Muffled voices and footsteps shuffled from behind it before I heard the metallic click of a key in the lock. I shrunk backwards regretting my choice as the door swung open.
I stared into a pair of black eyes darker than midnight. His vacant stare traveling the length of my body as he stalked toward me backing me against the wall. He leaned in and braced himself in front of me. With his face lingering to the side of mine he inhaled my scent, “Too bad you belong to the boss, I could put that filthy mouth to good use.”
My body trembled against the assault of his warm breath on my cheek when Angelo stepped into the room.
“What the fuck are you doing?” His voice was as cold as the icy glaze in his eyes.
“Just reminding your girl to use her manners,” he spits out like there was a foul taste in his mouth and moved back, his eyes dropping to my chest.
“Your job was to watch her nothing more. Send Ava in and Gino, if I ever catch your hands on her again I’ll cut them off.”
He stood his ground forcing Gino to walk around him. Once we were alone, he slowly approached me. “Mia Bella, it’s good to see you awake.”
Shivers ran down my spine when his hand brushed my arm. “Don’t touch me! What am I doing here?” I tried to wiggle away from him but his hold on me tightened.
“Where else would you be? You belong here, with me. This is real, Mia Bella, you and me, it’s the only thing that matters.” The ice in his eyes melted as a raw anger burned in them.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, Gino told me you were looking for me.” A tall woman with a slender frame entered the room with the grace of an autumn breeze. She had short blonde hair that bounced along the top of her shoulders and her lips were stained in a rich crimson red. She wore a crisp white blouse unbuttoned a few too many notches revealing the lacy bra underneath.
His lips curved and his eyes broke contact with me to glance her over. “Please see she gets a hot shower and fresh clothes.”
“Anything you need, Mia Bella, Ava will help you with.” He loosened his hold on me and strolled out of the room. “Lock it when you’re done here.”
I braced myself against the massive canopy bed draped in a shear blue willing my breathing to slow before I passed out. My form coming into focus in its reflection in the mirror. My clothes were torn to rags and my tangled hair dusted with silver.
Ava reached into the pocket of her tight black slacks and placed a pill bottle onto the vanity. “Xanax to help with your nerves,” she said in response to the questioning in my eyes.
Ava rolled up the sleeves on her blouse, walked into the adjoining bathroom and turned on the shower. “I’ll give you some privacy. You’ll find clean clothes in the closet.”
With my legs wobbling underneath me I stumbled into the bathroom forcing myself to undress. Steam permeated the room as I stepped under the cascading water. A sigh of relief escaped my lips. The heat soothed my tense muscles. Dreary and weak, I leaned my head against the cold, tiled wall while the spray pounded on my back.
I was a prisoner in my own mind unable to shake the brain fog, a combination of confusion and the drugs coursing through my veins. I wasn’t sure who terrified me more, Angelo or the man he called Gino.
When the water ran cold, I mustered enough strength to pull myself together and turned off the shower. The events that led me here were scattered amongst my foggy thoughts but I belonged to no one, especially him. He could not claim me; my heart was no longer mine to give. My knees buckled as I stepped out of the shower and wrapped my drenching body in the plushness of an oversize towel.
Just outside the bathroom I pulled open the double slatted doors leading into a walk-in-closet. Beading and rhinestones, tulles and silk dresses hung along the wall. The opposite side lined with cotton, linen and satin blouses and skirts. The back was stacked with designer shoes in varying heights in neat rows. They lit up like jewels, but they were not my clothes and I refused to indulge his fantasy by playing the role of Barbie Doll.
I opened a dresser drawer to find folded lace panties and bras. It pained me to put on something so intimate but it was better than being exposed, when he returned. Opening another drawer, I found lounge pants and t-shirts. I slipped the soft cotton over my tender skin and sunk into the warmth of the bed to let my icy skin thaw under the covers. Waterfalls of tears rushed my eyes until sleep transported me from the nightmare.
Chapter 10
Angelo
I settled back in my chair glaring at the paperwork sprawled across my desk. I scheduled a large overseas shipment of vehicles for early next week and I still had funds to reallocate and titles to alter beforehand.
Word she was awake broke my focus and I couldn’t concentrate on anything else.
I had been in Italy for longer than I had expected while we tried to flush out the rat feeding inside information to the Feds. It had taken almost a year of misleading my crew with false information waiting to see which rumor would end up on their radar and now I would have to deal with the bastard who betrayed me. His punishment would be nothing less than brutal. Nobody crossed me and lived to do it a second time.
My blood was still boiling at the sight of Gino pressed against my Bella. Almost as much as it was the night I returned to the states and realized why she had stopped returning my calls.
Her feistiness and foul mouth had me reaching into my pants and wrapping my hand around my stiffening cock. My arm muscles tensed and tightened as I worked myself at a fast and furious pace, desperate to release the urgency the sight of her stirred in me.
