Totally Devoted

by Wanitta Praks

  Yeah, like I was curious to know what had happened to her, too, during those times we were apart, but if by listening to my story made her smile, then I’d happily talk about it. At least she was smiling now. That was something.

  “Well, my love story. It wasn’t a sudden thing. It was a gradual process. I was his maid first, you know.”

  “Mm-hmm.” She nodded her head, listening intently to me talking.

  “Like I told you last night. He’s a mafia boss. But he’s not actually a real mafia. Well, that’s what I think anyway. All he does is legal business work. And those shady businesses he does, they are all mainly loan companies with high interest rates. His full name is Giovanni Dente. Everyone calls him Boss, but I call him Gio. Although I used to call him Boss in the beginning of our relationship; now it’s just Gio.”

  “Gio. That’s a very interesting name,” she commented quietly to herself. “That’s not a common name, is it?”

  “Mm-hmm, it’s not.” I nodded my head in agreement. “It’s the shortened form of Giovanni. But he doesn’t like it when people call him by that name. He gets really mad. I’m the only special one who can call him that.”

  “It seems like he loves you a lot,” she concluded from our short conversation.

  “You can tell?”

  “When a man allows you to call him by that special name and doesn’t allow anyone else to do the same, it must mean you are someone special to him.”

  “Hehe. That’s what I thought, too.” I smiled, happy that she saw how much Giovanni loved me and how lucky I was to be his lover. “It was funny, you know. This one time, when I was his maid. Oh, let me explain first, our relationship is very confusing. Just so you don’t get this mixed up. In the beginning, I was his maid, now I’m his lover.”

  I had to explain to my sister the different status of our relationship as we progressed from maid and master to lover and lover. “So this one time, when I was his maid, I’d managed to run away from him and worked at this carnival park. He found out and ended up chasing me all over the carnival grounds until he caught me outside of the toilet.”

  Amelia laughed, her eyes crinkling, and I was really happy because she looked to be enjoying herself. Well, I was glad my story was funny.

  “He found you outside the toilet?”

  “Yeah. And I was jiggling. And he asked me, why the F are you shaking?”

  “F?” She crinkled her eyes in confusion.

  “Yes, the letter F. Like, you know, the beginning of that swear word,” I explained.

  “Oh, that F.” She nodded in understanding.

  “Yes,” I said and continued. “Anyway. So, I was shaking my butt off, and he asked why the F are you shaking, and I said because I need to urgently pee.”

  Amelia burst into laughter again. “Oh, Jen. If your love story got turned into a TV series, I’d tune in every day.”

  “Yeah.” I laughed too. “So anyway, he got so pissed. So he took me to this Ferris wheel with those compartments, and it swings you to the top, and you know how I hate heights. Well, he took me there anyway. And he was talking and talking, and I was talking and talking, and then all of a sudden, he just asked me to shut my eyes and told me to say, ‘Gio, handsome boy.’”

  Amelia sat up straighter, her eyes fully alert. “He told you to say that?”

  “Yes. So I repeated those words, and then he just started attacking me with questions, and I don’t know, it was so confusing, I haven’t a clue what he was talking about.”

  “What kinds of questions did he ask?”

  “Well, he keeps talking about this twin dragon necklace.”

  “Twin dragon necklace?” Amelia asked, her face going pale.

  “Mel, are you okay?”

  “I’m…I’m fine.” She gave me a small smile. “Tell me more about this twin dragon necklace.”

  “Well, I don’t know. I mean, I don’t have it. He just kept asking me if I remembered someone, a boy, about fourteen years ago, who gave me that necklace.” I stopped again. Amelia didn’t look too good. “Mel, are you really okay? You’re looking a bit clammy.”

  “I’m fine,” she replied. “Please continue.”

  Still, I wasn’t sure. “I’ll go get you some water, okay.”

  I went to pour some into the cup and gave it to her to drink. She took a few sips and put it down. Then she pressed me for the story again.

