Velvet Lullabies

by Natalia Lourose

  “Fine.” Lucian grabbed the sleeve of Adelina’s sweatshirt, pulling her towards the exit.

  “You’re not good for her!” Max shouted from behind them, this time clearer. “She doesn’t need a piece of shit like you, she needs someone to take care of her. Trust me, you’re not it.”

  Lucian stood assessing him, all bravado.

  “Please,” Adelina begged again. “Please don’t hit him.”

  Her eyes were running.

  “Let’s go.” This time he pulled on her sweatshirt harder.

  “Gemma,” she cried. “We can’t leave her.”

  “Nico,” Lucian called to the enforcer that had been following Adelina lately. “Get Miss DelGado home safe.”

  “Can do.” He responded quickly.

  “Hey,” Adelina screeched. “Let me go.”

  Once they were in his Mercedes, being properly chauffeured, he dropped her arm.

  “You can’t drag me around like that just because you’re angry.” She shouted, rubbing her affected arm.

  He looked over at her, accessing the redness he had caused. “I apologize.”

  “Do you apologize for hitting my friend?”

  “No.” He leaned back against the window.

  “Lucian, why?”

  He shook his head. “I saw the way he was looking at you, bella. I don’t want any man looking at you like that.”

  “We’re friends.” She shouted. “We were just singing.”

  “Don’t sing with him anymore.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Dead.” He told her.

  She wanted to scream. This was Theo-like behavior. Telling her where she could and couldn’t be. Who she could and couldn’t talk to. She was no longer under that type of control and she was never going to be again.

  If this is how Lucian really behaves, then she needed an out.

  This wasn’t going to work.

  “Lucian, don’t you think you’re over reacting a little bit?” She reached her left hand forward to touch his thigh, catching herself to late. Lucian grabbed her hand.

  “Where’s your ring?” He asked gripping her hand.

  Her stomach dropped immediately.

  “I, uh,” she stuttered.

  “Adelina.” He rarely called her by her full name.

  “I forgot to wear it.”

  Her friends already thought Lucian was some monster who just waltzed into her life, adding on that they were engaged would have sent them spiraling. Gemma was the only one who knew the truth and Adelina planned on keeping it that way.

  “You forgot to wear it?” she nodded in response. “And then you go and flirt with another man?”

  “Those two things are not connected, Lucian! And we were singing!”

  He dropped her hand. “Where is it?”

  “In my room.”

  “Go to her dorm.” He instructed the driver before turning back to her. “Tell me really, why didn’t you wear it?”

  She bit her lip nervously. “My friends don’t know. I mean, Gemma does, but she’s the only one.”

  His face softened from anger to a look of hurt. “Why?”

  “I didn’t want to explain how we went from dating to engaged in a week.” She looked down at her lap. “That’s not really normal, ya know.”

  Lucian sighed. “I guess you’re right.”

  They drove along in silence for a few minutes before Lucian broke it. “Wear it.” He told her. “We’ll figure out a story to tell your friends.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  “Thank you, bella.” He leaned forward to kiss her temple. “I’m sorry I hurt your friend tonight. I promise he’ll be okay.”

  She glared in his direction. “I’m still mad about that.”

  “I understand.”

  “You can’t just hit people, Lucian.”

  “Well, I beg to differ there.”

  “Lucian.” She scolded.

  “I’m sorry, bella, but you know how I was raised. I’m not about to let any other man touch you or look at you.” He said the words with disgust.

  How he was raised.

  She thought the words over.

  They were all raised like this. She was never going to escape.

  ◆◆◆

  Adelina clicked her freshly manicured finger nails against the desk. It had been four weeks, a whole month, and she still had one of Lucian’s goons sitting in all of her classes with her, and another one out in the hall.

  How was it even possible that this guy not only got into Brown, but was able to get into all of her senior level classes partway into the semester.

  Money.

  Money could literally buy you anything.

  Lucian was in and out of Providence like crazy, the Irish were still at large, and Adelina’s social life was suffering thanks to her body guard’s presence.

  She couldn’t be around her friends without questions about Lucian coming up. She was pretty sure they were beginning to suspect her family is a little dirty.

  Which they are.

  Even so, she liked the anonymity she had at Brown.

  Seven months ago, Adelina wanted her senior year to last forever. To avoid having to get married and move away from the one place that become her sanctuary. Now, she was ready for it to end.

  “Miss DeMarco.” Ren, her new “classmate” gestured to the room that was slowly emptying. Her enforcers never tapped her, never touched her, barely spoke to her.

  “Yeah,” Adelina muttered, “let’s go.”

  The second enforcer, Joe, followed along behind them. Both were silence as they walked back to her dorm. She was ten seconds away from pulling her hair out.

  “Do either of you speak?” she asked, a little louder than she meant.

  Ren looked confused. “Of course.”

  She sighed. None of the goons Vinny had put on her were like this. Roberto taunted her endlessly, constantly threatened to tell on her, and generally made her miserable. These two were linebacker sized mutes. In the four weeks Lucian had them following her, they hadn’t even had one single issue. Not even an Irish sighting.

  “We’ll be out here.” Ren told her when they reached her dorm room.

