by Cora Reilly
“As much as I enjoy chitchatting with you, I need to remember the purpose of why you are here. And that’s to pay back your uncle Dante.”
A flash of fear in those proud eyes. I let my gaze travel the length of her, over her torn and bloody wedding dress.
“We need to send your uncle a message, a nice video of you,” I murmured. I nodded toward Fabiano. “Take her into the basement. I’ll join you in a few minutes.” I wanted to see how he’d react.
Fabiano’s jaw tensed but he gave a terse nod. He grabbed Serafina’s wrist, and she tensed but didn’t fight him, not like she would have undoubtedly fought me. He began to tug her along. She didn’t beg him like I thought she would. Instead, she gave me another disgusted look. She thought she could defy me, thought she could hold on to her pride and anger. I would show her why I had become Capo of the Camorra.
“What are you going to do to her?” Savio asked, trying to sound unfazed, but he wasn’t like Nino and me. He had some humanity left in him.
“What I said. Let her speak a message to her Uncle Dante ... and record some additional material.”
“So you’re going to fuck her for the camera?” Savio asked.
I glanced at Nino, who watched me with narrowed eyes as if he, too, wasn’t sure about my motives. I smiled. “Don’t spoil my surprise. We’ll all watch the video together once it’s done.”
I gave them a nod and headed downstairs. The moment I entered the corridor in the basement, Fabiano stepped out of the last door and closed it. His eyes settled on me. He met me halfway and gripped my arm. I raised my eyebrows.
“Serafina’s virginity can be used as leverage against Dante and Danilo.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Thank you for your input, Fabiano. I am Capo. I’ve thought my plan through. Don’t worry.”
“Have you?” Fabiano muttered, and I brought us nose to nose.
“Careful. You’ve betrayed me for a woman once before. Do not make it a habit.”
Fabiano shook his head. “Fuck. I won’t betray you. I went to Indianapolis with you and kidnapped Serafina. I didn’t hunt down my father like I wanted to. I put her in your fucking cell for you. I am loyal, Remo.”
“Good,” I said, stepping back. “Serafina is my captive, and I decide what happens to her, understood?”
“Understood,” Fabiano said, gritting his teeth. “Can I go to Leona now?”
“Go. I’ll have Simeone watch her cell tonight.”
“He’s a fucking pervert, Remo.”
“He also knows I’ll cut his dick off if he goes against my orders. Now go have fun with your girl while I take care of mine.”
CHAPTER 4
SERAFINA
Fabiano dragged me down a flight of stairs into a basement.
“Fabi,” I said imploringly, tugging at his hold.
“Fabiano,” he growled, not even looking at me as he pulled me through another narrow bare corridor. He seemed furious.
Before I could utter another word, he opened a heavy door and stepped inside a room with me. My eyes darted around. A cell.
My stomach lurched when I saw the toilet and shower in one corner, but even worse when I took in the stained mattress on the floor across from them. Red and yellow stains. Terror gripped me hard, and suddenly I realized what was supposed to happen here.
My eyes flew up to a camera in the corner to my right then back to Fabiano. He was Enforcer of the Camorra, and while my parents had tried to shelter me, Samuel had been more forthcoming with information. I knew what Enforcers did, especially in Las Vegas.
Fabiano scanned my face and released me with a sigh. I stumbled back and almost lost my balance when my feet caught in my dress. “Will you ...?” I pressed out.
Fabiano shook his head. “Remo will handle you himself.”
I froze. “Fabiano,” I tried again. “You can’t allow that to happen. Don’t let him hurt me. Please.” The word tasted bitter in my mouth. Begging wasn’t something I had been taught, but this wasn’t a situation I had ever prepared for.
“Remo won’t ...” Fabiano trailed off and grimaced.
Pushing past my fear, I moved closer to Fabiano and gripped his arms. “If you are unwilling to help me, then at least tell me what I can do to stop Remo from hurting me. What does he want from me?”
Fabiano stepped back, so I had to release him. “Remo hates weakness. And in his eyes women are weak.”
“So I’m at the mercy of a man who hates women.”
