I sit in front of the fireplace, nervously tapping my pen against paper. I don't know what to tell them. Don't know how to put my feelings into paper. Shame burns my cheeks as I begin writing, crossing things out, throwing paper after paper into the fireplace. I feel guilty for not being more torn up about my parents' death. About losing our family home. I feel awful because try as I might I can't quite bring myself to hate Adrian. I hate his father, but I've always had a blind spot for Adrian, and no matter how hard I try to tell myself I want him dead, the truth is far away from that.
Finally, I write a short letter, telling myself they'll have to understand my confusion. I express my concern for Luigi and even force myself to ask about Vitto and how he's doing. I hand the letter to Eleanora.
She wordlessly pockets it and leaves my room.
After she disappears, I stand in front of the mirror as I run through the events of the past week in my head, thinking about Eleanora, about Adrian, about Bruno Bernardi. I wonder if I'll ever get out of here alive. If there's any hope left for me.
I glance at the door wondering when Eleanora will be back. I want to try another canvas painting today before Adrian gets back, because I'm not sure I can hand over the one I did of Adrian. I don't think I could bear him looking at his likeness in the painting while I watch—it would be awfully embarrassing.
As I stare at the door, my brows knit together. Am I imagining things or is the door slightly open?
My heart begins to pound. I can't believe this is real. Surely, it's too soon for this to be a sign from Eleanora that it's time for me to escape. I bite my lower lip, wondering what to do. As quietly as I can, I walk over to the door and test it, making sure it's really open.
It is.
I rush through the room nervously, trying to decide what to take with me. But I barely have any time. I could get busted any second now and when I do, my chance of escape will be gone. They'll reprimand Eleanora and I'll have an even smaller chance of ever getting out of this house.
Without hesitation, I sneak out of the room and into the hallway. There's no one around, the sound of my footsteps echoing in the empty house. I'm too afraid to breathe properly, running down the stairs onto the ground floor of the Estate. I see a maid approaching and dash behind a column, successfully managing to hide before she can spot something's off. The moment she rounds the corner, I'm off again.
This time, I run through the house and into the garden through the open French doors in the salon. I hear voices, Bruno's being one of them, and dart behind a large flower pot. He comes to a stop right in front of it, talking on the phone, and my heart beats nervously in my chest as he chuckles into the receiver, saying something about paychecks.
What's stopping him from killing me right now, if he spots me? Adrian's not here, he can't help. I'm completely at Bruno's mercy, so I have to make sure he doesn't notice me. I make myself as small and invisible as I can behind that flower pot, waiting for him to walk away. For several excruciatingly long seconds I'm certain he's going to find me hiding there, but luckily, he walks away, still distracted by his call.
I rush forward then, taking off deeper into the woods behind the house. I hear the noise of a car's engine and glance behind my back, my blood freezing in my veins when I see the familiar black limo pulling up in front of the Estate. That'll be Adrian, back home. How long is it going for one of them to notice I've escaped?
I don't have to spend much time thinking about the last one, because that moment, a high-pitched shriek comes from inside the house. I instantly know my time is running out and take off running through the woods behind the Estate. My heart is pounding louder than ever, but I force myself to put one foot in front of the other and keep going as fast as I can. At some point, I toss off my heels—it'll be easier to run barefoot, despite the sharp stabs and stings from the pine needles and broken twigs on the ground.
I keep going, blindly stumbling through the forest, and not paying any attention to my surroundings. My only thought is that I need to get as far away from the Estate as possible. Put as much distance between myself and Adrian as I can. Otherwise, it'll be too easy for him to find me and bring me back into my opulent, gilded cage.
Time passes excruciatingly slowly and I feel myself slowing down, getting tired. But I'm still determined. Except I thought I'd run into someone already. I'm too scared to venture to the road, knowing the Bernardis have probably sent guards to watch the area.
Instead, I keep stumbling through the forest.
I hear someone shouting my name moments later. Fighting the urge to start sobbing then and there, I force myself to keep going deeper and deeper into the forest. I move as quietly as I can and as far away as I can go from the voice calling my name.
I wonder if it's Bruno who has come after me. I know he wants me dead. Have I just given him the perfect opportunity to get rid of me once and for all? Fighting back sobs, I force myself to keep going, keep moving. The voice grows fainter and I gain confidence.
That is, until I see Adrian behind me and our eyes meet.
"She's here!" he yells.
I take off running, again. But he's faster than me and I soon realize I don't have a chance in hell. Any possibility of getting away disappears as I stumble, tripping over a tree root and falling down. In moments, Adrian has caught me. He wraps me up in his arms and a part of me wants to sob and beg him to take me back home and keep me safe. Another part demands for me to keep fighting and running. But I'm tired. So very tired.
“You’ve made a big mistake, bambina,” he tells me.
His voice sends chills down my spine.
He carries me back to the house as he barely looks at me.
I can't stand to raise my eyes to his, either. He carries me back in silence and I fight back tears of humiliation as we go past the maids in the grand hall, up the stairs and into my quarters.
