Mafia Princess

by Bella J.

  He shrugged, completely unaffected by my refusal. “Well, it’s either the dress, or you get married naked. Either way is fine by me. Although I’d prefer you naked, since that would make it so much easier afterward.”

  “Make what easier?” I had no idea why I asked that stupid question, since I already knew the goddamn answer.

  A smug grin appeared on his face. “Well, we consummate our marriage, of course.”

  My knees went weak, and I trembled as panic flared up inside me like a disease. The thought of him touching me again, claiming me, moving inside me, made me sick to my stomach. There was no way I’d survive it.

  “Enzio, please don’t do this,” I pleaded as a tear slipped down my cheek. “I’m begging you.”

  With sheer determination beaming from his dark eyes, he walked toward me, and with every step he took, I felt a piece of my soul wither away.

  When he stopped, there were only a few inches of distance between us. He slanted his head and studied my face, staring at me like I was his most prized possession.

  “It’s already done, little lamb. It’s all arranged. We’ll be married within the hour.”

  I gasped as my entire world crashed down around me. An hour? A fucking hour?

  He wiped a tear from my face with his thumb and placed his finger in his mouth, sucking off the moisture like he was relishing the taste of my pain. And then his eyes turned black, every contour of his face painted with lust and desire.

  “I’m starting to think I don’t want to wait until we’ve said our vows before I claim you again.” He grabbed my hand and forced it against his crotch, making me feel how hard he was. “Feel that? That’s all you, little lamb. That’s what you do to me, so maybe I should give it to you right now.”

  I yanked my hand out of his. “Stay the fuck away from me.”

  Enzio jerked forward and wrapped his hand around my throat, pushing me harder against the wall. “What did I say about you talking to me with respect?”

  I grabbed at his hand squeezing around my neck. “Enzio—”

  “Do you want to beg? Do you want to beg me not to touch you?” He leaned forward, his cold lips hovering over mine. “Do you want to beg me not to kiss you?” With a vile stroke of his tongue, he licked all the way over my chin and lips, my insides coiling tight. “Do you want to beg me not to flick my tongue all around your slick pussy until I can taste your cum on my lips?”

  “Please…” I could hardly get the word out with his fingers tightening around my throat.

  “Maybe I should just fuck you now, get it over with. After you’ve felt me between your legs once more, you’ll forget all about that cocksucker detective.”

  With a violent jerk, he let go of my neck and took a step back. I coughed and gagged, my body desperate for air.

  “But I have a better idea. Take off your clothes.”

  I was still gasping, my throat burning with every breath.

  “I said, take off your clothes.”

  I couldn’t move. My feet were frozen to the spot. And then his arm swept through the air before the back of his hand lashed against my cheek, sending me straight to the ground. I cried out as I tasted my own blood.

  Enzio towered over me as I lay helplessly on the floor before him. “When I tell you to do something, you do not fucking hesitate. Get the fuck up, and take off your clothes. Or would you like me to rip them off you?”

  Dark, menacing eyes glared down at me, and all I could do was listen. Obey. Submit. The metallic taste of blood was proof enough that I would not survive otherwise.

  Slowly, I pushed myself off the floor, my knees shaking beneath me. My body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, my gut nothing but concrete. And as I started to unbutton my blouse, soft sobs escaped over my lips.

  Enzio moved back, his gaze fully focused on my hands. “You’re making me wait. I’m sure you can get undressed faster than that.”

  Shaking and shivering, I pulled the blouse off my shoulders before removing my skirt, allowing it to pool around my feet.

  “Hold up.” Enzio came toward me, and I froze. “I want to do this part.”

  Please don’t touch me.

  As he lifted his hands, I closed my eyes, bracing myself for what was to come. The second he cupped my breasts in his hands, I bit the inside of my mouth, wishing I could somehow leave my body. With every second that passed, I died a little more.

  “Your tits are so much bigger than I remember.” He squeezed hard, and I turned my face, my eyes closed while my body rejected his touch in every way. It was like poison, slowly infecting me, killing me, destroying the woman inside me.

