A Beauty So Cruel Manuscript (2)

by Alone Eagle

  He tried not to pity her.

  At the sound of the door, she glanced at him. Her eyes were dimmer now as he edged closer to her. He entered her room this time. Last time he didn’t because he didn’t want to scare her off. She was probably already terrified of him, as she should be.

  Dahlia blinked at him, and then promptly sat up on the bed. Her body tense, her instincts screaming at her to be on high alert. She looked like a lioness, waiting to roar at him any second. She didn’t move back on the bed but simply stared at him. Her gaze went to his face before it dropped down to the books he held.

  Then, she relaxed, and her shoulders slowly sagged.

  She wore a white shirt and blue jeans.

  Basic clothes even though he had a new wardrobe delivered to her.

  Still no makeup. She didn’t need it though.

  She did remind him of an innocent angel, but he could tell she was far from it. He knew she grew up in foster homes. No one who grew up there could come out innocent and untainted.

  “You came back,” she said at last.

  He hovered by the bed, towering over her.

  He tilted his head to the side. “I did.”

  “What books did you bring me?” she asked him. Then she huffed out like a toddler, “Don’t tell me, Beauty and the Beast.”

  He was amused by her behavior.

  “See for yourself,” he said, offering her one of the books.

  She eyed the first book for a second as if they were poisonous before she took it with a nod. She glanced at the cover of the book.

  It was Ruthless People by J.J McAvoy.

  “Are you serious?” she asked him, smiling at him. “Mafia romance?”

  It was the first time he’d seen her smile at him. It caught him off guard, making him lose his cool. She had a pretty smile. Her lips stretched wide, and her eyes turned brighter.

  Then, she giggled at him. She fucking giggled at him.

  She covered her mouth with her hand. “How ironic.”

  He blinked slowly at her, trying to regain his composure.

  “Were you expecting fairytales?

  She shrugged. “Maybe. What’s the other book?”

  He handed it to her.

  The Godfather.

  She lost her smile now.

  This time, he smiled at her.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” she asked him.

  “You’re a smart girl, Dahlia.”

  “Are you trying to tell me I have a choice on how my life will be here based on these two different novels?”

  His lips stretched in a cold smile. “No. I’m saying your life here will be exactly like the second book… unless I choose otherwise. It’s not your choice.”

  Her shoulders sagged again. “Right. I do your bidding.”

  She averted her gaze from him and stared at the covers now. She looked so small in front of him.

  Then, he did something without thinking.

  He went toward the balcony and unlocked it.

  “What are you doing?” Dahlia asked from behind him.

  He opened the balcony’s glass doors. The white curtains in the room blew inwards with a gust of wind. Dahlia shivered and tried to cover herself with her arms.

  “Fresh air would be good for your skin. You look like a ghost.”

  He turned around to leave then.

  He was almost to the door when he heard her speak again.

  “You trust me not to escape after everything?”

  He turned around and gave her a taunting grin. Her words made him smile. She looked at him baffled, stunned. He rarely smiled so openly, but when he did, he knew it caught the attention of many. Smiles were infectious. They tended to do that.

  “I didn’t know you were capable of smiling,” she accused him softly. “For a moment, I thought your face was frozen.”

  A chuckle threatened to escape his chest now, but he held it in. “You room is on the fourth floor. Below you is hard ground. You’re not Rapunzel,” he teased her, returning to her original question.

  Her eyes widened at him.

  “I hope you learned your lesson, but feel free to try to jump and escape. You might die, which will make it messy to clean up the blood. If you break a lot of bones, I’ll just have to end up killing you. Let’s say if you do manage to get out of the room alive without breaking any bones, this place is heavily guarded. There are alarms and hidden cameras all over my estate.”

  Vlad gave Dahlia another shit-eating grin like he was sharing a secret with her.

  There was no escaping his kingdom, well, not alive anyway, as she could always fling herself over the balcony. Then, he turned around to leave but glanced at her briefly.

  “You’re stuck with me now.”

  7

  Chapter 7

  Later that evening, Enzo Vitalli came.

