by Haley Ladawn
“Truth.” I cleared my throat, looking him dead in his eyes that were masked with lust and something else.
What was it?
“Do you hate me?” His voice had lowered a couple levels, but he held my gaze. “Don’t lie, fiorella.”
My lips twitched into a faint smile as I rolled my eyes. I was surprised by his question, but I didn’t let it show.
“I wouldn’t fuck you, if I hated you.” I paused, deciding on whether I wanted to say the next part. “If I slept with someone I hated, that would make me hate myself, Elliot. I don’t hate you. I hate some of the things you’ve done, but I hate some of the things I’ve done, too.”
I undid his tie slow and carefully, looking up at him through my lashes. He wet his lips while his hands found my waist, spinning me around so quickly that I gasped. My back was to him and my ass was pressed against his very hard cock.
“Truth or dare?” I whispered as his hands traveled down my hips, pulling me closer to him. Swaying my body, I moved against him.
This was a dangerous game, but I wanted to play it so badly.
“Dare,” he finally answered. His strong hand found my throat, putting pressure on my pulse. “Be careful what you ask me to do, fiorella.”
“Thanks for the warning, but I’m not afraid.” I pushed him back slowly as his jaw clenched. Apparently, he liked my hand there. I did, too. “I dare you to put the condom on.”
“Are you sure, gattina?” He was being hesitant again, making me wonder what the hell was going on with him. Was he usually this reluctant with other women he messed around with or was it just me?
I smiled teasingly, caressing his chest lightly. “Put the condom on, or I’ll do it for you.”
“By all means, fiorella.” He handed me the contraceptive.
This is why I don’t play games. I always lose.
“Fine.” I cracked my knuckles, dropping down onto my knees. Taking the condom out of his hand, I went to work on his zipper. His erection strained against his dark slacks, and it made me bite the inside of my cheek. It was about to be free.
Here goes nothing— or everything.
Pulling the zipper down, I was surprised to see his very hard and very naked member spring forward.
Without hesitation, I massaged him in my palms and squeezed hard. He clenched his jaw, giving me a bitter smile. I smirked as I pulled the condom over his tip, extra slowly. He was swollen to the max, so my prolonged touch was driving him wild. I could see the impatient look on his face, and it made my fingers go limp. I wanted to torture him, just like he tortured me.
“Fiorella,” Elliot growled, pulling me back by my hair, so that I was looking up at him. “You have about three seconds before I say fuck the condom, and toss you back onto that desk.”
I didn’t take his threat lightly, so I hurried up and brought the rubber over his twitching length. Then, I did something I wasn’t expecting to do. I kissed his head before taking him all the way into my mouth.
I teased his tip with my tongue, coating him in my warm saliva. Dragging my tongue down the base of his dick, my hands stroked his shaft and then grazed his hips.
“Diol cazzo!” Elliot pushed my hair out of my face, seeming surprised, but more than content with my actions. His fingers roamed against my soft cheeks, then down to my throat, stopping at my cleavage. “Fottermi. Nessuno è perfetto, ma tu sei la cosa più vicina.”
Taking him out of my mouth, I circled my palms up and down his thickening length. He was painfully hard, which caused something to pool between my thighs. I couldn’t understand his husky Italian words, but the way that he was bucking his hips to meet my movements told me all that I needed to know.
“You like it?” It was hard to talk when I could barely breathe, and with him filling my mouth completely, it was hard to get a word out. I bobbed my head up and down, feeling his body start to tense.
“Fuck yes.” His breathing had grown harsh and uneven as his hands tightened around my hair, letting me know that he was close to climaxing. He throbbed inside of my throat as I continued moving my head up and down. “Anche tu mi piaci.”
His body jerked and the condom caught everything expelling from his body. Standing up on shaky knees, I eyed him without blinking. For some reason, I felt like I held some sort of power over him now— like something had changed between us.
“Maybe I’ll do it without a condom next time.” I watched as he removed the rubber and tucked himself back into his pants.