He finally puts me down on the loveseat in the salon, and I catch my disheveled appearance in the mirror across from it. I look like a complete mess. My dress is muddy and torn, my feet covered in mud and my ankle is bright red and purple and painfully swollen.
Finally, Adrian sits in front of me.
I feel his cool, angry eyes watching me but I'm too afraid to look up at him.
"You've disappointed me," he tells me, "First of all, for thinking you could outrun me. And second, for trying to get away."
His tone makes goosebumps erupt all over my skin. "Can you really blame me?" I demand. "You left me here alone. Your father could have killed me."
"I have his word that he won't hurt you."
"His word means nothing to me," I hiss.
"But it means something to me," he replies. "And given that you're my property, that should be the only thing that matters to you."
I cower as he gets up and paces the room, muttering, "You need to just let me go."
"And why would I do that, bambina?"
"Because we can never end up together," I tell him. "I'll fight it every step of the way. I'll never be yours willingly."
He laughs as if I've just told him a joke. "I'd like to see how long you stick to those promises, Marzia. But more importantly, did you like my gift?"
Guiltily, I remember the painting supplies. He had done something for me. He'd gone out of his way to make me more comfortable. Then I betrayed him like this. But I was fighting back for my independence. And I'd never be able to forgive myself if I let him touch me again... especially not when it made me feel so many confusing things.
"I did, thank you," I finally reply, my tone stiff.
"Did you do your homework like a good girl?"
My lips form a thin line and I fight every instinct in my body so he won't notice his words are making me aroused. "If you're asking me whether I completed the two sketches and one canvas as per your request, I did." I shiver involuntarily, remembering I never got to paint Eleanora instead of the canvas I'd made of Adrian. And where is my maid? Did her plan to get me out of here just fail? Is it a
ll my fault?
"Tell me where they are and I'll collect them for you," he says with a stern glare. "The doctor for your ankle is on the way. I think you sprained it."
The fact that he hasn't brought up my unsuccessful escape worries me, and I bite my lips, wondering when my punishment will come. I'm certain he won't let me get away with it that easily. I point to the sketches and painting with shaky fingers.
He opens the sketchbook and stares in wonder at the sketch of nature and the other of Eleanora I've created. "These are good," he tells me, but his voice is cold. "Now for the canvas." He places it in front of me and pulls off the fabric covering it with a flourish. He stares back at his own likeness with curiosity.
My heart pounds with fear. Despite everything, I still crave his approval. His next words will mean everything to me, whether they're good or negative.
"You think I look like that?" he wonders.
I narrow my eyes at him. "Yes," I answer tentatively. "You don't like it?"
"I..." He seems at a loss for words. "I didn't know I looked so..."
I’ve never seen him so lost before. "What?"
"Strict. Angry."
"Aren't you?"
He snaps his head to me. "Perhaps I am. I certainly was when I found out what you did. But it's no use punishing you for this mistake. You'll just keep doing it until I teach you a lesson. So I'm about to give you one right now."
The doors to my quarters open and I look up to find a man with a briefcase entering first.
"Your doctor," Adrian explains. "The problem is her ankle, doctor. She tripped and fell."
"You have to help me," I say with desperation. "You have to help me get out of here, doctor."
13
Adrian
The doctor doesn't pay Marzia's cries any mind. He ignores her.
She glances between us in desperation, realizing her attempts to escape are futile. No one is going to help her here. I enjoy seeing the realization dawn on her, her pretty face losing color as she stares me down.
Doctor Romano checks her ankle and deducts it's only sprained. With a few days of rest, she'll be as good as new.
This suits me just right, since I have my own punishment in store for Marzia and she needs to be well enough to endure it.
But before I can take my anger out on the pretty brunette, I have to show her what happens to other people when she disobeys me.
Eleanora is brought into the room by two guards. She struggles, trying to fight them off until she sees her ward. Then, her efforts to break free falter and she gives into her fate.
Marzia's eyes are wide with fear as they meet her maid's gaze. "What are you going to do to her?" she asks me shakily, and I grin at her.
"I'm going to show you what happens when you disobey me so insolently."
"Don't take it out on her," she whispers. "Please, Adrian. She's done nothing wrong, I did."
She's so fast to beg when it comes to other people. I laugh out loud. "It's too late for that, don't you think, bambina? You should've thought about that before you tried to run away from me."
Her mouth sets in a line and she watches as Eleanora is sat in front of us.
"Now, what do you think I should do to her?" I ask, pacing the room. "She was careless enough to leave the door open, allowing you to escape. She must be punished appropriately for that."
"Don't hurt her," Marzia whispers. "She's done nothing wrong and she's just a teenager. Please, hurt me instead."
"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" I smirk at her, resisting the urge to do just what she's asking. I'm fucking tempted to just make her kneel then and there and force her to suck me off in front of her maid. "No, I don't think I will. I think Eleanora deserves a punishment just as much as you do. You can fight over it with her as much as you want, but it won't change the outcome."
Her bottom lip wobbles at my statement
I approach her maid. I gently tuck Eleanora's hair back, leaning down to speak to her while Marzia watches with a jealous expression.