  I was starting to wonder why she found my love story so interesting, especially that segment about the necklace. Well, I supposed if it made her happy, I’d keep talking, although rather unenthusiastically compared to before.

  “So he keeps talking about this boy from fourteen years ago who gave me this twin dragon necklace, and I said I can’t remember because I’d lost my memory.”

  “You told him all about your lost memory?”

  “Yes. I just told him the truth, that I don’t remember. And it can’t have been me because I don’t have that twin dragon necklace. I mean, if I had it, I would have known, right? He said it’s a very special necklace. The pendant, the twin dragon, it’s made out of jade stone. Very rare. But he didn’t listen to me. And from that day on, he just calls me his Jennifer.”

  “He…he calls you Jennifer?” Amelia gripped the bedsheets, her knuckles turning completely white.

  I was beginning to get frantic again. “Mel…I’m really worried. Are you okay? Do you want me—”

  “Jen. Just…please just continue.” She gripped my arm, her action unintentional, but it was like she was forcing me to speak.

  “Mel, you’re hurting my arm.” I winced at the pain.

  She retracted her hand once I’d made her aware of the situation.

  “I’m sorry,” she said and went to give the same attention to the bedsheet, her knuckles turning white again. “What else did he say?”

  I sighed. “There’s not much else to tell, Mel. I just told him my name is Jenny. Not Jennifer. But he still keeps calling me by that name. He assumed I was his friend from fourteen years—”

  Amelia paled even more.

  “Mel, what’s wrong?” I was literally screaming now because Amelia started shaking and tears were rolling down her face. “Mel, why are you crying? Are you in pain anywhere? I’m going to call the doct—”

  I turned to leave, and she gripped my hand, stopping me.

  “Mel.” I watched her, unsure of what she wanted me to do.

  “Jen, I’m fine. I’m okay,” she said slowly as if she was trying to reassure herself more than me.

  I sat back down and gave her more water. I watched her breathing settle. After a small while she was better. She slid further under the bedcovers.

  “Jen. I’m sorry. But could you please leave.” She turned to face the wall, her back to me. “I’m really tired. I want to rest for a bit.”

  “Mel…” I didn’t want to leave her when she was like this. I wanted to stay and comfort her. “But you’re…you’re... I could stay. I could—”

  “Go. Please. I want to be alone.” Her words were firm and decisive. In the end, I had to respect it.

  “Okay. We’re leaving to go back to New York in a couple of hours. I’ll come get you then.”

  She didn’t respond. The bedcover was now over her head.

  I sighed with a heavy heart.

  God, my chest hurt. Amelia was not good. Not good at all. I thought she would be okay, but clearly whatever Lorenzo did to her had a huge effect on her mental health. I needed to discuss this with Gio. I walked back to his room.

  Chapter 9

  A Different Kind of Bonding

  “Ahhh, Jay. My beloved. Good morning,” Giovanni greeted me from the bed, as soon as he saw me enter the room. He had his arms wide open, inviting me in for a hug.

  I needed a hug. I really needed one, and if I didn’t get one now, I thought I’d burst into tears. I nestled into his open arms, burying my face at the junction of his neck. My safe place. “Gio.”

  He was so sensitive to my emotional s
tate, and he could sense immediately that something was wrong. “Why the long face? What happened?”

  “It’s Amelia. She’s not happy. She cried,” I mumbled out.

  “And that makes you unhappy too?” he asked.

  I jerked out of my safe place and stared at him. “Of course. She’s my sister. If she’s not happy, then I’m not happy.”

  “Hmm. You are very close to her, aren’t you?” he concluded.

  “I am.” I went back to laying my head on his shoulder. “We’re very close. And I’m not used to her being like this. All sad and gloomy face. It’s not right. She’s always so cheerful.”

  “Hmm.” Giovanni didn’t say much else. He just gently patted my head.

  I grew quiet, just thinking, mulling through some thoughts, enjoying his soft touch on my hair.

  “Do you think she could live with us?” I said out of the blue.

  Giovanni was taken aback. He stared, blinking at me. “You are asking me this now? I thought you had already made the decision to let her come stay with us.”

