She nodded, but she didn’t meet his eye. He took her face in his hands and turned it so he could see her eyes. She looked terrible with red puffy swollen eyes and her skin so pale.
“I want to go home,” she begged like a little child.
“I’m taking you home.” He pulled her to his chest. “You are going to love your new home. It is always warm and sunny there. We have a big house and lots of servants that will do your bidding. You will never have to work again. You will have it good with me, but you will have to follow the rules.”
He stroked over her soft hair. “We are going to stop soon. You need some new clothes. We will go into a little shop, and I will buy you want you need, but if you say anything that I don’t like, I will kill all the people in the shop and punish you. Do you understand?”
She nodded, and he gave Vinnie a nod, who got out his cell and started giving orders.
A little while later, the limo stopped. Vinnie got out while Antonio and Anna waited in the car. He wiped her face before they got out. He held her tightly by her hand. His body language clearly said that he would protect her.
She followed closely behind him as he led her into the shop. Her face was so bruised that she knew that no one should see her. She let her hair fall forward covering the side of her face that he had hit after her foiled escape attempt.
The saleslady asked if she could help.
“My fiancée needs a few things for the weekend. We have decided to stay a little longer.” He smiled at the lady so charmingly that she hardly glanced at Anna, who he held tightly in his arm, but slightly behind him.
“Size?” the saleslady asked Antonio.
“Eight,” Anna answered.
“What style?” The saleslady’s eyes were still on his. Anna hoped that he would get more interested in her.
“Casual.” He turned away from her and ushered Anna into the changing room. She heard him explain that she would also need underwear and a couple of bras because they didn’t have a chance to do any laundry where they were staying. The saleslady asked her bra size through the closed curtain. It was clear that she had an eye on him.
Anna couldn’t figure out what made her interesting to her capturer.
Antonio became very serious when the lady presented outfits for Anna to try on. He said no to most of what she brought. The items he passed on to Anna were very proper.
Antonio went into the changing room and helped her change into things, picking out what she would be wearing. He had her changed into an outfit that was warmer than what she had on. He wanted her to wear it home he told the saleslady.
They left with three very full bags. The clothes were very plain, but he appeared to be satisfied.
When they were back in the limo, he praised her. He had his arm around her as they drove. He whispered warnings in her ear.
Vinnie was nervous. An unwilling fiancée was an extra worry. They had to be on their toes as it was this weekend. He had a feeling that this was going to backfire.
Anna worried over the word fiancée. Was he crazy? Did he honestly think that she would walk down the aisle with him?
Chapter 8
The limousine stopped again. Antonio gave Anna a look that warned her. His look also promised punishment if she did or said anything that didn’t please him.
Vinnie got out and surveyed the area and the people around them, noting that their guest had several visitors at the moment. They had backing, and they wanted the family to know it.
Antonio got out and held his hand out to Anna. Everyone was surprised to see a woman. Whatever they had planned her appearance stopped them. They wanted to know who she was, and why she was here.
Vinnie prepared his body for a fight as they were surrounded by their hosts, who had obviously planned to greet them differently until they saw Anna.
Antonio kissed Anna’s hand before he stepped forward and greeted the men in Italian.
One man stepped out of the crowd of people and kissed her capturer on both cheeks. Then the man stood in front of her and held his hand out to her.
Antonio introduced her in Italian.
Anna smiled at the man, but she didn’t understand what they said. “I’m sorry. I don’t speak Italian,” she apologized. Her brilliant smile proved that she had no idea that they had almost been ambushed.
The man whose name was Francesco shook her hand. “Antonio brought us his beautiful fiancée,” he called out to his men. He pulled her in for an embrace and then kissed both of her cheeks. He laid his arm around her and led her into the house.
Anna glanced at her capturer. She now knew that his name was Antonio. The name fit him.
Francesco showed her the house personally and told her what they would have to eat the next couple of days. Nothing she had ever heard of before.
He explained that the men would be very boring and only talking about business. If she wanted, she could take his car and go shopping or she should feel free to read the books in his library or go swimming in his pool.
She said that she would like to read, knowing that Antonio wouldn’t let her leave the house or wear a swimming suit. He picked out three books for her and told her a little about what they were about. She thanked him. She loved books. Antonio seemed very pleased with her.
Anna and Antonio were brought to their bedroom. Francesco made jokes that they were sharing a room and not married yet. Anna blushed red at his words. He closed the door and left the two of them alone.
Antonio wrapped her in his arms and praised her. “You were marvelous, Anna. Francesco truly likes you.” Antonio kissed the top of her head and told her to unpack their things while he went and talked to the other men. He warned her to stay put.
Anna nodded and went to work hanging up their clothes. She was quickly finished. She started water for a bath, needing to feel clean after peeing, running around and getting punished in the woods.
Anna undressed and climbed into the sweet smelling water. She started reading one of the books that Francesco had given her.