“He hates weakness. But you are strong, Serafina.” He turned and left, closing the heavy door and locking me in.
I whirled around, my eyes scanning the surroundings for something I could use against Remo, but there was nothing, and he wasn’t a man who could be beaten in a fight. Strong? Was I strong? It didn’t feel that way right now. Fear pounded in my chest, in every fiber of my body.
My eyes darted to the mattress once more. Yesterday Danilo was supposed to claim me on satin sheets in the holy bond of matrimony. Today Remo would break me on a dirty mattress like a common whore.
I braced myself against the rough stone wall, fighting my rising panic. All my life I had been raised to be proud and noble, honorable and well-behaved, and it didn’t protect me.
The creak of the door made me tense, but I didn’t turn to see who had entered. I knew who it was, could feel his cruel eyes on me.
I peered up at the camera once more. Everything that happened would be recorded and sent to my uncle, fiancé, and father. And worse ... Samuel. I swallowed. They would see me at my worst. I wouldn’t let it come to that. I’d hold my head high no matter what happened.
“Are you ignoring me?” Remo asked from close behind me, and a small shiver shot down my spine.
“Does that ever work?” I said, wishing my voice came out stronger, but it was already a fight forcing those four words out of my tight throat.
“No,” Remo said. “I’m difficult to ignore.”
Impossible to ignore.
“Turn around,” Remo ordered.
I didn’t move, focusing on the gray stone in front of me. It wasn’t only an act of defiance. My legs refused to move. Fear kept me frozen, but Remo didn’t need to know that.
His hot breath ghosted over my neck, and I closed my eyes, wedging my lower lip between my teeth to stifle a sound. “Open disobedience?” he asked in a low voice. His palms pressed down on my shoulder blades, and I almost crumpled under their weight, even though he didn’t put much pressure behind the touch.
“On second thought,” he said gently. “This position works well too.”
The soft clink of a blade being unsheathed made me jump. Remo braced himself to both sides of me, a long dagger in one hand. His chest pressed up against my back. “I’ll give you a choice, Serafina. You can either get out of your dress by yourself or I’ll cut you out of it. What is it?”
I swallowed. I had expected another choice, one Vegas was famous for. A rush of relief filled me, but it was short-lived. I shifted my hand and covered the blade with my palm then curled my fingers around the cold steel.
“If you give me your knife, I’ll cut myself out of my dress,” I bit out.
Remo chuckled. A dark, joyless sound. “You want my knife?”
I nodded, and to my utter shock, Remo released the handle, and I held his dagger by the blade, the sharp edge cutting into my flesh. Remo stepped back, his warmth leaving my body. I stared at the deadly weapon in my hand. Slowly, drawing in a deep breath, I straightened and reached for the handle. I knew Remo hadn’t given me a fair chance. He was playing with me, trying to break my spirit by showing me that even a knife didn’t change the fact that I was at his mercy.
What he didn’t know was that Samuel and I had spent all our lives fighting with each other, like siblings always do, but when he’d become a Made Man, he started working with me on my fighting skills because he knew how our world treated women. He had tried to make me strong, and I was. I knew how to handle a knife, how to defeat
an opponent. But I had never won against Samuel, and he was always careful not to hurt me. Remo was stronger than Samuel, and he would hurt me, would enjoy it. I could not beat Remo in a fight, not even when I had a knife and he didn’t.
Fabiano’s words flashed through my mind. Remo hates weakness. Even if I couldn’t beat Remo, I could show him I wasn’t weak.
“Maybe I should take my knife back since you don’t know what to do with it,” Remo said, almost disappointed. He stepped closer.
In a fluid motion, I turned around and jabbed at Remo while my other hand pulled up my dress. Remo blocked my attack by hitting my wrist. My years of training with Samuel prevented me from dropping the knife despite the sharp pain in my wrist.
A smile crossed Remo’s face, and I released my dress and rammed my fist into his abdomen while I slashed the knife at him once more. The blade grazed his arm and blood trickled down, but Remo didn’t even wince. His smile got wider as he took a step back, completely unfazed.