  I felt a bit guilty there. I should have talked to him first. “I’m sorry for not asking you in advance. I was just so happy she’s back and safe, I forgot to discuss it with you first. Are you mad?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not mad. I just think you should consider her feelings first. Do you think she wants to stay with us?”

  “Of course, she does. She seemed genuinely happy last night when I mentioned it.”

  “I guess so. But think about the psychological implication for a bit. She’d just escaped from Lorenzo, a mafia boss, just to move in with another mafia boss, me. Would she be comfortable with that?” Giovanni gave me food for thought.

  “You’re right. I never thought of that,” I admitted sadly. “But you are so kind and sweet. How could anyone not want to live with you?”

  “Only to you, Jay. Only to you,” Giovanni said. “For everyone else, I don’t give a fuck.”

  “But the guys love you,” I argued back.

  “They’re used to my foul mouth. And I’m their boss; of course they got to fucking love me.”

  “Still. I think you are kind and sweet. That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking with it.”

  I sighed a bit more.

  “Stop frowning.” Giovanni saw the frown on my forehead, and he kissed it away. He moved our position, settling me comfortably on the bed, pulling me back so I was leaning against his chest. He wound his arms around me and started rocking me back and forth in a soothing motion to comfort me. “Let’s see how it pans out. She can stay with us. If she doesn’t like it, I’ll find a safe place for her somewhere else.”

  “Okay. That sounds like a good plan.” After more mulling, I said, “Do you think she needs counseling?”

  “Is her condition really that bad?”

  “Well, she did say she usually wakes up to the sounds of birds chirping outside. And this…” I gestured my arm to indicate this room, this place, this city life. “Our common life here, with the people chitchatting early in the morning, the car vrooming outside…she’s not used to it.”

  “Shit. That doesn’t sound too good.” Giovanni’s grave answer just confirmed my suspicion. My heart just sunk deeper and deeper.

  “I know. It sounds like she misses that place, with that vast landscape, in the middle of nowhere.” I was starting to get riled up, just thinking about Lorenzo. “God! I hate him. I just wish I could get a good hit, maybe give him a black eye or something. At least that will make me feel better.”

  Giovanni burst into a loud chortle.

  “What are you laughing for?” I gave him the stink eye.

  And he somehow moved me in such a way that I was now lying beneath him.

  “Now that would be a sight to see. My lover punching Lorenzo’s fucking lights out.” He laughed again.

  And when he put it like that, I ended up laughing too. Until he started kissing me, sensually nipping at my bottom lip and dragging those kisses to my temple and down to my throat. I was feeling sensitive all over; my eyes went all glazy.

  God! I missed this. I missed us, being together like this. It had been so long since he’d given me a good kiss. I loved him so much. Every day he grew sweeter and sweeter. And every day, he surprised me more and more. Like right now.

  “You know, I’m a really lucky man,” he said, just giving me little pecks in between talking.

  “How so?” I asked, gazing into his beautiful soulful eyes.

  “You. I have you.” I kept listening. “You are such an amazing and kind person, Jay. One in a million. You love your family very much. You love your sister very much. Amelia is very lucky to have you. And I’m one lucky fucker to have met and fallen in love with you. I’m glad you’re my lover.”

  “I’m glad you are my lover, too.” I grinned back.

  “Well,” he announced. “Since we both agree that we’re lucky to have each other, let’s fuck!”

  I smiled in approval, and he kissed me again, his fingers already sliding under my shirt, and—

  “You’re not wearing a bra?”

  “I just had a shower. I don’t have any change of underwear.”

  His pupils grew twice the size. “You’re going commando, too?”

  “I just said it. I don’t have a change of underwear. I was kidnapped, remember? You just bought me outer clothing.”

  “Oh fuck!” He buried his face at my nape and growled, “I’m going to combust. Jay, you’re so fucking hot. You’re going to drive me insane.”

