Alessio "It’s only me." I hold up my hands.She draws in a breath, "Alessio?" Her hushed voice shudders across my skin, and a shiver runs down my spine. My nerve endings pop. The blood drains to my groin as I lean forward in my seat."How are you feeling?""A little dazed," she yawns, then looks around the room, "Where am I? What happened?" She runs her fingers through her hair. "One moment you were kissing me, the next moment, I think I blacked out…""You were out for a little while," I concede."Why are you sitting in darkness?" I sense rather than see her scowl. She reaches over, flicks on the light next to the bed, then winces. She blinks her eyes as her eyesight adjusts, then glances over at me. "You going to tell me what happened?" She folds her arms about her waist.I rise up to my feet and walk over to her. Sink down next to her on the bed. Reach for her, but she pulls away."Oh, no," she shakes her head, "no, no, no." She throws up her hands. "Keep your distance, buster…""O
Violet"What do you mean, you chipped me?" I rub Andy’s head. He’s stopped feeding and proceeds to curl himself in my arms. Aww, sooo cute. A melting sensation coils in my chest. Just a few hours after I told him that I wanted a cat, he got me one. Not to mention, that Andy Warhol book, which was, like, totally unexpected. Okay, so he has more money and power than anyone else I’ve met in my life, but still… It means something that he noticed my tastes enough to actually buy me things which reflect who I am. No one else has done that before. Maybe Nina … I suppose, but she is my sister. She is supposed to know these things. This man, however, is practically a complete stranger, and in a few weeks, he has really gotten to know me well on so many levels, he—hang on a bloodysecond.I whip my head around to face him. "You chippedme, chipped me?"He nods."You…" I bite the inside of my cheek, "you put a GPS tracker in me?"He nods again."Holy shit." I glance around the kitchen, find a baske
Violet "What?" I scowl, "Say it.""That he’s afraid for your safety. That he’d do anything to protect you. That he doesn’t want you out of his sight. That he wants to make sure that if, for whatever reason, you are separated from him, he’ll know where to find you.""Ha," I scoff. "All this is just a power play. It probably turns him on to know that he can do anything with me. That he could even…even…put a bloody tracker on me so he’ll know exactly where I am every minute of every day.""And you like that?""What?""That he’s so…focused on you. That all of his attention is targeted on you."I flush. Honestly, there’s a part of me that revels in it…but damn, if I am going to admit that aloud. "Frankly, I don’t care for it. Especially not, if it means that he virtually has me on a leash here… Besides, it’s wrong. Can’t you see that? You don’t go around tagging another human being just because of your own insecurities.""You’re right," her shoulders slump. "It’s not the ‘done’ thing. But
Alessio I was in the office with my brothers ,We were having some dumb discussions about Family Tailors ,They said it was rare for me to wear jeans ,I was only fond of wearing cloth pants ,"You hate being dressed in anything except formal pants, and that too, only made by our family tailor." Alessandro shuffles his feet while speaking to me ."These are stitched by our family tailor." I glance around at their faces again."Porca miseria.These aren’t stitched by our family tailor?"Fabian shakes his head, "Sadly not,fratellone. They’re off the shelf,Levi’s."I wince. How the hell had I gotten hold of them? How the hell do I even own a pair? "I had no idea…" my voice tapers off. "It’s only jeans." I scowl at Alessandro, "It’s not like it’s the end of the world.""To quote you,fratellone," he smirks, "wearing jeans is the end of the world."I glower at him and he raises his hands, "At least, that’s what you said not too long ago.""Merda,"I run my fingers through my hair, "I’ll fix it.
Violet I’d asked the doctor if she had changed her mind about helping me and she had said, of course, not. That she’d do everything in her power to help me. And somehow, it had been the way that she’d said it, how she had avoided looking at my eyes when she said it, that had caused me to mistrust her. Something was up with her. Maybe she was getting cold feet, or an attack of conscience. Or perhaps, she had realized she could not go up against the Capo. Either way, I wasn’t waiting around to find out. She had told me that she needed to access a few more things to run some more tests on me, and that’s when I had decided, no way, was I going to stick around to find out what those tests involved. Likely, she was going to tell the Capo that I was planning on escaping. I had been sure of that. So, when she’d left the room, I had promptly pulled my clothes and shoes back on and rushed to the window.The ground hadn’t seemed too far, until I had jumped, that is. I had landed with a thump t
AlessioShe sinks down onto the floor of the bathroom next to the commode. I place the wet cloth on her forehead, "How are you feeling?"I had brought my wife home from the hospital two days ago, and since that vomiting bout at the hospital bathroom she hasn't stopped puking."How do you think?" She scowls back at me, before launching up again on her knees and hanging over the bowl. When she finishes retching, she collapses against the wall. "I am dying," she groans, "I am never going to make it through the next few months."I flush away the evidence of her being sick, then gently pat her mouth, "The doctor said the morning sickness should fade by the end of the first trimester.""Considering I am only a few weeks along, that doesn’t comfort me very much." She scowls, "Besides, I don’t trust him or his diagnosis."When Aurora’s role in my wife’s escape had emerged, I’d wanted to make her pay for it. I’d come very close to pulling my gun on her, except Fabian had stepped in. He’d insis
VioletI rub Andy’s forehead and he purrs, then snuggles closer into my chest. When Isabelle had arrived with him, I had been so damn happy that I had almost shed a tear. I glance up as the door to my bedroom opens. After that last conversation of ours, I’d told Alessio that I preferred to stay separately from him. He hadn’t seemed happy about it, but he hadn’t pushed it either. Maybe he thought it was best not to push me further in the condition I am in. Of course, he’d insisted that Isabelle check in on me every hour to make sure I was okay and, while it’s annoying, I’ll take that any day over having to sleep next to him at night. He hovers at the threshold of the room, glances about the space before his gaze finally alights on mine. "May I come in?" he asks and I blink.What the—? Did he just ask my permission?"Umm… Excuse me?" I blink rapidly, "I don’t think I heard that right."He flushes, then draws himself up to his full height, "I asked if I can come in?""If I say no, would
Alessio I walked into the room to find beauty and fabian glancing in my direction, and the expression on her face is laced with guilt. I prowl toward her and she tips up her chin. "Were you talking about me, Beauty?" I murmur and she huffs."My every conversation is not about you.""What were you two talking about, then?""None of your business.""Everything about you is my business," I pause in front of her, "and you’d do best not to forget that."Fabian clears his throat, and I shoot him a sideways glance."We were discussing the Christmas bash," he explains."Is that right?" I turn to her, "That what’s got you tied up in knots, huh?""Exactly," she snickers, "Iam the one tied up in knots." She exchanges a glance with Fabian who chuckles."She’s been worried about finding a DJ for the party. It’s why I offered my services.""You’re going to DJ?" I scowl."Sure," he raises a shoulder, "it’s no biggie. I did it at many of the parties during my university days.""And here I thought y