  “You do that.” She mumbled slamming the door behind her.

  “Secret service still at it?” Gemma asked flipping through an issue of Cosmo.

  “Yep. I’m going crazy.” She dropped her bags on the floor and ran her fingers through her hair. “And, I’m pretty sure they report everything I do to Lucian.”

  Gemma snorted. “Well, they do work for him.”

  “I’m going nuts, Gem.”

  Gemma dropped the magazine. “Let’s go out tonight, blow off some steam.”

  Gemma had been doing better since her mom died. Lately, she’d been acting as if nothing was wrong.

  Adelina gestured to the door where they both knew Ren and Joe were on the other side. “With dumb and dumber following me?”

  “I don’t think they’re dumb,” Gemma mused. “Come on, Ad. Let’s go.” She whined.

  “He’ll just show up and drag me off.” She huffed, laying back on her twin bed.

  “Maybe,” Gemma mused. “Or maybe we could ditch them.” He lips curved upwards into a huge smile.

  That’s a dangerous game, Adelina thought. Ditching the enforcers and having a night out would piss everyone off, but part of her needed some fun so badly she was willing to risk it.

  One night away from Lucian.

  What could go wrong?

  ◆◆◆

  Ultra was packed when Adelina and Gemma arrived, goons in tow. Sweaty bodies pressed against each other on the dance floor as the girls squeezed through the crowd and too the bar. Ultra was a Mafia approved bar, it belonged to Gian, as many of the popular clubs did.

  Adelina felt warm from the shots Gemma had plied her with before the left and she swayed slowly to the music.

  “Two vodka and soda waters!” Gemma shouted to the bartender shoving a limit
less credit card in his face. Gian gave Gemma no restrictions when it came to spending money, as long as she was happy and out of trouble her brother tried not to keep her on a leash.

  Adelina wished Vinny would take a note from Gian’s book.

  Then again, she wasn’t Vinny’s problem anymore.

  She checked her phone.

  Still nothing from Lucian.

  “Here.” Gemma pushed the drink in front of her, simultaneously telling the bartender to keep the tab open. Gemma always paid for their drinks as Adelina’s card was closely monitored by Vinny. She had no money of her own, no bank account to her name. The thought suddenly made her sick.

  She belonged to the Mafia.

  Nothing she had was hers.

  She took a long chug from the drink, inhaling most of it, before slamming it down for a refill.

  “My girl,” Gemma cheered her on.

  The bartender sat another one in front of her. She drank that one down too.

  “So, we dance and then we’ll sneak off to the bathroom and out the window.” Gemma told her smiling.

  If anyone was a pro at sneaking away from over controlling men, it was Gemma DelGado.

  They took to the dance floor, losing themselves in the rhythm, moving their hips in time with the song that blasted through the place.

  “I have to pee.” She told Gemma, the signal to get out of this place.

  Hand in hand they ventured down a back hall to the women restroom.

  Adelina checked herself in the mirror. The drinks already had her filing warm and dizzy, she braced herself against the sink taking a moment to pull herself together.

  “Adelina DeMarco.”

  An unfamiliar voice spoke to her. The reached around her with a cold arm and pressed a rag against her mouth before she had a chance to react or scream. Her body was moving quick enough, paralyzed with fear and drugs.

  Then all she saw was black.

  Chapter Twenty

  People got kidnapped every day.

  This wasn’t unique.

  Especially in Lucian’s line of work.

  But Adelina, Lucian didn’t think he could live with himself if anything happened to her. This was just another reason added to the list of how he couldn’t protect her.

  Hell, maybe he couldn’t protect anyone.

  His stomach was doing somersaults and his heart was beating way to fast.

  He wasn’t used to feeling like this. Normally when something went wrong in his line of work he was the one with the clear head. He could sit back, assess, and plan. But today? Today, he was fucked.

  “Why in the world would you two go out!” Gian scolded his sister. Did he think that was going to help? That maybe they could go back in time and Gemma and Adelina would suddenly know better than to go out clubbing when there were people out there trying to hurt them.

  Because Lucian knew it wouldn’t.

  Maybe he had kept her on to tight of a leash. Or maybe it wasn’t tight enough. Maybe he should have asked Ren for a report every 30 minutes instead of hourly. Maybe then he would have caught this. Maybe then he would have got there sooner.

  He could go on with these thoughts all night. But it didn’t change a thing.

  Adelina was gone.

  How long did he have before they started mailing him body parts? Niall was a gruesome man, and he was still grieving which made this a dangerous conversation.

  Lucian knew one thing though, he was going to get Adelina back.

  “We need a plan.” He slammed his hands down on the table. “And Gian stop yelling at your sister, she made a mistake.”

  Vinny scoffed from the corner. “A mistake that’s going to get my sister killed.”

  Lucian’s eyes snapped up. He was across the room in three quick steps, hands gripped around Vinny’s neck. “Don’t ever fucking say that again.”

  Vinny nodded beneath Lucian’s arms. The man was weak under pressure.

  “We are going to get Adelina back safe. If we don’t, somebody’s blood is going to be spilled. Do I make myself clear?”