I lunged at him but got caught in my long skirt. I barreled into Remo and tried to land another deadlier cut. We fell and Remo landed on his back with me on top of him. I straddled him and stabbed at his stomach, but he gripped my wrist with a twisted grin on his face. I tried to force the knife down, but Remo didn’t budge. And then, suddenly, he showed me what it was like when he actually tried fighting back.
He bucked his hips, and before I could react, I landed on my back and Remo was on top of me. I struggled but he shoved my skirt up and knelt between my legs, moving closer until his pelvis thrust against me and I couldn’t use my legs to push him away. His fingers curled around my wrists and he pressed them into the mattress above my head, the knife still in my grasp and utterly useless. He had me pinned under his strong body, completely at his mercy, both of my hands fastened to the ground.
His dark eyes held excitement and a flicker of admiration. For a moment, I felt proud, but then my situation dawned on me. I was on my back, on a dirty mattress, under Remo. He had me where he wanted me from the start.
Fear overpowered my determination, and my body stiffened, my eyes darting to the disgusting mattress under me. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep my panic at bay. Remo regarded me intently. “Let go of the knife,” he murmured, and I did. I didn’t even hesitate.
Be strong.
I swallowed hard, reminding myself of the camera. I’d take my pride to the grave with me. “Just get it over with, Remo,” I said in disgust. “Rape me. I’m done playing your sick game. I’m not a chess piece.”
Remo’s dark eyes wandered over my face, my hair, my arms stretched out above my head. He leaned down, his cruel face coming closer. He stopped when our noses were almost brushing. His eyes weren’t black; they were the darkest brown I’d ever seen. He held my gaze, and I held his. I wouldn’t look away, no matter what he did. I wanted him to see me as I was. Not a weakness, not a pawn, but a human being.
“Not like this, Serafina,” he said. His voice was low and dark, mesmerizing, but it was his gaze that held me captive. “Not like a whore on a stained mattress.” He smiled, and it was worse than any glare or threat.
He brought his mouth down until his lips touched mine lightly, just barely, and yet a current shot through me. “I haven’t started playing, and you aren’t a mere chess piece. You are the queen.” He took the knife and straightened, releasing me in the process. He stood slowly, drawing up to his full height and staring down at me.
“And what are you in this game of chess?” I whispered harshly, still lying on the mattress.
“I’m the king.”
“You aren’t unbeatable.”
His eyes trailed over me until they returned to my face. “We’ll see.” He sheathed his knife. “Now get out of that dress. You won’t need it anymore.”
I sat up. “I won’t undress in front of you.”
Remo chuckled. “Oh this will be fun.” He waited, and I returned his gaze steadily. “The knife it is, then,” he said with a shrug.
“No,” I said firmly, struggling to my feet. I glared at him and reached behind myself, pulling down the zipper with an audible hiss. Never taking my eyes off him, I pulled at the fabric until it finally fell to the ground, a fluffy halo around my feet.
“White and golden like an angel,” Remo mused darkly as he took in every inch of me.
Even force of will couldn’t stop my cheeks from blazing with heat, being exposed like this in front of a man for the first time. Left in nothing but my white garter, white lace panties and a corset, goose bumps rippled across my skin at Remo’s scrutiny.
He bridged the distance between us, and I held my breath. He stopped close to me, dark eyes tracing my face, and he raised his hand, causing me to stiffen. The corner of his mouth twitched. Then his thumb brushed over my cheekbone. I drew back, away from the touch, which made him smile again.
“Virgin bashfulness, how endearing,” Remo said darkly, mocking me. “Don’t worry, Angel, I won’t tell anyone that I’m the first man who saw you like this.”
I glared at him, fighting tears of embarrassment and fury as he bent down, reaching for the dress. “Step back.” I quickly stepped out of the dress, and Remo straightened with the stained fabric wedged under his arm.
He regarded me. “You are a sight to behold. I bet Danilo would have had a boner from merely looking at you. I can only imagine what he feels now, knowing you are in my hands, knowing that he will never get what was promised.”