Anna was so exhausted that she almost fell asleep in the tub. She gave herself a mental shake and continued to read the book.
She nodded off for a split second. It was long enough for the book to fall into the water.
“Oh shit.” Anna jumped out of the water with the book and began blow-drying the pages. She had ruined the book that had been so kindly lent to her.
She cleaned up the wet floor and got herself ready for supper, a special Italian meal extra for them.
Anna was ready when Antonio came and got her. She was afraid to tell him what had happened.
Francesco greeted her as if she were his long lost daughter, and she began to cry.
He ushered her and Antonio into an adjoining room. The wall to the hallway was made of glass.
Once they were alone, the truth came pouring out of her. “I am so sorry, but I ruin your book. I was reading it in the bathtub, and I fell asleep for a second and dropped it into the water. I truly am sorry. I tried to save it by blow-drying it, but it didn’t work. I will replace it as soon as I can. I am so sorry to have ruined something that you were so kind to lend to me,” she sobbed while the other men looked on and tried to guess what was happening through the glass wall.
“I will replace the book, Anna. I’ll see to it right away,” Antonio assured her. Her tears were killing him. He could see that she was sorry. It had been an accident.
Francesco took her face in his hands and looked in her eyes. “Don’t cry over spilt milk. You don’t need to replace it. Next time when you come visit me, bring me a new book, one I haven’t read yet. That would make me very happy. It’s only a book and not worth the tears of a beautiful woman.” He smiled at her. She was so sweet and innocent, like a wife should be.
He wondered what she could have possibly done that Antonio had to hit her for. Her left cheek had a bruise on it. It was certain that no other man would dare hit her.
“Still, I am very sorry. You lent it to me
in good faith, and I lost your trust. If you want, I will return the other two books while they are still intact.”
Both men laughed. The men watching through the glass wall relaxed a little but not completely.
“Keep the books, burn them, do what you want with them, but they are yours to enjoy. No more tears. We have a feast planned that I want to share with you.” He linked his arm in hers and brought her to the table. He pulled out her chair, and helped her sit down.
Anna didn’t fuss about her bottom, but it sure did hurt.
Antonio sat on her other side. He reached under the table and took hold of her hand to help her calm down. She was a good sweet girl.
However, in the bedroom she was very demanding. The last time they had made love, she had given him clear instructions, telling him what she wanted him to do. He liked that side of her too.
She quickly learned that mealtime wasn’t business time. The men explained the dishes to her, and she smiled at them a lot.
They talked about common friends and future weddings. Antonio talked about babies.
Anna realized that he was serious about wanting her as his wife. The problem was that she didn’t want him. She didn’t want to live in fear of him. She had to runaway from him, but it had to be a sure fire thing.
Anna knew she couldn’t take another beating like this afternoon. He had clearly said that he would double the number.
Anna took a deep breath and rejoined the conversation.
It was clear that Antonio was the highest member of their group. No one ever spoke when he or Francesco did. But the others spoke on top of each other, trying to be heard.
When she said something, everyone smiled at her. Why was she the only woman in the house?
After they had eaten their meal, which had taken two hours, Antonio escorted Anna back to their room. He asked to see the book.
She went into the bathroom and got it. He took the hard book from her and paged through the stiff pages. He sighed loudly. She could tell that he was very disappointed in her. As always, she hung her head.
“You’re right. You should be more careful, especially with borrowed things. You’re lucky, because I believe you that you are sorry. Change into your pajamas,” he demanded. He watched her get her pajamas out and laid them on the bed.
She turned her back to him and started to change. When the top half of her body was naked, she put the pajama on and then removed the clothes covering the bottom half of her body.
He smiled to himself. Anna was shy and innocent. She was like the type of woman a man was supposed to marry. She certainly wasn’t a plaything.
Antonio pulled out his cell and called his father quickly before his father found out from someone else that he was engaged.
At first, his father was mad, but then Antonio explained the influence she was having on the meetings. His father said that he would be visiting them next week in Mexico. The conversation was quick.
Antonio hoped that there wouldn’t be any problems because he would marry his Anna no matter what, even if she didn’t want him. A donation to the church would make the Father hear a yes even if a no was said.
But when he held Anna’s hand, he had felt something. He never wanted to let go of her.
Antonio went to her and pulled back the covers. He longed to join her in bed, but he had work to do. She got in and gave him a nervous look.
He covered her up and sat down on the bed. He laid a hand on her shoulder and whispered to her. “I still have work to do. Get some rest. You know the consequences if you don’t behave. Just be good and give your body a chance to heal.” He kissed her and wished her a good night.
Anna wondered if he was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type. She wondered about what the men were talking about downstairs. Her thoughts wandered all over until she fell asleep.
She felt a little safer tonight than she had last night. This bed was warm and soft, and it smelt nice not like the one last night.