  He looked even more dangerous than Vlad, and I didn’t know how that was possible. The image of Vlad crushing Leo’s hands still played on my mind sometimes. I stared at the previous Don who stood in front of me in the living room area.

  I studied the similarities between Vlad and Enzo.

  Vlad could be a spitting image of his father.

  Tall, dark, and handsome.

  The jet-black hair and steel, gray eyes they had in common.

  Although, Vlad’s eyes were narrower like he was always calculating something. Their noses were different. Vlad’s nose wasn’t aquiline like Enzo’s. He didn’t have an Italian nose, and it was straighter. Then Enzo gave a half-smile to Vlad, and that’s when I noticed another difference. He didn’t have a dimple, although Enzo had barely smiled on the two occasions, I’d met him, but he seemed fond of his son.

  I turned to Vlad wondering if his mother had a dimple.

  I didn’t know why I hadn’t seen her yet. Was she at Enzo’s home?

  I hoped Enzo wasn’t here to tell him to sell me again. So far, Vlad hadn’t mentioned again. I hoped he decided in my favor, not that my wishes mattered. Vlad had clearly stated I had no choice.

  I lived under his rule now.

  “So, Vladimir, have you decided what you want to do with her?” Enzo asked Vlad.

  Vladimir. Vlad’s real full name. A Russian name.

  Vlad faced his father and shook his head. “Maybe I might keep her for myself.”

  My heart soared at those words. Better Vlad than anyone else. So far, he hadn’t tried to hurt me. He was far from gentle. He terrified me, but he hadn’t physically harmed me …yet.

  Enzo narrowed his eyes at Vlad.

  “She would do much better on the market. You could have any whore.”

  I tried not to flinch at the words coming out of his mouth. My blood ran hot, and I was one second from snapping at him, but I held back. Vlad had shown restraint when I attacked him, but I was sure Enzo wouldn’t be afraid to kill me. Even I noticed in the first meeting how Vlad respected his father and valued his opinion.

  I looked at Vlad’s reaction, hoping he would come to my rescue, but he did no such thing. He seemed aloof, maybe even bored of the conversation.

  Then, Enzo turned to me.

  “Are you a virgin, girl?”

  His voice was commanding like Vlad’s but scarier.

  A hysterical giggle almost left my lips. What century did this man think we lived in? I was a twenty-six-year-old adult. Apparently, Enzo noticed my amusement. Maybe he took it as a taunt. I was just about to answer him, but then he backhanded me, making my head jerked backward and my eyes watered.

  I hadn’t been ready for that. I hadn’t expected him to hit me in front of his Don. I blinked slowly and gritted my teeth. The asshole had slapped me hard. The slap stung my skin. It burned. I forced myself to swallow hard and blew out a ragged breath. The bruises on my neck were healing now. They were yellowing in color, and already, I’d acquired a new one, why not just add it to the collection, huh?

  Was this going to happen daily?

  I stared at Enzo with malice and hate. I could
feel blood dripping down my chin. My lip was busted. My jaw ached from the blow. I touched my lip to wipe the blood away but winced when I touched my mouth. It hurt. I refused to let him see any tears. I didn’t reach up to hold my cheek in my hand. I didn’t want to be weak in front of him.

  Enzo gave me a taunting, sly smile. It wasn’t like Vlad’s amused smirks. His was crueler and colder.

  I sneaked a glance at Vlad, looking for his reaction. His eyes had widened in surprise, but there was nothing else coming from him. I had expected anger and retaliation. Was I fooling myself?

  He’d crushed Leo’s hand for touching me, for acting against his orders. Hadn’t Enzo just done the same thing? Would he react the same way?

  Vlad turned toward me as if sensing I was looking at him, however, he didn’t stand up for me this time.

  This is his father.

  My heart that once soared, plummeted with despair. I averted my eyes from Vlad in case I did something crazy like accuse him for not defending me.