  I felt his hands move, and he pushed the cups of my bra to the side, exposing my breasts.

  “Jesus fucking Christ. Your tits are exquisite.”

  “Please stop this, Enzio. Don’t do this to me.”

  He brushed his knuckles across my nipples. “I just want to give you what you want, little lamb.”

  I opened my eyes and turned to face him. “This is not what I want.”

  Like an animal, he pushed me back against the wall, air rushing out of my lungs.

  Demon-possessed eyes glared at me. “You don’t know what the fuck you want. And frankly, right now, I don’t care what you want.” He bit into his bottom lip before cursing under his breath. I watched him, too afraid to think about what his next move would be. Every bone inside my body quivered with fear.

  Enzio took a few breaths, his chest rising and falling. It seemed as if he was trying to calm himself. “Just a few more hours,” he muttered to himself. “I just need to wait a few more hours, and in the eyes of God, I will fuck you as my wife.”

  Jesus Christ, help me.

  He turned and headed toward the door, but not before glancing over his shoulder.

  “Just think about it. We’ll be one again before the clock strikes midnight. I look forward to it.”

  The second he closed the door and I heard the lock, I crumpled to the floor. I wanted to scratch and claw at my own skin to remove the filth his touch had left behind. My body no longer felt like my own. It was just a shell, and my soul was trapped inside. The worst part, after tonight, there would be no escape. He would own me…in every way possible. Fear was now my only companion, the only emotion I’d feel for the rest of my life.

  Images of Lorik bombarded my mind, taking my pain, morphing it into an excruciating ache I felt deep within every bone. He came like a hurricane and swept me off my feet, making it impossible for me to ignore the extreme impact he had on my soul. But that was all over now. Never again would I experience the intense fire by a simple touch. Never again would I know how it felt to be made love to. It was all over for me. Happiness was no longer written in my destiny. I chose Enzio years ago, wanted to be with only him. This was me getting what I thought I wanted…in the most sordid, twisted way.

  There was a knock on the door, and I lifted my head off the floor.

  “You have ten minutes,” Enzio said, and I heard his footsteps as he walked down the hall. How is that even possible? It felt like I had been on the floor for no longer than five minutes.

  Pulling together all the strength I had left inside me, I pushed myself off the floor and worked my hands through my tangled hair, staring at the white dress waiting for me on the bed. It was nothing spectacular. It was nothing more than a white cocktail dress. Obviously, it was a last-minute purchase, but I couldn’t care less. In fact, if it had been an extravagant gown, it would have made this entire situation even more ridiculous—a fucking joke.

  As I reached down and felt the embroidered fabric, gliding my fingers over the soft pearls, I realized the only way I could get through this was by compartmentalizing. I had to sort through my emotions, suppress the pain, and feed the hatred. The only way I would be able to survive was to harden myself—to not feel anything.

  Compartmentalize.

  Like a robot, I slipped the white dress on and pulled the zip up on the side. I wasn’t surprised
it fit perfectly. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Enzio.

  Turning, I caught my reflection in the mirror. It was amazing how within the span of a few hours I’d become nothing but a shadow of my true self. I guessed that was what reality did to a person, when you realized you had no future. It ripped everything good out of you in the blink of an eye. My hair was a mess, my face red and tearstained. My tears had washed off every trace of makeup, the bags under my eyes proof of the heartache I’d be carrying for the rest of my life.

  Compartmentalize.

  Well, he wanted me to wear the damn dress, and that was what I was doing. But I wouldn’t fix my hair, and I wouldn’t fix my goddamn face. This is what he turned me into, so this was what he would have to live with.

  The click of the lock resounded through the bedroom, vibrating down my spine. The door opened, and I turned to face who I knew would be standing on the other side.

  “Enzio,” I whispered when I noticed him staring at me with a smug, victorious grin on his face.

  His gaze slithered down my body and back up to my face. “You couldn’t fix your hair? Your face?”

  I shrugged, trying my best to keep my shoulders straight. “I figured you should get used to this image, since this is what you’ll have to look at for the rest of your life.”

