Adrian's Vengeance: A Dark Mafia Romance

by Isabella Starling

  I don't answer her. Maybe I'm a sick bastard, but I enjoy torturing her. I kiss her cheek instead, my hand gently wrapping around her throat for good measure, just so she remembers her place.

  With a smirk, I leave her room, the memory of her trembling body filled with my seed etched onto my mind.

  22

  Marzia

  I lie on the bed with Adrian's seed leaking out of me. I can see the door from here. He's busted it wide open. I think I see a figure moving in the hallway, but the moment I blink, the shadow is gone. There's no one there.

  For a few minutes, I'm convinced I'm about to be caught. That someone will walk in here and see me like this, broken down after Adrian took what he wanted. A selfish, jealous part of me wants it to be Nicoletta. I want to hurt her. I want to see her cry. I want to be the reason she's miserable—because her fiancé wants me, not her.

  But nothing happens, no one comes. I cover myself up with the blanket and try to come up with a good cover story for the next morning when someone's bound to find the broken-down door. Dreams start to pull me under. It's getting harder and harder to resist the call of my pillow and I slowly drift off to sleep.

  I keep dreaming about them. My parents. The way Bruno killed them in cold blood, as if their lives never meant anything at all. I remember the sound of the gunshots, the shocked faces of mama and papa as they collapsed and breathed their last breath. I should be angry. I should be filled with the need for revenge. Instead of that, all I feel is abandonment.

  My parents are gone now, and in my nightmares, I seem to understand Adrian's pulling away more and more, too. I've already lost him to Nicoletta. She's not wearing a ring yet, but once he puts it on her finger, I'll never be more than a lover, a mistress. I'll be forced to take pills and medicine that will prevent me from getting pregnant, make sure I never have Adrian's baby. I'll be reduced to a toy, a plaything for Adrian's pleasure. Someone to be passed around and shared among his friends.

  I wake up with a start, my heart pounding so fast, I get dizzy the moment I open my eyes.

  Eleanora is standing in front of me, her eyes wide.

  I look over her shoulder first. The door is in one piece again, there's no sign of Adrian breaking it down.

  At first, I'm convinced I imagined the whole thing, but when I get up, I still feel the stickiness between my legs and I know it was real. Adrian had the door fixed so no one would find out what he did last night.

  Eleanora tugs on my sleeve as I slip on a robe. She wants me to get ready, but I have nothing to get ready for. Still, she seems insistent, so I jump in the shower and wash off the remains of the previous night. I wash my hair and get dressed. Eleanora dries and fluffs my hair and I quickly put on some makeup. Next, she leads me into another wing of the house that I quickly recognize as the most opulent and luxurious—Bruno's.

  "I don't want to see him," I whisper to Eleanora. "Please, don't make me. I'm afraid of him."

  She shakes her head and pats my arm. She gently shows me to the door, trying to convince me to enter.

  With a heavy sigh, I walk into the lion's den.

  Bruno's office is cold, and the man himself sits behind a giant desk, glaring at me with intelligent, tired eyes. "Marzia," he mutters. "It's good that you are here. I needed to see you."

  I bow slightly to acknowledge his presence. "How can I help you?" I have to force myself to get the words out, trying not to grit my teeth as I say them.

  "I've decided you should help me with a few things from now on," Bruno goes on nonchalantly. "Start earning your keep around here."

  "Why would I need to earn my keep if I don't want to stay?" I question boldly.

  He merely smirks at me. "Every day after breakfast…which you slept through today…you will come to my office and do some small tasks for me. I worry Nicoletta will become suspicious of you, if she keeps seeing you with Adrian. We need to keep your identity hidden."

  I flush, remembering how Adrian fucked me the previous night. It's a small wonder the whole house doesn't know about us. He sure didn't seem to care if anyone overheard us.

  "You will get some time off after lunch. It will be good for you to be less isolated," Bruno finishes. “You can also visit the gardens from now on, under supervision, of course.”

  As much as I despise the man, a small part of me finds itself grateful for his kindness. I've been losing my mind, not speaking to or seeing anyone. I couldn't have carried on like that. My thoughts were turning on me.