  Enzo turned and sat down. His gaze never left my face. It wasn’t like Leo’s who wanted to feel me up. No, this man’s gaze was viler in ways I didn’t want to imagine. He wasn’t looking at me like he was thinking about violating me. He was calculating, more likely thinking thought about how where I could best serve the needs of people like him. It’s like he was planning out my life right before him me, and I couldn’t stop him.

  His eyes were so cold, as if they had lost their brightness a long time ago. I wondered what had turned this man into who he was today. Why was he ruthless? Was he just pure evil? I wasn’t sure if there was an explanation at all.

  Vlad followed suite and sat down on his chair… or throne.

  I still stood before them, like a piece of merchandise for them to pick apart and check out.

  “No marks, Father,” Vlad said at last.

  Was that what he was worried about?

  “I’m not a virgin,” I replied to Enzo’s original question.

  Enzo’s expression darkened. “That’s a shame. They sell for a better price.”

  Human trafficking.

  I swallowed with difficulty.

  If I were sold, I’d be abused. It would be a never-ending case of jumping one’s man bed to another. That’s if I was lucky enough to receive a bed. I’ve heard terrible stories of women who were sex slaves. They were collared and treated with less respect than animals. I didn’t want that fate for me. My heart would be so empty it would eventually break me.

  “How many men?” Enzo asked. “So, I know how tight you are.”

  I made a face at his question. I refused to look at Vlad since there was no need now.

  “I had a couple of boyfriends.”

  Well, more like casual fucks, but I wasn’t going to tell them that.

  Enzo seemed to be studying me. “Virgin girls sell better. Maybe I should make you tight. Sew you up again, and viola, you’re a virgin again.”

  I flinched, and my hands went automatically to my lower thighs, to cover them from his interrogative eyes. Enzo gave me a taunting smile now, and his eyes followed the movement. My eyes widened so much that I was afraid they were going to pop out of their sockets.

  Oh my God.

  Bile threatened to rise in my throat.

  Cold. His words were so cold. They haunted me.

  At first, I couldn’t tell if he was serious. Then, I realized he was just toying with me. Feeding off my fear. I caught a sinister smile that played on his lips. His heart was hardened. Something registered in the back of my mind.

  There were no women around besides me and the maid.

  I hadn’t met or seen Vlad’s mother.

  Did she even exist?

  Who would want to be married to this psycho anyway?

  I glanced at Vlad. If he was horrified like me, he hadn’t shown it. His face remained expressionless. Why wasn’t he reacting? I frowned at him, once again hoping he would stand up for me.

  “Are your tits real?” Enzo asked, distracting me.

  I glanced up at him, unsurprised at his intrusive questions now. His gaze focused on my breasts, as if he had x-ray vision, and he could see through my pale, green shirt. My arms hung limp by my sides. There was no point in trying to cover up. He was shameless, and there would be no stopping him now.

  “Yes.”

  Then Enzo turned toward Vlad.

  What he said next caught me off guard.

  “Vlad, why don’t you check if they’re real? We need to check the inventory.”

  In front of everyone?

  I was sure I looked repulsed at the suggestion I gazed nervously around. Vlad’s men were in their corners. Even Leo was here now. His hands looked more healed now as he wasn’t wearing bandages anymore. It had been two weeks since the incident. Since the night I was taken. Leo’s eyes hardened when my gaze met his. His jaw tensed, but then he smirked at me. He seemed to be enjoying Enzo’s speech. I wondered if he was waiting for the moment when he could take his revenge on me.

  I turned back to face the men seated now.

  Vlad arched an eyebrow at Enzo. “I know they’re real.”

  I looked at him, surprised. Then, my stare turned suspicious.

  Enzo stared at him with raised eyebrows, as if waiting for Vlad to continue, but Vlad didn’t bend.

  Then, his father chuckled. “So, you’ve been visiting her bed?”

  My cheeks warmed under Enzo’s scrutinizing gaze.

  Vlad had visited me a couple of times, but he hadn’t touched me even once… but no one needed to know that.

  “Yes. Every night.”

  My heart thudded hard now.

  I knew what he was implying, that he’d seen me nude. I just hoped Enzo bought the story. But something confused me. Vlad wasn’t… lying to his father, but he was implying something that wasn’t true either. I didn’t know what to think. My mind was fried now.

