It’s been two weeks since Vincenzo took me to the shooting range to relieve some stress. Two weeks since he carried me to his office because of that bitch re-opening my wounds. Two weeks since we sort of had a moment and two weeks’ since he spoke to me, and when we did speak, we were fighting.
So, who cares if I shot his men, and him? It’s not like I got him, it barely scraped his shoulder. Now he and half of his men were at god knows where. While Maria, Ariana and I sat in the kitchen eating cookie dough ice cream. To my surprise the only thing making this kidnapping slightly bearable is Ariana.
‘Tomorrow, shopping spree what do you girls say?’ Ariana perked up looking at the both of us, Maria shoved a spoon full of ice cream into her mouth, smirking at her I gestured with the spoon in my hand ‘You alright there?’ I teased her, blushing she laughed and quickly cleared her throat. ‘Ahem, I would love to, but I have an uh. a date.’ She mummers under her breath hoping no one would hear her.
I looked over at Ariana both of our faces reading the same expression, ‘How do you have a date you’re not allowed to leave the estate-‘ I cut off Ariana before screeching, ‘ITS SOMEONE FROM THE MAFIA ISN’T IT.’ I burst out acting like I didn’t already know who it was. She looks up at me the spoon hanging from her mouth.
Ariana dramatically gasps before slapping my arm in excitement, ‘OH MY GOD WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO?’ Ariana screams practically trying to jump into Marias lap to find out who. Maria buries her face in her hands as her cheeks begin to flush red. ‘It’s Lorenzo isn’t it.’ I state when she doesn’t answer Ariana lets out a high-pitched scream ‘LORENZO? MY IDIOT OF A BROTHER? Oh, this is gold, you do know I highly suspect that sarcastic motherfucker is gay right?’ she points out.
I nod my head completely agreeing with Ariana. Maria flushes red ‘Oh, believe me, anything but gay’ she winks as she goes back to eating her food. Ariana and I gasp as we cover our ears, ‘OH COME ON WE DIDN’T NEED TO KNOW THAT’ Ariana screeches.
The roar of at least five cars causes everyone to go quiet. Vincenzo’s mother who was sitting on the couch now stood up waiting for her boys to walk in. All the men walk in, my heart in my throat as I wait for Vincenzo to appear.
He finally walks in, his mother gasps and covers her mouth before she rushes to him. ‘Quello che è successor?’ (what happened) she cries as she examines the blood gushing from the side of his face. He pushes her hands away and walks off.
His mother hugs Lorenzo examining him before he takes a hold of her hands and assures her, he’s fine. ‘My face and body are too pretty for a scar,’ Lorenzo says with a snap of his fingers, Ariana extends her hand out gesturing towards Lorenzo who just proved her point. Laughing I shake my head as Maria facepalms. Lorenzo shrugs his shoulders as he continues to tell his mum that he tried to get Vincenzo to go to the nurse, but he wouldn’t go because of how stubborn he is.
Vincenzo rolls his eyes walking away. He passes me without even looking at me twice and goes up the stairs to I’m assuming his office. My eyes follow him as he walks up the stairs cursing in Italian before we all hear the loud thud of the door slamming shut. Lorenzo explains what happened and how the guy got cocky and tried shooting Vincenzo, he dodged it in time for it to not hit him in the skull, but the bullet grazed the side of his head. ‘I knew something was wrong. Giovani, I told you to go with them.’ she scolded her husband.
She looks over at her husband as he goes on to tell her the kids are fine, and he is capable of handling himself. ‘Did he kill him?’ He asked Lorenzo. ‘Yeah, he shot him in the nuts first then in the head.’ He laughed out, I began to zone them out as my feet and legs started moving towards the stairs. Before I knew it, I was standing in the front of his office, his two men look and me and shrug moving aside knowing either way I was going in. I open the doors and let myself in.
‘Get. Out.’ He warns me in a low voice as he tries to tend to his wound, I continue staring at him closing and locking the doors behind me. ‘No.’ I firmly respond, He turns around to look at me, the blood still dripping from his head. ‘Isabella-‘ I cut him off sharply before he ruins my mood and turns this into another one of our fights, “Vincenzo, I’m not leaving until I stitch up that wound on your head. Now for once sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up.’ I scold him frustrated.