  He squeezed my breast, and his face just kept on digging at my neck. He was just kissing, sucking, and licking. He tore my shirt apart, buttons flying off in all direction. My naked breasts were exposed to his hungry eyes. And like a panther, he attacked me there, sucking at my nipple, licking at the areola. With his soft lips and sweet murmurs, I was already soft for him.

  “Gio!” I rasped out, when the door suddenly flew open.

  “Oh, Boss! Jenny!” It was Finnie.

  “Gee, Boss. What a sight.” It was Jonny.

  “Mmmm.” That was Heath.

  “Sorry, Boss! Didn’t mean to see you and Jenny in the action.” And there was Bobby.

  I was so startled, I pushed Giovanni off me. He bumped his head on the wooden headboard and swore.

  “Fuck! What the fuck?” He fixed his death stare at our intruders, his underlings. He yelled at them like there was no tomorrow. “What the fuck are you all doing here again? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

  “Sorry, Boss. We thought you might want to get ready to go home,” Finnie said.

  “Change of plans. Amelia is resting. Give her a couple more hours. Then come back.” Giovanni issued his command. “Now get the fuck out of here,” he finished.

  The guys disappeared like a row of ducklings.

  “Shit.” Giovanni ruffled his hair and got up. “They just ruined the mood.”

  I got up too and straightened my clothes. “I should have locked the door. Anyway, it’s not safe doing it here. We’ll do it at home.”

  “That better be a promise, Jay. I will not have a repeat of this. I’m starving. I haven’t had a taste of you for almost two days.”

  “Of course.” I pacified him, kissing him on the nose as my way of atoning for the sin of shoving him off earlier. “Tonight?” I suggested.

  “Is that a promise?” He eyed me shrewdly.

  I gave him my million-dollar smile. “Totally.”

  Chapter 10

  A Family Affair Part 1

  I was in a dilemma. Already having faced many life and death situations in my young nineteen years of life on this earth, nothing should faze me, but when it came to this particular topic, my mind was always in a boggle. And that specific topic was deciding on what to cook for dinner.

  But this wasn’t just some normal everyday dinner. This was a very special dinner where my one and only sister, who Giovanni had just rescued yesterday, would be having with us. Right now, she was resting in her room.<
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  Amelia had changed a lot. Every time when I tried to talk to her, she would shut me out. I hadn’t a clue what that douchebag Lorenzo did to her, but she sure wasn’t herself. Especially that episode from this morning when she was crying her eyes out and then she just shut me out. That was really strange. So I made it my mission to cheer her up tonight. And there’s nothing better than to cook her a good dinner, like those good old days when I cooked her favorite dish, fried rice.

  But today really proved to be a conundrum because as soon as I opened the fridge door, there was nothing but green vegetables. And no rice. Not to mention any protein. I couldn’t make fried rice with no protein. The boys needed protein; and Amelia needed to be plumped up. She was far too skinny. And I needed my eggs. Chicken eggs. That was the most basic ingredient for a good chicken fried rice.

  Now, what else do I need?

  I was standing there with the fridge door open, staring in a trance, when Bobby’s booming voice startled me awake, “Jenny!”

  “Ahhh. What the bleeping bleep bleep,” I screeched in surprised.

  “Hahaha. I see our foul words are rubbing off you.” Bobby jabbed me in the elbow.

  “Yeah, that’s the result of living with you guys twenty-four hours a day and listening to you guys talking in that kind of language. I can’t help but pick it up through osmosis.”

  “So when are you gonna stop staring at the fridge?”

  “When I decide what other ingredients we need for the fried rice,” I said, my eyes still glued to the fridge.

  “Ohhh, we are having fried rice for dinner?” Bobby asked excitedly. If it was one thing that could make him happy, that would have to be food. Lots and lots of food. Especially if it was Asian food, too. He’d be over the moon.

  “Yep. You like fried rice, Bobby? I’m planning to make some because my sister loves it.”

  “Sounds awesome.”

  “Yeah, except we don’t have all the ingredients.”

  “Text Jonny or Finnie. They are both out collecting loan repayments. I’m sure they could pick it up on the way back.”