Adrian's Vengeance: A Dark Mafia Romance

by Isabella Starling

  And I'm going to lose him. I'll be forced to walk away from him.

  If I don't... he won't just stop at killing me. I know Bruno will want the heads of my brother and Vitto, too. Do I really want to be responsible for more deaths?

  Chewing my bottom lip, I burrow into Adrian's side. I can't keep torturing myself. I have to get some rest and try to forget about all this. At least, until I hear back from Luigi with a plan.

  Inexplicably, I somehow I find myself hoping something would go wrong. That I wouldn't be able to escape. That I'll be forced to stay here, with Adrian, forever.

  He's the light in the future I can't have. Everything else is dark and hopeless.

  I know I don't have a choice though, because my nonna taught me to be a fighter.

  Faced with the decision to live or die—I will always pick life.

  And then Adrian won't be the one with a vengeance.

  I will be.

  35

  Adrian

  "Here. You have to do it," my father states.

  I stare at the paper bag in my hands. "I don't know how."

  "Figure it out," Father hisses at me. "If it's true, we need to get her the fuck out of here soon."

  "Fine."

  We both startle at the sound of rustling in the hallway, but when I check, there's no one around but an oblivious guard. I take the paper bag from my father, nodding at him as I walk down the hallway.

  He's given me a nearly impossible task. How the fuck am I going to go through with this? There's no goddamn way to do it without rousing Marzia's suspicion.

  I know what's inside the bag…a pregnancy test. It's been almost three months that Maria's been here at the Estate. Plenty of time to get her pregnant, especially considering how many times I've fucked her. But my mistress having a kid before my wife is a scandal not even our family can tolerate. And if my suspicions are correct... If Marzia really is pregnant, we need to get her out of the Estate before the wedding.

  There is a summer home we have in a coastal town of Sicily, one where she can be safe. Once I figure out the mess I've gotten myself into with this wedding, I'll be able to join her there and continue our life together.

  First, I need to figure out whether it's true.

  I walk to her quarters and knock on the door, hiding the test in the pocket of my blazer.

  "Come in," she calls out.

  I do, opening the door and watching her for a moment.

  She's sitting on the sofa, contentedly sketching in one of the sketchpads I've given her.

  Since she came here, Marzia has truly embraced her talents, and I'm proud of her. I've recently sent some of her paintings and drawings to the city to get framed. I make a mental note to pick them up as fast as possible, so I can take them to the summer home when Marzia leaves.

  "Hello," she says tentatively when she sees me in her salon. "Is something the matter?"

  "No," I reply. "You need to take another test."

  "Why?" She narrows her eyes at me.

  "Need to know if you're ovulating."

  "Again?" She groans, opening her hand. "Fine, give it to me, I'll take it now." She seems to believe me, thinking this is only a test to check her ovulation.

  I hand her the test without its box and usher her into the bathroom. While she's in there, my heart fucking pounds. What if she is pregnant? What if my mistress is carrying my child?

  I know I'll never be able to go through with the wedding then. I won't be able to marry someone else, not whilst knowing Marzia is carrying my child. Father's going to fucking kill me.

  Five minutes later, she emerges from the bathroom and my heart fucking drops. I stare at her, committing every feature of her pretty face to memory. Her full lips, her glossy hair, the way her eyes look at me with trust when that's the last thing she should be feeling for me.

  "And?" I bark.

  "I don't know." She shrugs, handing me the test. "There's a smiley face on the test. What the fuck does that mean?"

  My head starts fucking spinning the moment those words leave her lips.

  It's true. Either my worst fear or my biggest wish has just come true. Marzia Da Costa is pregnant with my child.

  I'm overcome by desire when I check the test myself. She wasn't lying ‒a big smiley face is on the test ‒ signaling that the test is positive. "Congratulations," I mutter.

  "So?" She raises her eyes at me. "That means you're going to fuck me, doesn't it?"