For almost a year, I had resorted to taking my frustrations out on the whores that threw themselves at me. On my last night in Italy, my dick was buried inside a tall brunette. From behind I had almost convinced myself that it was my Bella moist and throbbing around me. I had one arm wrapped around her waist lifting her ass and the other pressing her head into the pillow. It wasn’t her face I wanted to see. Her moans and cries tore at the rage that ripped through my body as I tore deeper and harder into her. The more her ass bucked against me the harder I slammed my cock into her and her face into the pillow. Desire and anger blinded me. It wasn’t until I unloaded myself on her back I realized not only had she stopped fighting; she had stopped breathing.
“Mia Bella,” ripped from my lips as I came into my hand. I slowed my pace milking every ounce while forcing her image from my mind before the need to self-satisfy could swell again.
I washed my hands in the attached bathroom and changed my pants before returning to work.
I was back now, and this was where Mia Bella belonged.
I turned my attention to my laptop and searched the internet until I found what I was looking for.
Boston Times
Break-in at Local Bar Leaves One Man Dead
Cal Carracci, 24, was responding to reports of a break in at Birra Tavern owned by a prominent businessman, Vincent Carracci. The victim worked as head security officer and was reportedly investigating the incident when he came across an unknown assailant still on scene. Doctor’s pronounced the victim dead at the hospital at 3:45 am on Saturday June 15th. The owner has reported that they stole approximately nine hundred dollars from the cash register and that there were thousands of dollars in damage ranging from broken bottles of alcohol to damaged furniture. According to local law enforcement they have not identified the perpetrator.
I wasn’t surprised that there was no mention of the hidden safe or its missing contents, that was now in my possession, locked in my office safe. I printed two copies of the newspaper article, filed one in my desk drawer and the other I rolled and secured with a rubber band and set aside. It would be good reading material for Bella.
She might never forgive me but she would bend to my will even if I had to break her spirit first.
Chapter 11
Brie
The morning sun crept across the floor to bathe me in its warm embrace yet it brought me no comfort. It was a painful reminder that yet another day had g
one by. Another day unable to escape my broken heart or the one responsible for shattering it.
Days turned into weeks. Angelo had tangled my mind in his twisted web. His words were as violent as his fists. He knew my every vulnerability, reminded me of every painful memory. I feared I may become weak under his control. I didn’t know how he expected me to embrace him after all he had taken from me. The ring he forced to stay on my finger meant nothing. He meant nothing.
I paced the floor, back and forth twisting the waves of my hair around my fingers. A nervous habit I’ve had as far back as I could remember. It was a habit that made my mother crazy. She would spend hours brushing my hair just to have me twist it into knots. My mother was a patient woman, and I was her pride and joy. Her miracle. My parents struggled for years to have a child of their own. It put a huge strain on their relationship which almost didn’t survive. It was only after they separated and found their way back to each other they conceived me, just shy of her fortieth birthday. I was fortunate to see firsthand the love they shared, how a man should cherish his woman. How a woman should support her man. When my father passed away not long after I left for college, I thought it would destroy her but she had more strength and courage than I could have ever imagined.
Someday I had hoped to have a family of my own. A dream that was shattered when Angelo took Cal from me. I hadn’t been looking for Cal when I found him but he broke through my walls effortlessly. Cal loved all of me and I loved him. A single tear dripped down my cheek. The crushing heartache was too much to bear.
It made me wonder if anyone was looking for me. Had Bethany come over to say goodbye before she jetted off to Europe? Would she have seen the broken door and known something was wrong? Certainly, Vinny would question why I didn’t show up for work. By now, someone had to have found Cal. Maybe no one was looking for me because he had gotten rid of them too, like my mother. Maybe, I was truly alone.
What Angelo had done weighed on my heart and mind, drowning me in despair.
A gentle breeze teased against the lacy shears hiding the opened glass door from view. I stepped onto the balcony. The heat from the sun’s rays tingled against my skin. The air was as heavy as my heart.
I studied the landscape that stretched out before me. Eight feet of stone and towering trees enclosed the property. If I didn’t feel like a prisoner, I suppose I would be at awe of the picturesque backdrop. There were sparkling waterfalls and lush gardens surrounding an Olympic size pool.
As every day gone by three armed guards passed in front of my balcony in fifteen-minute intervals. Not providing enough time for me to climb down and cross to safety without being caught. I debated taking the risk but the fear of being shot or worse, captured again stopped me every time. Angelo might confine me to a room, without a balcony or perhaps even a window. The endless days would blur with no way to track their passing.
The nights were the worst. When the world laid quiet beckoning me with its jeweled skyline. In my most desperate hours I considered jumping but the two story fall wouldn’t end my misery. At most I’d break a leg and be immobile for eight weeks in a windowless prison. With no hope.
At least I had my dreams, they were my only comfort. It’s there I could escape reality and be with Cal again. I could feel his tender arms around me. Hear his voice in my ear.
It was obvious no one here was on my side. I doubted my strength but knew I could only rely on myself to break his hold on me. It would not be easy. I could not see a way to break free of this prison. All I knew was that I had to fight back before evil consumed my soul.
The sound of keys in the door caught my attention, and I slipped back inside.
“Mia Bella, how are you doing today?” Angelo asked, crossing the floor to where I stood.