“You will,” he said as a matter of fact, eyeing me from head to toe. “And next time, fiorella, my dick won’t go in your mouth.”
I bent down awkwardly, retrieving what was left of the dress. Stepping inside of it, I pulled it over my shoulders. “So?”
I had no idea I was supposed to do or say next. What did normal people do after situations like this?
“Stop.” He ran his palm across my jaw softly, sweeping his thumb over my bottom lip. “You have something on your mouth.”
I turned my cheek, feeling embarrassed. A second later, he jerked me back by the ends of my hair, urging me to look forward. When I did, I wasn’t prepared for what was waiting on me. He surrounded me completely, taking me into his strong arms.
His lips crashed against mine, like waves against the shore. His tongue traced over my bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth greedily.
That kiss left me breathless and confused as he walked to the door where someone was knocking. I hadn’t even heard the pounding, which concluded that I was in my own little world, with him.
“Who’s there?” he asked before opening the door, officially going back to business mode. “Rispondetemi!”
“It’s Connor!” The giddy voice revealed itself as my ex-boyfriend. For being a soldier in the mob, he had plenty of time to joke around. “Open the door or I’ll kick it in.”
“These are the people I work with.” Elliot shook his head in dissatisfaction. “Go away, idiota, I’m busy.”
“D’Angelo is here.” Connor’s voice instantly sobered up, lacking any sarcasm or humor. “He wants to see you and Lily.”
I straightened up quickly, raising an eyebrow in Elliot’s direction. He brushed me off, not even giving me the slightest glance. Someone wanted to see me?
“Bring him in, now,” Elliot replied dryly as he unlocked the door; somewhat apprehensively. The atmosphere had gone completely cold and silent, making goose bumps overtake my skin.
A moment later, Connor entered the room, followed by a seven-foot shadow that made me shrink down in size. He was wearing a business suit, just like everyone else, but his suit was stained with blood that hadn’t gotten the opportunity to dry yet.
When the man turned around, my heart didn’t just skip a beat, it stopped completely. Every thought in my head came to an absolute standstill as I struggled to stand up straight. My balance was beginning to waver, just like my sanity.
“Lu—”
“Luciano.” He interrupted me, holding out his bare hand. “It’s nice to see you again, sorella.”
Chapter 28: Falling
My brother walked in the room with purpose. My brother who was supposed to be dead.
Adjusting my torn dress once more, I did my best to cover up any naked, exposed skin. This didn’t need to get any weirder than it already was. I was face-to-face with my brother who was supposed to be six feet under the ground.
Before my father disappeared— correction, before he died— he had already managed to screw everything up. He gambled every penny away, borrowed money that he couldn’t pay back, stole from people who barely had anything to give and hurt people who couldn’t defend themselves.
He did too many horrible things to keep track of them all, but I always thought the worst thing he ever did was take my brother away from me. I was a child, too young to comprehend death, but I knew that Lucas was gone and I blamed my father for his sudden disappearance.
“Sister?” Elliot raised his eyebrows, seeming slightly agi
tated. The pleasure I’d given him was completely erased, hidden behind a clenched jaw. “Interesting pet name, but keep it to yourself, yes?”
He paused as he adjusted his loose tie, then quickly added, “Lei è mia e non mi piace condividere.”
Lucas— Luciano— whatever his new name only replied with a twisted smirk. I couldn’t understand how he was smiling at a time like this. “You can rest assured that I don’t want Lily in that way. She’s not my type, trust me.”
In that moment, I was terribly aware of the fact that Elliot had no idea who Luciano was. He didn’t know who Lucas was, or that we shared a relation. They were old friends— possibly business partners— but it was all under the alias of Luciano D’Angelo; not Lucas James.
My brother was hiding something and it was more than just his name. He was living a double life. Still, he was allowing me to see through the thin veil that separated Lucas and Luciano. I knew his secret and I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to tell. Did I even want to tell?