  With my head still spinning, I look at her. This test being positive means I need to get Marzia out of here as soon as fucking possible. I can't risk Gustavo or one of the Bernardi's enemies finding out there's a mafia heir on the way. It wouldn't just endanger Marzia, it would endanger our baby as well.

  I take a moment to think about the possibilities. Sending her away. But even being without Marzia for a few days makes me want to lose my mind. I don't want to give her up. I don't want to send her off to our summer home.

  "Well?" she asks again.

  I realize I've been lost in thought for too long. I don't want to look suspicious.

  "You want me to fuck you?" I ask my voice surprisingly soft as I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

  "Yes." She nods. "Don't I always?"

  There's something about the way she's acting. Her words seem tinged by sadness. But all I have to do is remind myself of the fact that she must be upset about my upcoming wedding to Nicoletta. She must be dreading it, knowing I'm going to marry someone else. But I can't reveal the truth to Marzia, not yet. If I do, I risk her spilling it to someone else, which would only endanger her more.

  "Strip," I order her, my voice firmer than I'd intended.

  She doesn't let my harsh tone dissuade her. Marzia turns around, allowing me to unzip her dress. The dress falls off her shoulders, pooling at her feet and exposing her olive-toned skin. She looks fucking stunning. I can't help but look for signs of her pregnancy on her body, but I find none. It's probably too early to tell... and as desperate as I am to see her belly expanding as my child grows inside her, it's too soon for that.

  I vow to myself to spend as much time as I possibly can with Marzia throughout this pregnancy. I need to be there for her. I want to be there for her.

  My fingertips glide over her skin. I've become so familiar with her body, I've already committed every inch of her to memory.

  With a start, I realize I'll never be able to settle for anyone who isn't Marzia. She's the one I want, the one I crave, the one I can't imagine a life without. Pursing my lips, I comb my fingers through her glossy locks and wrap an arm around her waist.

  "Are you going to hurt me?" she asks softly.

  "No," I mutter. "Not today."

  "Why not?"

  I weigh up my words. She's going to question why I'm not fucking her harder from now on, but I can't bring myself to be rough with her, not anymore, not knowing she's pregnant. "You don't get to ask that," I state firmly, going with the easiest solution. "Go to your bedroom. Wait for me on all fours on the bed."

  She obeys.

  I wait a few moments to gather myself. The knowledge of what's going to happen is weighing heavily on me and I know I'm going to have to deal with this news one way or another. But there's just one thing I know for sure—my wedding with Nicoletta won't happen. It can't, not now. I smirk to myself.

  Shrugging off my blazer, I walk into the bedroom where she's waiting in the position I told her to. Her body looks irresistible and I groan, ripping my shirt off as I approach her. Buttons fly everywhere. My fingers actually fucking shake as I unzip my pants and pull out my rock hard cock. I position it at her entrance, but I'm gentle this time, gentler than I've ever been before.

  I'll have to tell Marzia soon, of course. But not yet. I want to keep her as my innocent plaything a little while longer. I'll tell her when she leaves, when I ensure I'll be able to join her soon and raise our child together.

  "Adrian..." she breathes beneath me, body squirming in an effort to get closer to m
e. "It's been too long, fuck me, I don't want to wait any longer."

  "No," I hiss. "We're doing things differently today."

  She turns to look at me over her shoulder with a disappointed expression just as I push my cock into her dripping pussy. She lets out a moan, and her eyes light up. She's so ridiculously fucking happy when I'm inside her.

  Something warm grows in my chest. Is this love? It sure feels like it. I've never felt this way before, and as confusing as the emotion is, I find myself addicted to it already.

  I start fucking her. I don't put my hands on her throat, don't pull on her hair, and don't spank her tight little ass even though her body is practically begging for it. Instead, I take it slow, driving my cock inside her with painfully slow, torturous thrusts that makes Marzia breathe my name over and over again, as if she's saying a prayer.

  I want to take my time at first, but I'm too caught up in the moment, too eager to fill her again and claim her as my possession.