“The same way I was yesterday and the day before that. How do you expect me to be after everything you’ve done, everything you’ve taken from me? You can’t keep me locked away forever.” I braced myself for a blow with the back of his hand, like the last time I raised my voice, but to my surprise one didn’t come.
“You’re right, this is your home now and you should be free to move about it as you please. It’s not my intention to hurt you, Mia Bella.” His hands wrapped around my wrist pulling me so close I could feel his heartbeat, “We share something special, you need to remember the way your body responds under my touch and it will all fall back into place.”
“I don’t belong to you. I was never yours.”
A hint of sadness crossed his eyes. “Everything I do is to protect you. From yourself and whoever out there that might hurt you.”
My mouth opened to rebut his claims, but no words formed on my lips. I stood in silence watching him turn from me and leave, again. This time, the door did not lock behind him.
I sat on my bed, skimming my fingers across the bruises forming on my wrist. The weight of his words sank into the pit of my stomach.
Chapter 12
Brie
I studied myself in the mirror. My hair hung tangled and lifeless around my pale face. The eyes staring back at me were no longer mine. Sunken and shadowed. My mind longed to believe the lies that burst from his lips, like cherry blossoms in the springtime. But the truth echoed through the empty rafters of my broken heart.
The only move left for me to play was to equally match his lies.
I showered and brushed volume back into my hair. I used the make-up Ava brought me to paint life back to my face. The new me materialized in my reflection when Ava walked into the room.
“You look beautiful Bella. It will please Angelo that you’re up and around. I’ll find you something pretty to wear.”
“Please don’t call me that.”
“What would you prefer I call you?” She drew open the closet door, choosing a long sundress with a high waistline.
“My name is Brie. Why don’t you call me that?”
“Your name is what he says it is. Angelo always gets what he wants so why don’t you make this easier on yourself and give it to him?”
Frustration grew within me. “How do you sleep at night working for a man like him?”
“Better than I ever have. Angelo has shown me nothing but kindness. He took me in and gave me a job when I was at my lowest. He takes care of those who are loyal to him. That makes it possible to overlook all the rest.”
She had a point, I could go to him, earn his trust and when the opportunity arises, I could escape and reclaim the pieces of my life.
I shrugged off the silk bathrobe and let the smooth cotton of the designer sundress slip over my skin and eased my feet into a pair of Jimmy Choo flats. I’ve never worn anything so extravagant.
Ready as I’ll ever be, I assured myself.
I stepped into the hallway. Every door was closed making me wonder who else might be behind them.
“Angelo’s room is next to yours and mine is at the end of the hall. I have phone calls to make but I could escort you down if you’d like.”
“No thank you, I’ll be fine.”
The staircase with its silver railing polished to shimmer like glass opened into a grand foyer awash with cool hues of white and gray. The furniture intricately placed to welcome guest with an elaborate display of wealth. Paintings that looked like someone tossed a bottle of ink onto a canvas but were worth more than I earned in a year, covered the walls. The floor to ceiling windows encircling the main entryway illuminated with sunlight. I wanted to reach out and turn the knob, simply walk away but the activated alarm panel stopped me in my tracks. I continuing into the unnerving silence. When I neared the rear of the house a thundering voice caught my attention. The echoes of a shrill scream pleading for mercy froze me in place on the opposite side of the double door.
The sound of rumbling thunder shook the floor where I stopped. I didn’t have to be inside to recognize the noise filling my ears were fists colliding with bone. The door was partly ajar skewing my point of view, but what I could see, frightened me. A clenched fist raining
blow after blow onto a man struggling against rope confining him to a chair. The fist crashed against his skull splattering blood onto the wall as his screams permeated the room.
The sickening thud sent me reeling backwards into a vase. The sound of crystal shards shattering at my feet pierced through the unrelenting clamor, alerting them to my presence. Suddenly, the door no longer separated me from the bloodshed on the other side. I turned to run but my movements were far too slow. Someone grabbed me from behind seizing my arms and trapping them to my side.
“I was hoping I would get my hands on you again, Sweetheart. Do you recognize me?” A bitter, merciless voice hissed in my ear. His powerful build tight against my backside, a familiar stench of sweat and tequila on his breath invaded my space.
Chapter 13
Brie
With a forceful shove I fell into the office at the man’s feet, my palms damp with his blood splattered onto the white rug.
“We have company, Boss, what should we do with her?”
I peered up at Angelo leaning against an aged oak desk, drops of blood dyed his otherwise crisp white shirt, his tie hung loose around his collar and a bitter fury burned with dangerous intensity in his eyes.
“Lorenzo, I’m not certain how you handled people in Philly but here, we don’t deal with our women like that, especially her. Am I making myself clear?”
His bloody fist stretched out into a helping hand as he reached down toward me, his red knuckles cut and bruised. “Mia Bella, please stand.”
Praying my limbs wouldn’t betray my attempt to regain control of my dignity, I refused his help. Ignoring his hand, I pulled myself to my feet, rising from the vulnerable position Lorenzo had forced me into. “What’s going on, Angelo? Who is this man?”
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