A Beauty So Cruel Manuscript (2)

by Alone Eagle

  “You’re smiling,” I accused him, intending to lighten the atmosphere.

  He shook his head and then he stopped smiling.

  “My magic is working on you too,” I replied. “When’s the last time anyone smiled in this place anyway? The eighteen hundreds?” I demanded to know.

  Gabriele was silent as he drove.

  I kept talking even though he hadn’t replied to me.

  “I think it’s obviously because you’re the mob but also because there’s barely any women around here. No softness or cuteness to make the men cheer up a bit.” Then, my eyes widened at him, a thought popping into my head. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

  He only scoffed at me then, “Don’t have time for relationships.”

  I frowned at him. “Must be a lonely life.”

  Gabriele arched an eyebrow at me in the mirror.

  “Is this the moment where I’m expected to tell you, how many girls I sleep with?”

  I rolled my eyes at him but hid a smile. “I hope you find your own Arab beauty one day, although, I preferred if you didn’t kidnap women.”

  Just like that, Gabriele’s smile appeared again. Then, he coughed, clearing his throat, maybe trying to get rid of his smile.

  After a moment, he said, “Nah, I like Cinderella.”

  I cheesed so hard at his words, my cheeks began to hurt.

  Just then his phone rang.

  I jumped at the sound.

  He answered before handing the phone to me.

  “Vlad wants to talk to you.”

  My eyes glanced up at him in surprise before fumbling to take the phone. I hadn’t held one since I spoke to Vlad from the Rose Garden all those weeks ago.

  I’d been cut off from all contact with anyone from my previous life.

  A thought hit me, making me lose my smile.

  I had the chance now to escape. I only had one man around me, limited security, but I was still in a moving car. That was dangerous. I couldn’t do this right now though, not in this dress and not to Vlad. He deserved more, didn’t he?

  I didn’t want to hurt him… He shown me so much care and protection in these past months. And I wanted to see him so badly. My heart raced at the thought of seeing his beautiful, handsome face. I was tormented now.

  I wouldn’t get far in this heavy dress anyway.

  Gabriele was watching me through the rearview, so I cleared my throat and spoke into the phone, “Hello.”

  Vlad’s voice greeted me at the other end, “Hey Doll.”

  I knew he was smiling. I could tell from his voice.

  “I will see you in twenty minutes. I’m taking care of business right now.”

  I knew what he meant. The deal.

  I nodded at him, even though he couldn’t see it.

  “Sure.” Then I said softly in a whisper, “I can’t wait to see you. I… missed you.”

  I felt so pathetic now. I hoped Gabriele couldn’t hear me.

  He chuckled at my words. “You saw me yesterday.”

  I pouted. “But I didn’t see you today.”

  I sounded whiny, annoying, and desperate even to my own ears. Oh, someone please shut me up. Get a grip, Dahlia.

  “You’ll see me in a few,” he assured me. “How do you say, ‘I miss you’ in Arabic?”

  I smiled at his words. “Wahashtini.”

  “Okay. Same to you.”

  I found myself blushing.

  “I have to go,” he said.

  I wished him goodbye and then stared at the phone in my hand. I glanced up at Gabriele. “Where is the ball located?”

  Gabriele looked at me before shrugging. “It’s in the Hamptons. Mariana Hotel.”

  I nodded at him and handed his phone back to him.

  When we arrived, Gabriele opened the door for me and escorted me out.

  There was still no sign of Vlad.

  I was hoping he would be here to greet me.

  A feeling of disappointment settled into my heart.

  “Okay Magic Girl, Vlad is waiting for you inside.”

  I swear if hearts could smile, mine just did. It wanted to burst out of my chest. I grinned at Gabriele who looked at me baffled before escorting me inside. He stood behind me as he watched the area as I entered.

  When we reached the ball area, it was empty. I couldn’t see what was in front of me because there was a royal blue velvet curtain hanging blocking my view.