  “I’d like to see them,” Enzo said with an evil glint in his eyes.

  My face fumed. I decided I hated him more than Leo now. He couldn’t care less about seeing me naked. He just wanted to humiliate me.

  “No, Father,” Vlad said.

  Vlad’s voice was calm and stern, but the wrath coming from his body made me recoil. That was the first time I’d seen him disobey his father, and I hadn’t expected it.

  “She belongs to me.”

  My heart was ready to burst.

  Enzo grinned at him. “Come on, it’s just a glimpse. Share with your old man a little.” His voice was gentler, no longer demanding.

  I recognized it for what it was though, a power play.

  Enzo seemed to be challenging Vlad, and he was doing so in such a way, that it was getting harder for Vlad to deny him.

  Enzo laughed at Vlad then.

  “If you’re feeling shy son, maybe one of the men can do it.”

  My eyes instantly went to Leo, who grinned. I tried not to cringe at the way he leered at me. His touch had been repulsive in the car, and I didn’t want to experience it again.

  I hope he dies a slow painful death one day.

  None of the men moved, all waiting for Vlad’s instructions, although I expected Leo to jump at the opportunity as soon as Enzo said the word. Creep that he was.

  Vlad leaned back against the couch, one arm draped around it. He rested his leg across his thigh as he stared Enzo in the eyes.

  “They are my men, Father. They will do what I say.”

  “Must be a golden pair of tits then,” Enzo said with a sly smirk.

  Vlad gave Enzo such a cruel smile that it sent shivers down my spine. There was no mercy behind that smile. It resembled too much like his father, and I didn’t like it all. It terrified me.

  “You know I don’t share, Father.”

  Enzo stared intently at Vlad. “I’m only asking, son.”

  Vlad’s posture stiffened. He seemed to be getting increasingly riled up now. I remembered what he had once said to me, don’t force my hand in front of my men.<
br />
  Was this the same situation now? I knew that soon, his hand would be forced though, now that his father was requesting this of him, and no longer ordering him. If Vlad didn’t oblige him, then Vlad would appear weak in front of his men by picking me over his father.

  So, I made the choice instead. I’d prefer Vlad’s hand on me than that toad’s Leo, or Enzo’s for that matter.

  Exhaling slowly, I moved toward Vlad.

  “Oh, look the whore came to you instead,” Enzo said, chuckling.

  I ignored his stupid words and focused on Vlad even though my heart was heavy and empty. I hadn’t known it was possible to feel both at the same time until now.

  I noticed Vlad flinch at Enzo’s words, but it quickly disappeared.

  But I’d seen it even if it was missed by everyone else.

  My muscles relaxed, and the ache in my shoulders eased.

  He didn’t want this, not like this at least. The first time. The choice had been taken away from both of us today.

  Vlad’s gray eyes glanced up at me questioningly.

  My trembling hands moved down to tug my shirt up and over my head. It was now or never, right? Cold air instantly hit my bare flesh. I had my jeans on, but I still felt exposed. I dropped my shirt on the floor and framed my chest with my long, thick hair so Enzo and Vlad’s men couldn’t see my side profile. I didn’t want them to look at me, it made my stomach turn.

  I stood before Vlad in my red lace lingerie. The lace trim came down to my nipples, making it see through. Mrs. Messana had given me a new wardrobe recently and this was part of it. Of all days, why did I have to choose to wear it today? Great.

  I was a gazelle in front of a pack of wolves. Feelings of shame and self-consciousness hit me in the chest. I was surrounded by all these men. I could only imagine what they were capable of. I was the only young female here and these men were hungry… all except the man in front of me.

  Their Alpha.

  Vlad’s eyes didn’t wander over my breasts. They still rested on my face, holding eye contact with me. His sharp eyes had narrowed, seeming to question what I was doing. Even though he was seated, and I stood before him, he didn’t look down even once. I was practically naked, my breasts were in his face, and he wasn’t looking. He had self-control. I would give him that much, but why wasn’t he doing anything?