My loyalty didn’t lie with anyone, not even to the man that I almost lay with.
Lucas was family, but Elliot was something else. I couldn’t say that he was a friend, but I wouldn’t say that he was an enemy either.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I heard Lucas begin speaking in Italian. He even had a thick lilt to go with it, leaving no trace of his American roots behind. He spoke the language perfectly, like he’d known it his entire life.
“I see, amico,” Elliot said as he poured some alcohol into two crystal glasses. I knew neither of them were for me, but I really wanted a drink. I was going insane, wondering what the hell was going on between the two of them.
Elliot handed Lucas one of the glasses and then waved his palm at him. “Go on then. You came here for a reason, no?”
“Sì.” Lucas nodded, turning his tall frame to face me. He seemed so different from the boy that I remembered him to be. He was much older now, probably in his late twenties, or early thirties.
The only thing that gave him away was the scar on the right side of his face. Our father sliced him in the face with a broken beer bottle when we were children. He got that mark trying to protect us.
“I’m Luciano.” He extended a hand that I neglected to take. “I’m the assassin who killed your father. Would you like to thank me now or later?”
I stared at him blankly, consumed by my own racing thoughts. It was starting to make sense now. For the last ten years of my life, I thought that my father killed my brother, but it was my brother who murdered my father.
Either way I looked at it, I came from a family of killers. Maybe Elliot and I weren’t so different after all.
“Don’t look so upset, kiddo!” Lucas beamed, keeping up the façade perfectly. I hadn’t even realized that I was frowning. All I felt was a severe numbness. “It was a mercy killing. I didn’t get paid much thanks to some people.”
“A million dollars for scum like Sylvio James is more than enough.” Elliot downed his drink in one swift motion. “Now, tell me, why are you interested in his daughter?”
“I should be asking you the same thing, shouldn’t I?” Lucas grinned, sipping on his own drink. “Call it sadistic, but I like to keep up with the families affected by my hits. You know, see how they’re doing and everything.”
“How do you think they’re doing? You killed one of their loved ones,” Elliot replied sarcastically, narrowing his eyes at my brother.
“You’re right, yes, it’s usually sadness and depression.” His hazel eyes lit up, like he was talking about something that he truly treasured. “But sometimes, people go off the deep end and that’s the exciting part. They let their grief overtake them, and they do crazy things. They drink, they party, they do drugs— they hurt themselves in every way possible— and then sometimes, they even hurt other people. It’s beautiful destruction at its finest, and I like to watch the tragic events unfold.”
His words struck me the wrong way; in the worst way. He sounded like our father; who was also attracted to disasters. If Lucas was anything like our father, one thing was for certain, something horrible was going to happen.
“Excuse us, fiorella.” Elliot’s eyes settled on my face, almost like he was seeing right through me. His gaze wasn’t accusing, though, it was intriguing. He gave me a wry grin; one that could only be described as delectable and dangerous. “I’ll find you later, okay?”
He grabbed me by the shoulder, pulling me to the side of the room away from all other listening ears. For the first time in forever, I felt like he was about to tell me something important. Something that was only meant for us.
Elliot tucked a strand of my soft hair behind my ear, where his lips rested near my throat. He wasn’t kissing me, but it probably looked like it to other people. His fingers moved along my exposed skin as he leaned into me slowly. He cleared his throat and then wet his dry lips with his tongue.
“I very much enjoyed your mouth around my cock, but now I need those pretty, little lips of yours sealed shut, yes?” His eyes trailed down my face as he fingers brushed against my still swollen lips. “Lock your lips and throw away the fucking key, gattina.”
“What are you talking about?” I questioned, furrowing my brows.
“Don’t trust me, ever,” he whispered into my ear, his warm cheek brushing against my own. The dark stubble on his jaw caused me to bite my lip as I absorbed the feel of his body next to mine. “I may kiss you now, but I’ll kill you later.”