"You understand you've fucked up here, don't you?" Eleanora nodes wordlessly. "Good, that saves me the trouble of explaining it to you. As your punishment, you will both be without food for the next three days. You are, however, allowed water."
I pull back, smiling widely at Marzia.
She glares at me. "You're a monster."
"And you're a very silly girl if you think that was the extent of my punishment," I deliver the final blow. "I'll give you the mercy of waiting until your ankle heals, but after that, you'll pay for trying to run from me. Don't expect me to be merciful, either."
"Please," she mutters, a half-hearted attempt of changing my mind. "Don't hurt us."
"Oh, silly girl." I approach her and she recoils as I touch her glossy hair, running my hands down its silky length. "You should've thought about all that before you tried to fucking abandon me, Marzia. But it's okay. You'll be taught a lesson, and you'll never, ever leave me again."
Everything for Marzia's punishment is ready, and I am eager to dole it out. I walk up to her bedroom early that morning, replacing Eleanora and throwing the curtains open.
The room is instantly flooded with sunlight and Marzia groans in her luxurious bed, raising her hand to protect her eyes from the daylight.
It's been four days since Marzia's unsuccessful escape attempt. I've given her enough time to recover from her sprained ankle. The swelling went down the second day, and after checking her again the previous evening, the doctor gave her a clean bill of health.
After he left, I felt my captive's eyes following me around the room, knowing I was going to deliver on the rest of her punishment. I revel in the knowledge of what it is while she struggles, knowing it couldn't be good. So now, the day has finally come. Today, I finally get to sink my teeth into Marzia Da Costa.
"Eleanora, you know I hate it when you wake me up like that," she mutters.
I smirk.
When she sees it's me, her face falls. The shiver that goes through her body is visible. "What are you doing here?"
"We've got to work on your greeting skills, bambina," I tell her firmly. "It's the day of your punishment, so I was nice enough to come tell you. And you're being an ungrateful little brat again."
"No, I'm not. Anyone would fight back. I don't want to die," she mutters defensively.
"I've told you, you're not going to die. Just trust me," I demand. "Now come here. Can you stand on your ankle yet?"
"I think so." Carefully, she picks herself up and walks over to where I'm standing. She's still a little wobbly, but for the most part, it seems her injury has healed. "What do you have for me?"
I present her with a pink velvet jewelry box.
Her eyes glitter with excitement that is soon replaced with trepidation, and she watches me with narrowed eyes as I offer her the box. But her curiosity gets the best of her and she takes it in her hands, slowly lifting the lid. When she sees what's inside, she turns her eyes back to mine, venom spilling from her lips. "Is this some kind of joke?"
"No, it's a real present," I tell her, taking the anklet from its box. "It's going right around your ankle ‒ the non-sprained one, of course ‒ and it will track your whereabouts at any given moment."
"Why do you have to be so controlling?"
"Because the moment I'm not, you try to run away from me," I hiss. "I turn my head for five seconds, Marzia, and you've already escaped. How am I not going to be controlling when you defy me so openly?" I lean down and clasp the ankle bracelet around her slim leg. "There. I'll feel better now that I know you're safe."
"You're the one who's putting me in danger," she growls. "You're the one who's risking someone killing me if I stay here!"
"You're being a snarky little thing today, bambina. I don't fucking like it."
"Then punish me even more." She rolls her eyes. "It seems like that's all you want to do."
"What I want to do and what I need to do are two very different things." I step closer to he
r, backing her up against my wall. I lean down, my forehead resting against hers, my lips an inch away from brushing against her soft mouth. "What I want to do… is lick your little clit until you're begging me for mercy."
She gasps, the sound soft between us.
I smirk at her. I know I have her backed up into a corner. My assumption is correct. She wants me after all—no matter what. She can't even fight her own feelings. In fact, she doesn't even seem to be trying.
"I don't want you touching me," she manages.
"Is that so?" I laugh in her face, both of us knowing she's laughing through her teeth. "Maybe I'll never touch you again then. How would you like that as a punishment?"
Her full lips purse.
My bambina is upset and it's fucking adorable. She can't bear the thought of being without my touch. She's already so damn addicted.
"You couldn't keep your hands off me." She smirks. "You want me just as much."
"See, Marzia," I start. "Your first mistake is admitting you do like me. Because now, I can do whatever the fuck I want with that knowledge. And I fully intend on using it to torture you further. Also, since you're so intent on betraying my trust, I'm taking an extra precaution. We're installing cameras in your salon and bedroom."
"What?" She narrows her eyes at me. "You can't do that to me. I need my privacy!"
"You gave up your right to privacy when you tried to run from me," I tell her. "Until you can prove to me you're worthy of my trust by being on your best behavior, I'm not putting up with any more of your nonsense. The cameras go up tonight."
"I hope you're happy," she hisses. "Now you'll control every move I make. What a great punishment."
I smirk at her. "Of course I'm happy. And once you prove your loyalty, we can talk about removing the cameras. Although I think, you'll end up liking them as much as I will. But that isn't your only punishment, Marzia."
"There's more?"
Adrian's Vengeance: A Dark Mafia Romance Page 8