  He held out his arm like a fucking gentleman. “Oh, do not fool yourself, Karina. You’ll look your best whenever it’s required, and you will act exactly as would be expected from the wife of a very powerful, wealthy man.”

  I suppressed a snort, a laugh, a sarcastic remark that would tell him exactly what I thought about this powerful, wealthy man image he portrayed. He was nothing more than a poor excuse for a man.

  I caught him glancing at my bare feet. “Yeah, you forgot the shoes,” I sneered.

  “No, actually, I didn’t. I want you to get used to your new role as my wife.”

  “So, what, I’ll be your barefoot wife?”

  He peered down at me, his eyes beaming with satisfaction. “Barefoot…and pregnant.”

  Chapter 23

  LORIK

  Dante drove, speeding like a maniac. Antonio had been typing on his phone, glancing at it every five seconds. I’d been going out of my goddamn mind sitting in the back seat of Dante’s car, unable to do anything but wait for us to get wherever the hell we were going. After Dante stormed out of the house and jumped into his car, he kept on talking about a beach house, and that since Enzio was one twisted motherfucker, it only made sense he would take her back to where it all began.

  The second he pulled into an unfamiliar driveway, I was out the door and running up the stairs.

  “Lorik, wait!” Dante called after me. “You can’t just rush in there unprotected.”

  I grabbed my gun and pulled it from the holster. “You thought I’d come here without a gun? I plan on killing this motherfucker…tonight.”

  Antonio and Dante raced up the stairs behind me, and I pushed down the door handle. Locked. Fuck.

  I scanned the house and spotted a window to the right. Without thinking twice, I tore a piece of fabric off my shirt, wrapped it around my fist, and smashed it through the glass.

  “Someone would have heard that,” Antonio said behind me, but I ignored him, smashing more glass so we could climb through the window without getting carved into pieces.

  I went first, holding my gun at the ready, ready to shoot any fucker who got between me and my mission of saving Karina from this goddamn psychopath.

  With precision and stealth, I moved down the halls without making a fucking sound, Antonio and Dante close on my heels. Soft lights on the back porch caught my eye, and I slowly moved through the house, the sound of voices getting clearer and louder the closer I got. I no longer had a heartbeat. What I did have was a giant jackhammer in my chest wrecking through my motherfucking ribs. Every part of me that ever longed to believe in a God was praying Dante was right about this, that they were here…and that we were not too late.

  A few soundless steps brought me to the edge of the hall, right in front of an open sliding door…and I saw her standing at the edge of the porch with that son of a bitch next to her. Their backs were turned to us, and I could see the head of a person peeking out from in front of them, and a few bodyguards scattered around them. Only then did I notice the white dress she was wearing, and the daunting thought that we might already be too late.

  I launched forward and aimed my gun.

  “Let her go!”

  Karina and Enzio both jerked around, and within a split second I had about ten guns aimed at my forehead. But when I saw Karina’s face contorted in pain, her eyes red and weeping, I didn’t give a flying fuck that I’d probably have twenty bullets lodged in my skull within the next two minutes. The sight of her made me want to skin Enzio alive…and fucking slowly.

  “Lorik.” She breathed my name like it was a prayer on her lips, and my heart broke into a million goddamn pieces.

  “Detective Stone,” Enzio started before gesturing to his bodyguards to back up. “Did you come to join the festivities? To congratulate us?”

  “Fuck you.” I held my hand out to her, still aiming the gun directly at Enzio. “Come here, princess.”

  Just as she started toward me, Enzio stepped forward. “Karina, should I remind you what’s at stake here?”

  She froze.

  Jesus.

  “Karina. Don’t listen to him. Come to me.”

  She closed her eyes, and more tears streamed down her cheeks.

  Oh, no, I’m losing her. I’m fucking losing her…I can see it.

  “Karina, don’t do this.”

  She didn’t move, and a chill spread through my body, the hair on the back of my neck standing up. “Karina?”

  “I can’t,” she whispered while she remained still, a doleful expression on her face. My pulse echoed inside my head, panic twisting my gut in a vise.

  “Karina, you can. Just trust me.”

