanted to dance. To pursue a career as a professional dancer rather than study medicine. It was a bold step, something I doubt I could ever do. Because unlike her, I was on scholarship and I could never throw my scholarship away. So yes, her choice had come as a shock to me, but I supported her fully. Because that’s what friends do.Although the same couldn’t be said about her parents who were mortified by her decisio

But, if I were being completely honest with myself, the choice of changing my hair was more of a confidence booster than a fashion statement. An illusion I’ve given myself that I at least have some control over my life. This week I’d gone with red. Maybe next week I’ll do midnight blue, or emerald green. Who knows? “Yeah, I had it dyed red during the weekend. What do you think?” “It suits you…” Luke said, and my heart thumped in my chest as the words resounded in my head. That’s what Vincenzo had said to me that night…my steps slowed down a bit as his face flashed in my mind. I wondered where he was now, and what he was doing. Was he thinking about me too? Or was I just being delulu for a dangerous criminal? “Anyway,” he continued, oblivious to my lack of enthusiasm, “I was thinking—” “Okay!! I’m just gonna stop you right there, Luke,” I interrupted him as I shot him a sharp look, pausing in the aisle. “Can we maybe talk after class? I’m running on zero caffeine and need a minute

“Get a grip, Lena,” I whispered to Myself, but my voice sounded too loud in the stillness. I walked back into the living room, scanning every corner as though I was searching for something, or…someone, but there was nothing. Maybe she got out? No, I highly doubt that, but then it wasn’t completely implausible. Animals were actually smarter than we gave them credits for. Gathering my confidence, I approached my bedroom door, the one room in the house I hadn’t searched yet. But for some reason, it was in this moment that I heard Jasmines words echoing in my mind. {maybe you shouldn’t be living alone in a place like that. Come stay with me} But I had been stubborn about moving for two reasons. One, I didn’t want to feel like a burden and two, I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of handling things by myself. Now, I wasn’t so sure. As if on cue the soft whimpering of Rio came from the other side of the door and without a second thought, I pushed the door open in a panic.

LENA’S POVEverything happened so quickly that I didn’t even have time to process things.“Give it to me,” Vincenzo’s ordered in a voice that was low and dangerous. Despite the fear in my heart and the trembling in my knees, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling excitement bubble at my depths. It was a twisted satisfaction that stemmed from a place of darkness and trauma, the thrill of defying someone that loved to dominate even when it put me at risk. My thoughts were a whirlwind, but they were calculated even in the midst of the fear and thrill that brewed within me. As a devote student of psychology, I couldn’t help but analyze the situation before me, pondering my next move as the subject of my desires had suddenly materialized in my room. I should have been terrified that Vincenzo had managed to find me, but here I was, excited instead. Fuck! It was like a new kind of arousal had been unlocked and only he could satisfy me now. I wanted to play this game of cat and mouse with him.