He looked at me anger evidently radiating off him before he snapped ‘I can take care of myself! I don’t need your pity.’ He turns around trying to tend to it himself but failing miserably, ‘It’s going to get infected. I need to-‘ I went to move his hair out of the way to examine the depths of it before he pushed me away from him. I stumbled back softly gripping the desk to keep my balance before I tripped over it.
‘Don’t touch me. Get out.’ He yelled, I watched him for a second his shoulders broad, his chest rising and falling harshly while he stared at coldly. I scoff ‘Listen, you fucking puta. I don’t fucking like you either okay? But I’m not going to let you suffer when I know I can do something to help. So shut the fuck up sit down and let me do what I need to do. I promise when I finish, I’m leaving.’ I promised him not wanting to stand here a second longer than I needed.
When he didn’t respond, I looked at the first aid kit he had opened and began cleaning his wound. When I cleaned his face from the blood, I applied alcohol on the outside of the scar avoiding the opened wound. ‘Do you have anything to numb the area before I stitch it up?’ I whispered softly, concentrating on his wound.
He shook his head ‘Just do it’ I looked at him shaking my head before I sighed knowing he wasn’t going to let me numb it either way and began stitching his wound up. He gripped the side of the table as his eyes shut due to the pain, but he didn’t let out a single noise of displeasure. I was impressed at his pain tolerance and his ability to compose and control his emotions so well, no wonder it was so hard to read him.
I brushed my finger over the stitches as I finished, ‘All-‘ I spoke up I looked at him and my voice suddenly became mute, when I realised how close I was to Vincenzo ‘done’ I whispered continuing my sentence. I gulped slowly lowering my hands to my side our faces were inches apart our eyes locked and for the first time I noticed how gorgeous his eyes were.
A silver grey, it looked as though I was staring at the moon, I let out a shaky breath before I nodded my head, unable to manage to speak.
I felt my body fire up with anticipation, my mind going against me recalling the events from the club and the restaurants. I looked at his lips, I watched him lick his bottom lip making me bite my own, my heart skipped a beat remembering how they felt against mine. I suck in a breath and slowly look back up at Vincenzo. Alarms ringing in my head, that this is a bad idea. That I should leave that this could only end badly, but the rest of my body didn’t want to listen. So, I stood there like I was in a trance never breaking eye contact afraid that if I looked away or moved and inch that he’ll disappear.
‘All done.’ I whispered again trying to walk away from the sudden tension that rose in the room, I took a small step back, bowing my head as I went to leave just like I promised. As fast as I turn around Vincenzo grabbed my wrist pulling me back into him, my chest smacking his, I placed my hands on his chest steading myself while looking up at him.
His hand on my lower back and without hesitation he softly pulled me towards him by the back of my head I leaned forward he placed a soft kiss on my forehead. He stayed like that for a moment, he rested his forehead to mine looking at me, ‘grazie, Leonessa’ he whispered his voice came out husky and rigid. I felt my chest rise and fall, my heart skips a beat. My stomach had a zoo go off, I smiled softly.
We stayed like that for a while, neither of us complaining simply enjoying the rare tender moment. I closed my eyes feeling my body immediately relax under his touch, I inhaled slowly taking in his scent, he wears the smell of blood and death like perfume.
A smell I never thought would be such comfort as it did right now. There was a fire in his eyes, and ice running through his veins. But despite all that I finally realised there is something about him I just couldn’t resist.
I slowly open my eyes and catch him looking at my lips, I lean in almost giving him permission to kiss me. He rests his hands on my waist and tilts my chin up, our lips inches apart before the door flies open.
I jump away from him as I clear my throat. ‘Vincenzo, I- Oh?’ His mother cuts herself off abruptly. Great, it’s his mother. I look up at her then back at Vincenzo. ‘Mum he is a big boy just leave him alo- oh, oh, ohhhahahaha’ Ariana cuts herself off doubling over in laughter as she realises her mum walked in on something she shouldn’t of.
I sprint past his mother as I push Ariana out of the office with me.