  "When do I start?" I wondered aloud.

  Bruno grins again. "Right now. You're dressed and ready, so why not? You will begin by sorting some paperwork we found about your family grappa business."

  My stomach tightens as he presents me with a knee-high stack of papers and documents. Our family business... it meant so much to nonna. If she knew what papa had turned it into, she'd be turning over in her grave now. She was very prim and proper, a real lady, and she would never agree with the criminal activity papa brought into the family. It made more money, sure, but it was risky and dangerous.

  Wordlessly, I begin sorting through the papers. It's mindless work ‒ I arrange the invoices, separate them from ones that were sent to the others that we received. It feels strange to look so closely at the business numbers. Papa would've never let me see this, work like this. He would think it disgraceful for a young woman to work. In my family, the women were pampered mafia princesses, not smart, capable businesswomen.

  All of them, except for nonna. She always broke the rules.

  After a while, Bruno sends me off to order some tea from one of the maids. He could just as easily call down into the kitchen himself, which makes me suspicious as I walk down the hallway. As I move through the house, I risk a look through the window at the gardens sprawling behind the Bernardi Mansion.

  I see them then, walking through the gardens.

  They look like a fairy tale couple, Adrian with his dark features and the ink covering his body, and beautiful Nicoletta like a forest nymph with her silvery-blonde hair.

  My hands form fists and my nails dig into my palms. I glance back toward the office. Did Bruno send me this way on purpose?

  I catch him looking at me. He just stares, not reacting, and finally I look away too, still fuming with anger as I stomp to the next maid I find and order a pot of tea.

  Returning to the office, I refuse to so much as acknowledge Bruno sitting there. I pay him no mind and focus instead on the work ahead of me, sorting through what feels like years of invoices and documents that have never even been looked at twice.

  My heart hurts. After seeing Adrian so comfortable with that girl, I can't help the feelings of jealousy gripping my heart. I want this to be me. I want to be the one walking through his family gardens with him. I want to be wearing his ring, calling him my fiancé. Nicoletta Carlucci has stolen my spot and I fucking hate her for it.

  Instead of dwelling on things I can't change, I do my best to focus on the work Bruno has laid out for me.

  It doesn't take a genius to realize the books are off, by a lot. My father was siphoning money from the company, draining it of all the fortune it had taken generations to build. Nonna would be devastated if she saw the state of these books. There is less and less grappa, and more and more weapons, drug trafficking and unaccounted for parcels I don't know a thing about.

  The Da Costas built their business on family loyalty, but papa crushed all that and turned it into dust with his actions.

  "What are you going to do with our business?" I demand from Bruno, feeling disgusted at the thought of everything nonna had built falling apart because of some petty vengeance the Bernardis have with Vitto and my brother. "Are you just going to let everything go to hell?"

  "No need to attack me, Marzia," Bruno mutters. "That's why I called you in here. I figured you know the grappa business better than any of my men. We believe it can still be profitable. We want your help in making it into a thriving business again. Of course, it won't be
the Da Costa grappa anymore. Now, it's called Bernardi grappa."

  "You're horrible," I mutter. "Grappa is all about family and tradition. And you just tossed all of that aside."

  "No, Marzia," he replies coolly. "Your father did when he risked everything, including your family. He put not only you but also your mother and brother in danger with his illegal dealings. Whatever you think about me, it can't be worse than the reality…which is that your papa was a criminal."

  "Vaffanculo," I hiss.

  He merely laughs at me. My insults mean nothing to this man. All he cares about is his payday.

  Well, I'm sure as hell not going to change his mind by being a little brat about the whole thing. I force myself to calm down, taking deep breaths until my head has finally cleared.

  I turn my back to Bruno and attack the documents with new-found determination. This is what nonna would have wanted. She'd never allow this to happen, but here's my chance to make things right and honor her memory. And that's exactly what I spend the day doing.

  Bernardi has to remind me it's past lunchtime, and only then, do I notice I've worked up quite the appetite.