With those distinct words, his lips met mine in a slow, tender motion. His lips were soft against mine, holding their place for a long, drawn-out moment. I whimpered, not because this was a kiss of strong desire or passion, but because it almost felt like a kiss goodbye.
“Trust your instincts, not me, fiorella.” He pulled away all too quickly, leaving me completely frazzled. “Do you understand?”
I nodded apprehensively, wondering what his sudden confession really meant. I didn’t have time to ask, though, as he ushered me to the door in a steadfast motion.
For some reason, he wanted me gone. I wasn’t so sure that this was about me not trusting him, but more about him not trusting me.
“Do you know what trust and promises both have in common?” He quietly asked, looking toward the ground. All I could see were his eyes that were speckled with gray.
“No?” I raised my eyebrows as I shook my head back-and-forth.
“They’re both easily broken.”
“Just like my heart,” I murmured as he closed the door behind me, leaving me completely alone.
Somehow, I felt more vulnerable now than I ever had with him. I felt powerless to whatever was going on between us.
I waited outside of his office for a while, but I quickly realized that the door wasn’t going to open anytime soon.
For the first time in days, I was left alone in my own solitude. Still, the thought of escaping hadn’t even crossed my mind while I was sitting in front of that door. Not a single time.
My brother was here, my best friends were here. Maybe I belonged here, too.
“Look who sucked her very first lollipop!” A familiar voice echoed through the hall, causing me to cock my head to the side. Before I knew it, Connor and Elisa were right in front of me. Elisa looked thrilled, while Connor only looked down on his phone with his earphones in.
Whatever he was watching; it had to be interesting. He was focused, like he was watching something important.
“What?” I raised my eyebrows, feeling more than confused.
“You keep touching your lips.” She pointed to my face knowingly, causing my cheeks to redden with embarrassment.
“My mouth is just sore,” I reputed defensively, folding my arms across my breasts.
“Yeah, it’s sore from sucking the life force out of Elliot’s dick.” She laughed, continuing down the intertwining hall. “You’re a terrible liar! I hope you realize that.”
If she could tell I was lying about something so small, I wondered if Ell
iot knew I was lying about something so big.
Maybe I wouldn’t have to tell him my secrets. Maybe he already knew them all. It would explain what he said to me about trust, that it was easily broken.
“Fuck!” Connor screamed at the top of his lungs, causing me to jump ten feet into the air. “I accidentally clicked the share button on Pornhub!
“Um—”
“Now, all of my Facebook friends are going to know the freaky shit I’m into!” He threw his phone against the wall, completely shattering it.
“There’s only one thing you can do now.” I nodded solemnly. “You’ll have to fake your death again.”
He smiled wickedly. “I heard Elisa say that you finally sucked Elliot’s lollipop. Is that true?”
“I’m not answering that.” I furrowed my eyebrows, my cheeks growing redder by the minute.
Connor smiled genuinely, seeming to calm down from his angry tangent. “So, do you like him?”
“I don’t know?” I answered honestly, struggling to find the right words. It was too complicated of a situation, and I didn’t know where to begin. “I mean, I know I don’t hate him.”
“Then, there it is.” He tilted his head, eyeing me from head to toe. “He’s given you multiple reasons to hate him and you don’t. You’re either really stupid, or you’re really forgiving.”
“I never claimed to be smart…” I smiled and this time it was sincere.
“Neither did me…” Connor’s hands found my waist as he pulled me closer to him. Before I could even register what was going on, his lips were pressed against mine. His wet tongue parted my lips as his hands wrapped around the nape of my neck, holding me there. When I tried to pull away, he only pushed himself further onto me.
This wasn’t anything like Elliot’s kiss. This was rugged and forceful. He wasn’t just kissing me, he was hurting me.
“What are you—?”
His left hand covered my mouth; while the other pulled me back by the ends of my hair. I didn’t even get to look him in the eyes before I saw the syringe. I couldn’t do anything, but watch as it pierced my flesh. The sting of the sharp needle made me feel disoriented.