I shook my head. “Whatever you take, it’ll always be less than what he would have gotten, because I would have given myself to him willingly, body and soul, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You will have to settle for the consolation prize, Remo Falcone.”
Remo moved back slowly, a strange expression on his face. “You should take a shower, Serafina. I will have one of the whores bring you fresh clothes.” He turned and disappeared with a soft click of the door.
The air left my lungs in a whoosh. I wrapped my arms around myself, trembling, trying to keep it together. It had taken considerable effort standing up to Remo, and now everything fell off me in waves of emotion. I stiffened when I remembered the camera, but then I decided it didn’t matter. Remo knew I was terrified of him. My brave front wasn’t fooling him.
REMO
Serafina was everything I’d hoped for and so much more. A queen in my game of chess, indeed. Noble and proud like a queen and arrogant and spoiled like one too. She made me want to break her. Break those white wings. An angel in appearance but one with clipped wings, happy to be grounded, happy to never roam the sky. Content to become the beautiful tamed bird in Danilo’s gilded cage.
I emptied my scotch and hit the bar. Jerry refilled my glass. The whores had gathered at the other end of the bar as far away from me as possible. As usual.
“She’s so beautiful,” the whore who had brought Serafina clothes said to the others.
She was. Serafina was a masterpiece, almost too beautiful. Her golden hair and unblemished skin against the dirty mattress had felt like sacrilege, even to me, and I had committed almost every sin conceivable.
I drank another scotch, considering returning to the basement, to Serafina. Whatever you take, it’ll always be less than what he would have gotten. You will have to settle for the consolation prize.
Her words were an insistent pounding in the back of my head. And fuck, I knew she was right. Taking from Serafina what I wanted wouldn’t feel like a victory. There was no challenge in doing so. She was weaker and at my mercy. I could have her in every way by the morning and be done with it, but it would feel like a fucking defeat. It wasn’t what I wanted. Far from it. I had never settled for a consolation prize. I didn’t want less than what she would have given to Danilo. I wanted more. I wanted everything from her.
I slammed the glass down on the counter and turned to the nearest whore. “In my office. Now.”
She nodded and rushed off. I followed her, already painfully hard. Fucking hard since I’d s
een Serafina in her underwear. Fucking desperate to bury myself in her pussy and rip her innocence from her. I always got what I wanted. I didn’t wait for anything. But if I wanted the ultimate triumph, I would have to try my hand at patience, and it would be the biggest challenge of my life.
The whore perched on my desk but got up when I entered. I unzipped my pants and shoved down my briefs. She knew her cue. We’d fucked before. I often chose her. She got down on her knees as I tangled my hand in her red hair and started fucking her mouth. She took all of me as I thrust into her, hitting the back of her throat, making her gag, but for once it did nothing to sate the burning hunger in my veins. I scowled down at her face, trying to imagine it was Serafina, but the whore regarded me with that fucking submissiveness, that disgusting reverence. No pride, no honor. They all got a choice and chose the easy way, never the hard painful one. They would never understand that nothing could be gained without pain. Weak. Disgusting.
I tightened my hold on her hair, causing her to wince, as I came down her throat. Stepping back, my dripping cock slid out of her mouth. She peered up at me, licking her lips like I had given her a fucking gift. My fingers itched to reach for my knife and slash her throat, relieve her of her pitiful existence.
She lowered her gaze.
“Get up,” I snarled, losing my patience. She scrambled to her feet. “Desk.”
She turned around and bent over the desk, sticking her ass out, then reached behind herself and pushed her skirt up, revealing her naked ass. She parted her legs and braced herself against the desk. No pride. No honor.
I stepped up behind her, pumping my cock, but I was already getting hard again. I reached for a condom, ripped it open with my teeth, and rolled it down my dick. Spitting down in my hand, I lubed my sheathed dick then pressed up against her asshole and began pushing into her. The whore’s knuckles turned white from her grip on the desk. When I was buried up to my balls in her ass, I leaned forward until my chest was flush with her back, and for the first time she tensed. I never got this close to her. I brought my mouth close to her ear as my fingers clamped down on her hips.