  Vlad had mentioned it was private.

  But I didn’t know it was this private.

  There was no one around. Not a single person.

  Behind me, Gabriele was distracted by a phone call. He turned away to answer it and walked a few feet away. He seemed to be watching me still, keeping an eye on me. I wasn’t sure if it was because he thought I would escape or if it was because Vlad kept his men alerted because of the war with the Moretti family? Gabriele moved further away from me and went toward the hallway. I could still see his back, but he was quite far away now.

  Just then, a strong hand grabbed my arm, and my eyes widened. I tried to knee whoever the hell was behind me, but it was hard to kick in my long train of a dress. I missed, and the person quickly dragged me away. Gabriele couldn’t see me. He was still on his phone, his back turned to me.

  The man dragged me to the other end of the curtain, enveloping us within it so we were hidden. Just then, whoever held me let me go.

  I exhaled, before spinning around, ready to fight.

  Blue eyes greeted me.

  Salvi Moretti stood in front of me.

  The devil was back.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I choked out.

  Did he come here to kill Vlad?

  He wore a fitted, five-piece gray and black suit. It was shiny, and his inside vest and shirt seemed to be made of silk. His blond hair was slicked back, neatly styled once again. He was all the things Vlad wasn’t. He was clean and polished. Vlad was rough, unkempt, and casual. Stark differences between them. Their souls were different too. Salvi’s blue eyes sparkled at me as he seemed to ponder my question.

  “Well, hello to you too sweetheart,” he said softly.

  I rolled my eyes at him and gritted my teeth.

  “Go to hell,” I shot at him, trying to focus. “If you touch me again, I will cut off your hand and feed it to you.”

  Salvi’s eyes widened at me before he chuckled. “I’d love to see you try.”

  I was ready to punch him but then he said, “I won’t hurt you.”

  I paused, not trusting his words. “Are you here to kill me?”

  His lip turned upward in a smirk. “Now, why would I do that?”

  I scoffed, “You want to kill Vlad.”

  He looked at me now. “Yes, Vlad but not you.”

  I blinked at his words, not recognizing their meaning. I stepped back from him, hoping to create more distance between us. Where the hell was Gabriele? I couldn’t see him.

  I turned to leave but then Salvi said, “You think Vlad is better than me?”

  “At least Vlad doesn’t buy women,” I shot at Salvi.

  Salvi’s eyes twinkled at me now. “I’m sure he owns brothels and sells women though.”

  “Enzo started that. Vlad doesn’t agree with that. He’s not a monster like you!” I defended Vlad fiercely.

  My eyes widened at him, unsure of what to say. I was frozen to the spot, remembering the time I was alone with the devil in his car. I’d been triggered by him, and then he had stopped touching me.

  Salvi inched closer to me until we were almost touching. I held my breath as he stared down at me. His eyes held warmth in them for me, which I didn’t understand, but he made no move to touch me and kept his hands by his sides. Up close, his eyes were the color of the sea and his scent enveloped me. I wanted to look away, but I held his eye, not wanting to appear submissive.

  “Why the hell are you here?” I asked him, changing the topic.

  “I was in the neighborhood.”

  I looked a
t him suspiciously. Was he spying on Vlad?

  Then, his lips lifted in a turned smile before waving two fingers at me. “I’ll see you again, sweetheart.”

  That sounded like a promise this time more than a threat.

  It was the same thing he had said to me on the first meeting.

  I watched his back, hoping that unsettled feeling in my stomach wasn’t my lunch threatening to revisit. I watched him slip behind the curtain and disappear from my sight.

  I took a deep breath to steady myself and pushed the heavy curtain aside. A few feet away Gabriele was looking around frantically for me. I cleared my throat, drawing his attention to me.

  He let out a sigh of relief before marching over to me.

  “And where the hell have you been?” he demanded.

  “Salvi,” I managed to whisper. “He was here.”

  Gabriele’s eyes briefly widened at me before they narrowed below his frown.