  I thrust in and out of her, my cock growing bigger, my balls tightening, as we both get closer and closer to a release.

  Marzia's whimpering, stuck on the edge of pleasure with no way out unless I tell her she's allowed the orgasm that's already clawing at her sanity.

  "You want to come?" I whisper in her ear, pushing her hair over one shoulder.

  "Yes! Please!"

  "How badly?" I demand. "Tell me exactly how badly and maybe, I'll let you."

  "Adrian, please," she whimpers. "Let's come together..."

  Her words are too fucking tempting, pushing me even closer to the edge. I wanted to prolong this, to make the sweet moment last as long as I could. But this only proves to me what I already knew. I'm a man, and she’s a woman…this is the most primal act of claiming her body for my own. I'm not going to stop. I'm going to pump her full of my seed and leave her dripping. I'm done fucking resisting. I'm making her mine one last time.

  I close my eyes and command her, "Come with me, bambina."

  She does.

  As I pump my load inside her already bred pussy, I make a vow to myself to make Marzia mine officially. Fuck Father, fuck Gustavo and fuck Nicoletta. This is the woman I belong with.

  Hours later, I knock on the door of Father's office with the test back in the paper bag he gave me.

  "Come in," he calls out.

  I enter.

  He's alone, looking strangely fragile behind his huge desk. "What is it? Did you do it?"

  I nod, wordlessly handing him the brown paper bag.

  Father heaves a deep sigh before pulling out the test. His eyes widen at the sight of it, but he doesn't comment. Instead, he rubs his temples before asking, "Does Marzia know yet?"

  "No," I say. "I thought it would be better not to tell her for the time being."

  "Good call," Father mutters. "What do you want to do about this?"

  "We need to get her to safety as soon as possible," I mutter. "The summer home, probably."

  Father nods thoughtfully. "And what about the wedding? What about Nicoletta?"

  "Even if I go through with it," I start. "We have to find a way to end it. I'm not going to stay with Nicoletta either way. Can you figure out a way to annul the wedding?"

  Father groans, rubbing his temples again. "Gustavo Carlucci is a powerful enemy. One we don't want to anger."

  "I don't give a shit," I hiss. "I want Marzia. And I'm never going to change my mind."

  Father watches me with an unreadable expression.

  I half-expect him to lose it, to tell me my obsession with Marzia will have to come to an end one way or another.

  He shocks me by nodding along. "Is Marzia the one you want?"

  "Yes," I reply firmly. "The only one I want."

  "Then we'll make it work."

  His words shock me now. It feels as if things are finally going right.

  Maybe, just maybe, everything will work out after all.

  36

  Marzia

  This was the only chance I would get. My one window at escaping.

  Eleanora stands before me, shivering. My brother had sent a letter only a few days ago telling me the plan in detail.

  I forced myself to memorize every word, knowing I couldn't risk anyone seeing the letter after me. As I watched the paper burn in the fireplace, my heart sped up with the thought of finally being free of this place, of escaping Adrian once and for all.

  But it gives me horrible anxiety too—to think about a life without Adrian. Chewing my bottom lip, I place my black cape around Eleanora's shoulders. She looks up at me and I manage a shaky smile before gently placing the hood on her head.

  The previous day, Eleanora sneaked a small lock-picking device into my room. With her help, I managed to get off the anklet on my leg tracking my location. We'd carefully looked through the quarters to determine spots that the camera couldn't reach. There would be no trace of what we'd done. Not until it was too late for them to find us.

  "It's going to be okay," I whisper. "We'll wait for you at the docks like we discussed. Slip away when they start looking for me."

  She nods in silent agreement.

  Just then, there's a knock on the door.

  We exchange a panicked glance.

  I call out, "Just a moment, please."

  "Signorina, we have to go right now!" the guard calls from the other side of the door. "We're already running late."

  "Just a second," I reply before pulling Eleanora against me. "Remember, keep your head down. You're in mourning. Don't speak to anyone."