  Lucian looked around the silent room where Enzo, Gian, Gio, Gemma, and his men watched.

  “Now somebody come up with a damn plan.”

  ◆◆◆

  The plan was simple.

  They were going to break into the O’Connor warehouse. Not the best plan Lucian had ever concocted, but the best one he had right now.

  If it was anyone else, Lucian would have waited. Created a better plan, scouted the location, conducted more ground work.

  But it was Adelina.

  And the Irish had a grudge and a point to make.

  There was no way he was leaving Adelina with them any longer than he already had.

  So here he was, outside what looked to be an abandoned warehouse in the Southside of Boston’s underbelly with only a few men he trusted by his side.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket. Enzo.

  “Talk to me.” He answered.

  “Liam’s here.” Enzo got to Boston first with a few trusted men from New York and had been scouting the place for a few hours before Lucian arrived with Vinny and the DelGado brothers. Vinny couldn’t be trusted at all in Lucian’s opinion, but the DelGado’s were good men to have on your side. Gian, was a fearless leader and a good shot. And Gio was an expert at getting in and out of places without anyone the wiser.

  As far as plan went, this one was simple because there wasn’t much of one.

  Make sure Adelina was there, then Gio would lead the way in breaking and entering, and Lucian would save her.

  Done.

  “Did he see you?” Lucian asked his brother.

  “Nope. You said Niall was pissed when you met him, right? He hates her?”

  “Him and his sons.”

  “If they have her Luc, this is it. Liam’s come out a few times. No sign of Niall though, but if they want revenge they would do it themselves.”

  Enzo was right. They blamed Adelina for the death Niall Jr. and if they’re going to hurt her, they’re not going to let somebody else do it. They’re going to do it themselves.

  “We go in soon.”

  “She’s there?” Vinny asked as soon as Lucian closed the call.

  “Enzo think’s so.”

  “That’s not good enough.” Vinny snorted.

  Lucian raised his gaze to send Vinny a look. “It is for me.” He grabbed cocked his gun. “We’re not letting them tourer her anymore. If you don’t care to save her, feel free to stay behind. Gio, you’re coming with me.”

  “I think this is a dumb move Luchese.” Vinny grumbled.

  “Well good thing no one gives a fuck what you think.

  “Fuck you, Luchese, she’s my sister.”

  Lucian inhaled deeply. “She my fiancé, DeMarco. It’s your fault she’s in this mess, but I’m going to get her out.”

  Carrying the gun close to his side, Lucian exited the car with Gio close behind.

  There were only two outcomes Lucian could think of.

  1. Save the girl.

  2. Die trying.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Tap.

  Tap.

  Tap.

  “Tell me something, girl. What did you think was going to happen?”

  Adelina’s head felt like it was on fire. The skin around her mouth and nose burned like a bitch, and her temples throbbed with a heartbeat of their own.

  “Tell me.” The voice said again, but she had no energy to look up to it.

  Irish, she thought.

  All this time she thought Lucian was paranoid for wanting to keep her under lock and key. But now, maybe he should have.

  “Look at me.” A rough hand grabbed her chin forcing her eyes to meet the ones belonging to this voice.

  She didn’t recognize the man. He was a tall brute with graying hair and pale skin. Behind him stood another man, this one younger, maybe her age, with chestnut hair and toned muscles peaking from beneath a white undershirt that was spotted with blo
od.

  Adelina immediately began to assess herself. Her hands raked down her body looking for cuts.

  “It’s not yours.” The young one told her seeing the panic on her face. He tapped the bloody bat he was holding again the concrete floor.

  “Wh-whos?” she choked out.

  “The Italians following you.”

  A wave of grief hit her.

  Her enforcers.

  They were put in the middle of this because of her.

  “Girl,” the older one grabbed her face again. “You haven’t answered me.”

  Adelina closed her eyes searching back, what was the question?

  “Why did you do it?” he supplied for her.

  Her mind danced with what he wanted to hear.

  Why was she born into this famiglia? Why was she ever with Theo? Why was his son dead because of her?

  Why did she lie?

  That was what he really wanted to know. Why did she tell this lie that had caused a war between these families? A lie that had now killed countless men.

  This war was her fault. This blood was on her hands. And now, she was going to pay for it.

  “Tell me!” he shouted, this time kicking her in the abdomen.

  She curled onto her side, protecting her sore abdomen. “I didn’t.” She responded. As if it was that simple.

  But to Adelina, it was.

  She never told a single person who beat her.

  Who had kicked her repeatedly.

  Told her she was worthless.

  Cut her skin with a pocket knife.

  Massimo told them.

  ◆◆◆

  The physical pain was nothing.

  It was probably even deserved.

  The bruises and scars were just additions to her collections.

  But the grief, that was going to kill her.

  Knowing what she had done to these men. To her family. To all the lives lost because of her.

  That pain had her shaking, crying, wishing to be dead.

  “Just tell me.” Niall, she had since learned his name, was sitting across from her on the concrete. His face was filled with sadness. He blamed her. “Why did you say it was him.”

  “I didn’t,” she whispered, but he didn’t believe her. Maybe it was her communication, maybe it was because she wasn’t telling him the full story.