At one point in the night when she rolled over, she felt his arm around her. She fell back to sleep glad that he hadn’t woken her to have sex.
Chapter 9
The next morning, Antonio was up early. He got dressed and woke Anna with a kiss. He liked the idea of having a wife more and more. She was always with him. He didn’t have to arrange his schedule around her modeling jobs, concerts, or when she had to report back to the FBI. Instead, she was there for him.
The old way was the best way. You marry a virgin, she doesn’t work, and she takes care of the family. This was working out so well. He had to ask himself if he loved her or the idea of marriage more.
He thought of her crying and admitting that she had ruin Francesco’s book. No, it was her he loved.
The other men had congratulated him on his fine choice. They would be reporting good things back to his father.
Once his parents met her, they would love her too. His other girlfriends had refused to meet his parents. His father turned up unannounced then. He wasn’t a man to take a no for an answer.
Emilio hadn’t liked any of them. He always told Antonio to find a real woman. Antonio had now, and he wasn’t going to let her go.
“I have to get back to business. Sleep as long as you need, darling. After you wake up, I want you to wash and get dressed. You may come down then, but knock on any closed door before you open it, even if you can see me inside. I’ll get you your breakfast then.” He kissed her and told her to sleep some more.
Francesco was worried when Antonio appeared without his Anna. He had really taken to her. It was something about her eyes.
Antonio explained that she had been up very late the night before they came here because it had been her birthday.
Vinnie raised and eyebrow, but Antonio was easily answering questions about her age, and how they had met. He never lied. Instead, he left things out.
The men got down to business, and Anna never showed up.
Antonio found it difficult to concentrate. Had she escaped? Enzo was posted outside of her door, but she might have gone out the window.
Vinnie was sent to check on her.
He came back and told the others that she was reading in her room. She would come down for lunch, but right now she couldn’t because she was at the good part in her book.
The men laughed a little. They appreciated a woman who knew how to keep herself busy while men worked.
They had already resolved their differences. Francesco had stated that if Emilio Cristofano would send his son and daughter-in-law to his house, then there could be no question of trust. The families were still bound to each other.
The men toasted each other.
When Anna came down to lunch, they offered her something to drink too. She looked at Antonio who was looking at her, smiling. “I have to confess that I don’t drink at all.”
They were shocked.
“I just turned twenty, and in my state the drinking age is twenty-one.”
They laughed at her innocence. A maid brought her a glass of water. The men laughed, but they slowed their own drinking down. The bodyguards, like Vinnie who were only pretending to drink, were thankful for that.
Antonio announced that they would be leaving today. He told his driver that he couldn’t drink anymore.
Francesco was deeply saddened, but Antonio said they had a wedding to plan. That had everyone toasting again. Antonio said he wanted to get married as quickly as possible. He would prefer a wife to a fiancée.
He was getting a little drunk, and Anna was getting very red-faced as he claimed he wanted to marry her before she got away.
Francesco thought that was funny as well as intelligent of him.
Antonio then went on to say the wedding could be quick because she didn’t have any family.
The men talked about weddings they had attended and offered suggestions.
In the end, it was decided the Francesco would walk Anna down the aisle. The men were thrilled with the idea, and Anna agreed with anything they said
.
She was too scared not to.
Antonio sent her up to pack.
Vinnie showed up to take the bags when she finished. He checked through everything to make sure she hadn’t left any notes or clues. He was pleased when he found nothing.
Her body language also said that she wasn’t hiding anything. He too praised her. She hung her head and followed him down the stairs.
The goodbyes were long, but Antonio wanted to get Anna out of there so he could bed her again. In a motel, he didn’t have to worry about a scream or two, but here he would have had to answer questions.
He couldn’t tell anyone that his girl liked it rough. They would never believe him. She was too quiet otherwise.
He smiled as he sat next to her in the limo heading south, heading home.
“You did very well.” He gazed at her strangely, unable to hide his surprise. Everything had gone better than planned. He could hardly wait to hear what his father would say when he found out that Francesco would be giving Anna away. She hadn’t protested against anything. It had almost seemed too easy.
Anna realized that Antonio had only pretended to be drunk. He was still clear-headed.
Anna nodded and scooted over to the window again. She’d had a reprieve, but now that was over. She stared out the window and watched as the land got dryer. The men spoke to each other.
Anna asked herself over and over again, why her? She wasn’t especially pretty or smart or witty. In fact, he had never even talked to her. He had no idea what kind of personality she had. This wouldn’t work out, and in the end she would pay the price.
The men were laughing, and she heard her name. Antonio’s arm snaked around her and pulled her closer. He was still laughing.
“Do you want to have something to eat? Can I take you into a restaurant? Will you be good for me again?” He was cuddling and shaking her at the same time.
She was trying so hard not to cry. “I’ll be good,” she whispered.
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