  Dante and Antonio moved up behind me with four guns aimed at the crowd in front of me. They remained silent while I kept my eyes locked on Karina. “Don’t let him do this. So, you made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes.”

  “But mine will destroy my father.”

  “No, it won’t.”

  Everyone’s attention turned toward the strong, heavy voice. Lorenzo Valenti.

  “Daddy?” Karina said softly.

  “I know, bambina. I know everything.”

  What the fuck was he doing here?

  I glanced at Antonio and knew it was him. That was why he was on his phone on our way over here, informing the big boss about everything that was about to go down.

  “Daddy, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know—”

  “Shhh.” Lorenzo walked toward her, the authority and confidence that oozed out of him claiming everyone’s attention. “I understand. What I don’t understand is how you could even think I would rather you marry this bastard than have the truth out there for the world to see.”

  All I could do was watch while Karina cried, her sorrow weeping out of her soul.

  “I want to see you happy, bambina. And I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like my pride and our values are more important than your happiness.”

  “Daddy—”

  Enzio moved, and I caught a glimpse of the gun he pulled from his back. The pull of my trigger, the boom of the shot, and the crimson that seeped through his chest happened within the blink of an eye.

  Lorenzo grabbed Karina and pulled her down to the ground, covering her with his body while Antonio and Dante rained down a storm of bullets. Bodies fell, and I stared at the Valenti brothers, who stood next to each other like the fucking Boondock Saints.

  I glanced down at Enzio. He was on the ground, his blood pooling around him. My ears rang, my heart pounded, and the only thought that ran through my mind was…she’s safe.

  I was frozen on the spot, everything around me on mute. It was only when I felt two arms wrap around my neck and a warm,
soft body against mine that I was able to shake the haze.

  “Lorik.” Karina’s sweet voice filled my ears, and relief flowed through me like a stream of fucking living water. Dear God, she was safe. She was safe, and that was all that mattered.

  I dropped my gun and wrapped my arms around her waist, pressing her harder against me. My fingers weaved through her dark curls, and I inhaled, wanting her sweet vanilla and honey scent to consume me.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  I pulled away and looked at her. “Did he hurt you? Touch you in any way?”

  “I’m fine.” She wiped away a tear with the back of her hand.

  Again, I pulled her against me and buried my face in her neck, kissing her soft skin. Relief had never felt so good, so liberating.

  “It’s over, princess,” I murmured.

  “Why am I not surprised to find you here where all the shit is going down?”

  I looked up to see Anderson standing by the sliding door with his hands on his hips.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked, surprised to see him.

  He walked closer and glanced at Lorenzo. “I had a friend call in a favor.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You? You’re—”

  He nodded. “Yes. I’ve been working with the Valentis for twenty years.”

  “Which is why you were so sure they weren’t behind the drugs and kidnappings,” I said with my arm still tightly wrapped around Karina’s waist.

  Anderson stepped in next to Lorenzo. “This man gave me what our legal system couldn’t. Justice.”

  Holy shit, my head was spinning. “What are you talking about?”

  “Twenty years ago, my sister’s seven-year-old daughter went missing. Her body was found a few days later in a dumpster. There was no evidence of what happened to her, or who did it, until an anonymous tip came through that little Alison had been seen at the house of a local police officer.” Anderson pulled his hand through his hair, his cheeks pale. “Naturally, the investigation went nowhere. The precinct didn’t need that kind of scandal. After months of pleas, and numerous attempts to have this man at least questioned, I had no choice but to ask for help.” He swallowed hard. “I had no choice but to ask the Valenti family for help. Lorenzo agreed to investigate. And as it turned out, the anonymous tip was right, only everyone refused to believe it. No one wanted to believe a cop, sworn to uphold the law and to make the residents of Boston feel safe, was actually a child murderer. Unable to live with the thought of knowing this man would never pay for his crime, I asked the Valentis to give Alison the justice she deserved by making this man pay with his life. And in turn, I would be in their debt until my last breath.” He turned toward Lorenzo. “A debt I would gladly pay over, and over, and over again.”