  Bruno seems grumpy as he sends me off to my room to eat alone.

  I see he takes lunch in his office and it makes me wonder whether I'll ever be allowed to stay and eat with him.

  After promising to return the next day, I retreat to my bedroom. I eat a light meal that feels unsettling in my stomach. I pace the room listlessly, my eyes dancing over things they don't see, my mind spinning around problems with no solutions. I find myself eager to paint again.

  This time, I pick Bruno Bernardi as my subject. I do some quick pencil sketches, giving special attention to one of father and son. Adrian stands behind Bruno with his strong, capable palm on his tired-looking father's shoulder. I know they aren't biologically related and yet, I can't help but see the similarities between them.

  Adrian is just as stubborn, just as hard working as Bruno. He has his own morals, and his own idea of what's right and wrong, but he stays true to his moral code. Spending time with Bruno is only making me realize how much I want Adrian. How desperate I am for his attention, and how hurt I've been since I found out about Nicoletta. Since Adrian abandoned me...

  Groaning, I lie down on my bed as my mind races around the same subject again and again. I wonder whether he's still with her, with Nicoletta. I wonder what they're talking about. Whether she makes fun of me and he allows it. Biting my lower lip, I realize I'm on the verge of tears. I don't want to cry about Adrian anymore. I want to be as happy as I can be in this new world where I'm completely alone. I want to save Da Costa grappa.

  I want to make my nonna proud of the woman I've grown up to be.

  23

  Adrian

  I know I have to stay away from Marzia until I figure out how to explain everything to her. It hurts, pulling away from her like this, but I know I don't have a choice.

  I need to get the fuck out of marrying Nicoletta. However, at the same time, I promised Father I would spend more time with her to strengthen our bond with the Carluccis. That morning, I agree to meet Nicoletta in the gardens of the Mansion to show her around our future home. Of course, I still don't want her living here with me. However, I don't have a choice. At least not at the moment.

  "Hello," Nicoletta says huskily as she sees me enter the garden.

  "Have you been waiting long?"

  "No." She smiles, offering me her arm. "Will you show me around?"

  I nod, reluctantly allowing her to link her arm with mine. I glance toward the windows or Marzia's room, wondering whether she can see this. The thought of how betrayed she must feel if she does makes my cock hard, and I shake my head to get the forbidden thoughts off my mind before Nicoletta notices something's amiss.

  "How long have you lived here? I heard you were adopted."

  I glance at the stunning blonde, realizing she's much braver than the meek girl I thought she was. There's a twinkle in Nicoletta's eyes and I know she's eager to find out more about me, which only makes me feel like a bigger asshole.

  "A long time," I mutter, avoiding the answer. "How do you like the mansion?"

  "It's beautiful," she says, giving me a sideways glance. "Although, I don't know if I had bad dreams last night, or this place is haunted."

  "Haunted?" I smirk. "What makes you say that?"

  "Well, I heard a horrible noise in the middle of the night, like wood breaking... but today, there was no sight of it anywhere."

  I know exactly what she heard but I'm not about to expose myself as the culprit for her fear. Instead, I just smile politely, showing off the olive garden as we round the corner. "What do you miss most about home?" I end up asking Nicoletta.

  Instantly, a flash of pain crosses her face, and she quickly covers it up as if afraid I'll tell someone about it. "My father—he—when I left, he wouldn't let me keep my kittens," Nicoletta whispers, "I wanted to bring at least one here, but he wouldn't allow it."

  "I'm sorry. Maybe you can get a pet when you're married?"

  "You said you're married, not we're married," she says. Her sadness is instantly forgotten as her eyes meet mine, sparkling with mischief. "I thought you and I were getting married, Adrian."

  I smile tersely, not really knowing what to tell her. As I stare at the sun heavy in the sky, I find myself telling Nicoletta a story I've tried to forget for the better part of my existence, "When I left my former home, I was given a puppy…Bruno, my father, gave me one. Each of the sons had their own dog. They grew up into healthy, beautiful hounds. Cillian and Santino still have theirs."