  “Vlad is not going to like that,” he said, shaking his head.

  “Where is Vlad?”

  He nodded down the stairs. “He’s waiting for you.”

  I nodded eagerly. I tried to free my thoughts of Salvi. How the hell did he know to show up here? Where were his men? Was he really alone? So many questions spun through my mind, and I couldn’t answer any of them.

  With a sigh, I lifted my dress a few inches so I could walk without tripping on the floor length skirt and felt like a princess as the golden train flowed out behind me. I glanced back and saw that Gabriele had gone. Maybe to scout the place from the outside and call back up. I opened the curtain, and my mouth dropped at the sight of the beautiful dual staircases. Rose petals were scattered over the plush carpets and it made me smile, remembering the rose I had preserved.

  You want me to buy you flowers?

  My body tingled at the memory.

  The ballroom was beautiful and lavish. The place looked so magical, lighted up by a vast golden chandelier that reflected its dazzling sparkles downwards. It was so stunning. There was an actual ballroom in front of me with high ceilings painted in gold and cream, as if to compliment my dress.

  I glanced down the stairs and saw a man in a royal blue suit stood there.

  Even though he had his back to me, I knew who it was before he even turned around.

  My beast.

  Vlad turned to look at me as I finished descending the stairs.

  His beautiful face greeted me. The sight of him took my breath away. We both assessed each other now, taking each other in.

  His eyes widened in appreciation as he me in. His gaze traveled from my hair to my collarbones and down to my legs. He looked awestruck at first then his lip curved up in one of his winning smiles.

  His raven black hair was combed and slicked back, giving a clean and more polished look than he usually had. I hid a smile because I knew how much he hated clean looks and preferred messy ones. He was clean shaven, although I could already see a shadow starting on his jaw. His choice of a royal blue suit was perfect on him. A color for a king.

  It should be a sin to look that good. It should be illegal.

  He was overwhelming and intoxicating. I couldn’t deny that he was terrifyingly handsome. His stark beauty drew the attention of too many.

  “You look stunning,” he murmured to me, taking my hand in his.

  “Is all this for me?” I asked, my eyes filling with tears at the gesture.

  He’d kept his word.

  Vlad cupped my cheek with his free hand.

  “Why not for you?” he asked me, leaning in to kiss my cheek softly. His scent hit me first, and I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, he was staring at me, smiling again. His dimple appearing in his cheek.

  He had the most beautiful smile in the whole world, and I’d seen it.

  He choose to show it to me.

  “Your last Valentine’s day holiday didn’t go too well,” he said, grimacing. I hid a smile though. That terrible memory didn’t bother me as much anymore. That was the day he had taken me. “I wanted to recreate it.”

  Vlad brought my hand to his lips before leaving a kiss on it.

  “Tesoro mio,” he said to me softly.

  I met his eyes and gave him a timid smile.

  “What does that mean?”

  “My treasure.”

  My legs felt weak, and I felt like I might drop down to the floor. Luckily, he was still holding me. I couldn’t handle it. Him. His intensity. His devotion to me. The way he looked at me, like he would do anything for me.

  He pulled me against his body, slowly dancing with me now.

  “I think I’m going crazy,” he admitted to me, slowing leaning in closer, and wrapping his arms around my waist.

  That makes two of us.

  The music was playing in the background as he twirled me around, and I smiled that we were actually dancing. I wasn’t much of a ballroom dancer, but he seemed like an expert from the way he moved and lead me. I was like a ballerina under his hands, molding to his world now.

  “When I first met you, I didn’t know how important you would become to me,” Vlad whispered in my ear, making me shudder.

  I looked up at him, at his confession.

  He whirled me around the empty ballroom, and I unfolded before him. He was a good dancer. I hadn’t known he could dance like this.

  “You had this aura that drew me to you. You were mesmerizing… I wanted to make you mine in every way possible. You heart, your soul. I wanted that too,” Vlad said.