  She opens the door, doing as she's told so the hood covers her face. I’d put some of my gold bracelets on her arms to make her look more like me.

  I wait with bated breath, as the guard leaves with Eleanora. Everything depends on the next moment.

  He leaves the door unlocked.

  It takes me seconds to slip through the house. All the guards and maids are in the chapel for the ceremony. The only people are in the help's quarters, but I'm wearing Eleanora's uniform, so I think I can slip past them unnoticed.

  This time, everything has been laid out for me. There's no chance this plan will fail. Luigi and Vitto planned everything to the T.

  But do I really want to leave? I bite my bottom lip as I wait, hidden behind a statue in the hallway. Two maids pass by without noticing me. Dashing down the stairs, I go running out of the servants' exit. Now I just have to walk down the road where a car will be waiting.

  I was told not to run, because it will look suspicious, and they timed the car to arrive a few minutes later, but I can't help speeding up my walk and dashing toward the point where I'm supposed to meet the driver of my getaway car.

  I keep going, my heart pounding fast. I can't help stealing glances at the Bernardi Estate over my shoulder. Is it too late to change my mind? Can I still go back there, convince Adrian to take me back?

  No, he would never. Not after finding out I was going to leave him.

  Then there's the matter of what he and Bruno wanted to do to me, as well. I don't trust them. Not after overhearing their conversation, not when there's a risk they could condemn me to die.

  I keep walking. I feel sick now from everything that's going on, sick to my stomach. But I force myself to slow down, and keep going at a steady pace.

  Minutes later, I reach the meet-up point, but there's no red Peugeot in sight. I bite my lower lip and wait. There's not much else I can do.

  My mind is still racing around Adrian, trying to make sense of everything that has happened. I shouldn't be thinking about him. Only days ago, I was eager to escape, but not now. Now, I just want him to tell me what I heard wasn't true. The reality of what I've done is starting to dawn on me, the fact that I've ran away from the man I feel so many things for, to the one I've dreaded seeing every single time.

  With a sinking feeling, I realize I've just made a huge mistake.

  Just then, the red car pulls from around the corner. I pick myself up and rush to it, getting in the backseat. The c
ar speeds away.

  I barely have time to register who's driving, but I recognize him as one of Adrian's guards. I wonder why he's doing this.

  Before I can think about it more, the car screeches to a halt in front of the docks. The guard opens the door for me and walks with me through the docks. There are some guards standing at the entrance who are giving us strange looks.

  "Laugh," the guard barks at me.

  "What?"

  "Laugh!"

  I erupt in nervous laughter, heart aflutter as he drags me down the pier to a waiting boat. The guards aren't looking anymore. I suppose I shouldn't catch too much attention, dressed the way I am. No one will recognize me as Marzia Da Costa, at least not until Adrian realizes I'm gone.

  My heart pounds even harder. I step on the boat and the guard follows closely behind.

  "Are you coming too?" I ask.

  "It was part of the deal, signorina," he says. "Now sit down, hide."

  "What about Eleanora?" I grab the lapels of his jacket. "My maid. She helped too. She needs to be here as well."

  "Impossible," the guard shakes his head. "We have to leave right now."

  "Please." I know I'm begging but I don't care. I owe this to Eleanora—I promised her I'd help her get away with us. "We have to wait for her. I told her to come meet us at the docks."

  He hesitates.

  "Do you know Eleanora?" I whisper.

  He nods without saying a word. He looks like he's in physical pain, his hand on the rope that anchors us to the docks.

  "You do? Do you... like her?"

  He doesn't reply, just looks away from me, and closes his eyes.

  The truth settles in then. He doesn't just know her, he feels something for her. And he would be willing to leave her behind to save me. This world is fucking unfair.

  "I don't deserve to live more than she does," I plead. "Let's just wait another ten minutes..."

  "Dio, signorina," he mutters. "Four minutes, and then we have to leave."

  "Thank you!" I manage a shaky smile as I hide inside the boat.