Hearing the doors shut behind me, I slap Ariana on the arm ‘Seriously!’ she hasn’t stopped laughing since she walked in. ‘You could cut the tension with a knife’ I couldn’t help the eye roll. ‘Isabella, Boss wants to see you.’ I look back at Ariana and she had the same confused yet curious expression I had.
‘Isn’t his mother still inside?’ He nods his head ‘both of them request you’ I look back at Maria with wide eyes ‘She’s planning my death, isn’t she?’ I blurted out, this time it was Ariana who slapped my arm ‘Go.’ she pointed towards the office.
I walked back into the office and saw a very angry Vincenzo and a ticked-off mother. Oh great. I want to be here. Kill me. Kill me now. ‘You asked for me, your majesty?’ I mock the two of them walking in, His mother crossed her arms ignoring my remark, ‘Did you stitch my son?’ I didn’t know if I should respond so I just nodded. ‘How did you know how and what to do?’ she asked curiously.
‘We could use your skillset.’ I sighed knowing where this was going, another thing they could use me for. I felt my blood boil the tender moment vanished.
All I wanted to do now was scream, yell and break everything in my sight. I am not a thing that can be used whenever it’s convenient and especially by his mother.
After she walked out the door, I looked at Vincenzo. ‘Go get dressed.’ I did a double take at him then looked down at myself ‘I’m sorry I didn’t realise I was naked’ I sassed him, He rolled his eyes not pushing it.
‘You’re coming with me to a charity event tonight hosted by the mayor. The dress should be on your bed.’ He sits down and goes back to doing whatever it is he does. ‘I’m not going’ without looking up at me he lets out a displeased groan ‘Yes you are’ I went to object and suddenly he was on his feet glaring me down.
‘We can do this all day; you say you are not going. I say you are. Then you say something to make me angry, I get all up in your face to intimidate you but instead, you get wet because you’re a good girl.’ He groans out, I looked at him shocked and slightly embarrassed.
I crossed my legs tight looking away rolling my eyes, ‘How long are you going to ignore that problem of yours’ He looks at me smug, clearing out my throat I look back at him cautiously ‘what problem?’ I ask oblivious.
His smirk widened ‘No matter how much you clench your legs together it doesn’t stop the fact that you’re dripping’ His eyes trailed my body, licking his lower lip he lets out a cocky laugh he leans forward placing his hand on the desk slowly sitting back down in his chair.
Still smirking he looks away then back at him whipping the inner corner with his thumb. I sigh frustrated cocky fucking ugh!
I turn away charging for the door, I looked at him ready to fight him but am silenced turning around our face’s inches apart. I stop breathing for a second, he slowly steps closer to me backing me up against the doors. He lifts my chin up ‘Leonessa” He whispered seductively leaning in slowly until our lips were slightly touching.
Teasing me, he opened the door for me to leave and turned around. ‘Go get ready’ he ordered me from the tone of his voice he seemed all too satisfied with himself. ‘idiota’ I muttered before turning my back and walking out of the office.
Walking into my room I see the dress laid out on my bed. It truly was breath taking, I took it out of the box to examine it further, It was a clean white dress, that crisscrossed over my chest, a split that went down both sides from the front. The maxi dress flowed with a silk like feel.
After spending an hours in the shower and on hair and makeup. I was finally ready. I brushed my fingers through my loosely curled hair and checked my makeup one more time before standing up.
I looked over at the noise of my door being opened and felt the air punch right out of me. He looked irresistible in his attire. Black pants a white button-ups shirt complete with a black leather jacket, and do not get me started on the 4 rings he had on. All I could imagine was his hands around my neck I bit my bottom lip looking at him.
‘You clean up good Italy.’ I complemented him, He scratches his beard before finally making his eyes back up to my face, ‘we need to leave now’ he quickly blurts outs.
Arching one eyebrow up ‘why the rush?’ I tease, He steps closer to me pulling me into him by my waist, ‘because if we don’t leave now, I’m going to rip that dress off of you and fuck you like you’ve never been fucked before. Until the only name you’ll ever want to scream out is mine.’ He let out a low growl looking at me, his eyes were full of lust, desire he looked very territorial, and it turned me on.
‘no tricks tonight, if you try anything I will not hesitate to punish you leonessa.” He warned me, I nodded my head softly examining his features lost in every aspect.