  He was admitting his feelings for me.

  I didn’t think my heart could take it.

  Please. Stop. Talking.

  I was begging him inside my head.

  The song in the background, “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin seemed to fade away as the blood in my head pounded with adrenaline and heartache.

  “It’s for me, right Doll?” he asked, looking at me.

  There was hesitation in his voice as if he was afraid of my answer.

  Those cold gray eyes of his were full of intensity.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but without an actual answer to offer him I was relieved when he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against my lips, allowing me to avoid answering him.

  His kisses were sweet and gentle, but I needed something more, something greater. He had ignited a fire in my heart, and it needed to be unleashed. I came undone as I kissed him back, hungrily, like it was the last time I would be kissing him. I didn’t want to let him go. I wanted him to keep holding me, hugging me. I pulled him closer to me, cradling his face as I pressed everything I had into the kiss. My hands gripped his hair, tugging and pulling at it. I didn’t recognize myself right now.

  Vlad groaned against me, his hands gripping my bare back possessively. I kissed him like my life depended on it, desperate to taste him one last time.

  I craved him so much.

  Vlad pulled away from me slowly and I instantly missed him.

  I reached to pull him back to me, but he just pressed his forehead against mine instead.

  “What’s gotten into you?” he whispered, chuckling.

  I wished I could tell him.

  Vlad pulled an inch away from me, so he could stare into my eyes. “My kind isn’t meant for you. There’s no place for soft-hearted people here. You’re too beautiful for this world, for my world, my tribe.”

  I smiled sweetly at him, for a second getting lost in his hazy eyes. “But you’re my tribe now.”

  Without you, I am nothing.

  It was like being reborn. Before, I was nothing. I didn’t have a claim on anyone or anything. Then, he came into my life and became my everything.

  What was he saying? I looked at him confused.

  He lost his smile now. “If they get you, then they know they’ll get me. I’d always come for you Doll. Then, everything will turn to shit.” He exhaled slowly, continuing, “It’s painful for me to let you go. It hurts me, but it’s better for you if you stay away from me now. You need
to stay hidden. The life I lead, it creates enemies. Bloodshed and violence. People want to own the world. It’s the only life I know, what I’ve been taught. I promise that I’ll always be by your side.”

  He was letting me go. A tear rolled down my face.

  Vlad saw it and looked surprised. He reached up and wiped it away.

  “Tears don’t belong in those beautiful eyes,” he whispered at me. “They’re for those who are broken.” His eyes lit up at me. “And you’re anything but that.”

  When he looked at me like that, I felt like I was the most precious thing in the world, like the stars were in my eyes.

  Then, he looked at me with boyish affection. “Doll, I’m madly in love with you.” He gave me a small weak smile now. “I tried to deny it, but I can’t escape from the truth now.”

  I stared at him open-mouthed at his confession, his heart on his sleeve. He was supposed to be a monster. I couldn’t fall in love with a monster though. But when he wasn’t here, I missed him. I longed for his touch. Craved his company. When he left my bed in the morning, loneliness and melancholy took root in my chest. My heart was so full and heavy against my chest.

  The only thing that stood between my happiness was me.

  “Toqborneh,” I whispered.

  Vlad left small kisses on my neck as he nuzzled me. “What does that mean?” he whispered against my ear.

  “You bury me,” I whispered.

  He stilled and waited for me to continue, maybe not understanding my meaning.

  “I wish to die before you, so I don’t see you die.”

  Vlad pulled away from me and looked at me confused. I had tears streaming down my face. I had tried to hold them in, but they spilled over regardless. It was the second time I had cried openly.

  In this fairytale, there was no happy ending.

  It was a tragedy waiting to happen.

  Then there was a shout behind us.

  “DEA! Freeze!”

  Vlad’s eyes darted up, and he instantly reached for his gun, but then he realized it was in my hand. He looked at me startled, clearly confused on how it had ended up there. I had pulled it free while he had been kissing me.