  "What happened to yours?"

  I kick at the gravel, letting go of her arm. "Someone poisoned him. He died in my arms."

  "That's horrible, Adrian!" Nicoletta looks appalled.

  I can tell she's a caring creature. I shouldn't like anything about her, but this fact endears her to me a bit more.

  "Did you ever find out who did it?"

  "I was never able to prove it," I mutter. "But it was shortly after something happened with another boy my age. I know it was him."

  The memories flash in my mind. Vitto pushing me around, mocking me. Vitto getting his revenge by hurting something innocent that had nothing to do with our feud.

  Sometimes I wonder why I really want Marzia. Whether it's just the need to protect her, or whether I'm subconsciously trying to steal from Vitto like he stole from me. I'll make sure to have my vengeance. I'll do everything in my fucking power to show Vitto I'm worthier than him.

  "Come with me," I say, tugging on Nicoletta's arm. I'm surprised she doesn't complain as I lead her off the path and toward the rose garden.

  She stumbles through a thorny bush but doesn't say a word.

  Wordlessly, we come to a stop in front of a small burial site.

  "I buried Rex here myself."

  "That's so sad. Didn't your father help you?"

  "No." My face tightens. "Father wanted us to learn about loss, too. That's part of why we each got a dog."

  "Seems like a cruel way to raise someone."

  "Perhaps," I mutter. "But it sure as fuck worked."

  She laughs. "You really say what you mean, don't you, Adrian?"

  "Why wouldn't I? There's no use in hiding things that are going to come out anyway." The moment those words leave my lips I realize just what a fucking hypocrite I am. Here I am, blowing smoke up Nicoletta's ass about lies and hiding shit, when that's exactly what I've been doing to her. She doesn't know I fucked Marzia last night. And I've ensured she'll never find out.

  "I admire that about you." Nicoletta smiles. "I'm glad I'm getting to spend time here at the Mansion. I feel welcome here, I just..."

  Her smile makes me feel even guiltier. "Just what?" I ask.

  "I don't feel quite at home."

  "Why is that?"

  "There's nothing of mine here," she admits. "Nothing to remind me of my home. But you know... Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I was meant
to get away from home all along."

  "Sometimes, you have to flee the nest." I bring her back to the path and let go of her hand as we stand in front of the house again. "Forgive me, Nicoletta, but there's something I have to do."

  "Oh." She looks disappointed before cocking her head to the side with a grin. "Is this about that ward of yours?"

  "Marzia." I nod. "How did you know?"

  "I'm not a complete idiot, Adrian, I notice things. Like the fact that she doesn't look at you like a ward should, and she's certainly not underage, either."

  I laugh. "Does it bother you?"

  Before she can answer, I hold up a hand, saying, "It doesn't really matter. Either way, you'll just have to deal with it."

  Nicoletta's lips form a thin line and she glares at me. "Fine, Adrian. Whatever you want."

  “I’m glad you understand.”

  "I'll see you soon, Adrian." She gives a small bow.

  I dismiss her, watching her walk away. The moment she's around the corner, I turn around and make a call. I bark orders into my cell phone then arrange for Marzia to meet me in the gardens next. Father won't be able to object…she deserves some fresh air. We can't keep her in her room like a prisoner for months.

  I wait for Marzia. Every second without her stretches off into eternity. I want her here, beside me where she belongs. I don't want to hate Nicoletta but I find myself wishing she wasn't around. That she'd somehow magically disappear. I have ways to do that of course, but even I'm not cruel enough to murder an innocent woman.

  Finally, she appears. She's wearing a lemon-colored dress and her hair falls down her back in full curls. She's stunning. So much more beautiful than Nicoletta.

  I want her. Desire flows through my veins freely, reminding me how much I feel for this girl, how badly I want to put my ring on her finger and my baby in her belly.

  "What do you want?" she calls out before she's even reached me, a sharp contrast to Nicoletta's sweet obedience.

  "Greet me properly," I growl at her, grabbing her wrist once she's close enough. "Show some respect, bambina. Don't make me teach you in front of everyone in this house."