12. Aurora
Chapter 12
Aurora
U nfocused, I stare at the wall in front of me, vaguely aware of the intricate gold floral pattern on the dark forest-green wallpaper. A heavy weight rests on my chest, making every breath harder than the last. I know that I should take off my dress and wash away the gore covering my face and body, but I can’t move. Every fiber of my being is frozen. What makes it worse is the never-ending loop playing in my mind of the ma?tre d' and his lifeless stare as blood poured from the hole in his head.
He was an innocent man .
In a split second, he no longer exists in this world. He was just doing his job and now he’s gone. Who’s going to break that news to his family? Did he even have one? Oh God, what about the other diners? I close my eyes to ease the ache behind them, but all it does is transport me back to the restaurant. Memories of screams of terror mix with the echo of heavy gunfire, but instead of it being crystal clear, it’s muffled, like I’m underwater.
What is all of this death and destruction even for?
My eyes fly open and I blink rapidly, glancing around the room for an anchor to keep me in the moment. Rushing out a breath, I try in vain to focus my mind. Nothing is making any sense. If what Romeo said about my father being behind the attacks is true, then he wants Romeo and his family dead and he’ll take out whoever gets in his way.
Even if it’s his own daughter.
Why would he do this?
My parents split up when I was just a kid, but from everything my mom told me, my dad was loyal and loved us with his whole heart. It’s why he walked away when I told him to. No matter how much I convince myself that he made a choice, I know it was one I forced upon him. His life or mine . I’d spent the better part of the evening begging him to walk away from the mafia, but he told me that wasn’t an option. That they’d kill him if he tried to leave. And his sacrifice was all for nothing, because Romeo Bianchi has pulled me back into the life that I’ve tried so hard to stay out of.
I flinch when the door to the bedroom flies open, banging on the wall behind it, as a half-naked Romeo charges in. The exposed muscles and veins in his neck strain against his skin and dark, cold eyes meet mine. For the first time since Daniele left me in this room, I move, taking a step back.
Is this when he’s going to kill me?
I see the moment he pulls himself from whatever trance he is in. Some of the tension seems to ease out of his body, the muscles in his bare torso rolling and releasing. A tattoo of a lion's head takes up pride of place over his pecs, leading to his solid abs. It’s a majestic animal, teeth bared and the implied sound of its roar all too clear. There are other tattoos covering his body, but they don’t draw my focus away.
Romeo strides across the room, purpose in every step he takes. I’m no longer afraid. Whatever he plans to do, I’d rather he just get it over with. His fingers wrap around my wrist, sending jolts of electricity up my arm at the contact. I’m powerless to resist him when he tugs me toward another door. Still in the stupid heels, I stumble over my feet before he steadies me with a hand on my hip, spreading the warmth of his touch to my core. For the first time since we got back from the restaurant, I feel something .
I squint as Romeo leads me into the bathroom. The brightness of the overhead lights is an assault on my eyes. A huge window behind the bath overlooks the garden and although it’s pitch-black outside, the lack of privacy is still there. White marble tiles cover the walls and floor, with a walk-in shower along the far wall.
Releasing his hold on me, Romeo walks to the shower, turning it on. I wrap my hands around my waist, trying to keep the shivers from jolting my body. How is it possible to feel so much and so little at the same time?
Neither of us speaks and I’m not sure I could force a coherent sentence past my lips. The gravity of what happened today isn’t lost on me. Innocent people died. I guess I can count myself lucky that, until Romeo Bianchi walked into my life, I’d never witnessed anything like this before. Truth be told, it’s not something I thought I ever would. Sure, I’ve seen things in the news or guided people through difficult times as an emergency dispatcher, but I never thought the day would come when I’d be under fire in a fucking restaurant.
Romeo’s hands land on his belt buckle, the sound of it being unclasped enough to pull me back into the moment. I turn my back to him, flinching when I catch sight of my reflection in the mirror above the basin. Splatters of blood and chunks of something I don’t want to identify have congealed across my face and chest. The makeup that had been so harshly applied is now smeared and streaked and what I can only assume are skull fragments litter my hair. I rip my gaze away, unable to stomach the horrific reminders of the harrowing events of the evening.
I just want to get clean .
Romeo steps up behind me, the heat from his body like a blanket as his hands land on my shoulders. He smooths them down my bare arms before turning me toward him. I focus my eyes on the wall just past his shoulder.
He lifts my right arm, tugging down the zipper on my dress. Instead of fighting him, I allow him to undress me; the fabric falling down my body and pooling around my feet. I should be making an effort to cover myself, to push him away and beg for him to not do whatever it is that he has planned, but I’m numb. My limbs are heavy and something as simple as moving my head to meet his gaze feels like an effort.
There’s a scratch in my throat and an ache in my chest, but I clench my fists and swallow down the sadness. When he’s done with me, I can cry, but not until I’m back in my cell and alone .
I’m stronger than my fear; than my emotions.
Bending, Romeo lifts my right foot to his knee and undoes the strap of my stiletto. He slides my foot free, placing it back on the heated floor before moving to the next. Even when his hands hold on to the lace thong—the only article of clothing I have left on—and he pulls the material down my thighs, I don’t move. My mind is screaming at me to do something—to do anything to get away—but my body is refusing to cooperate.
When he stands, he follows my blank stare out of the window before blocking my view with his body. Smoothing back a strand of my hair, he soothes, “Nobody can see in, and even if they could, they know not to look at what’s mine.”
His .
What does that even mean?
What am I to him? A concubine? His prisoner? I don’t feel like I’m my own person anymore and it’s only been a day. What will happen when he’s kept me here for months? Or will my life be snatched from me before the week is over? Just like the ma?tre d's .
Oblivious to my spiraling thoughts, Romeo leads me into the shower and under the hot spray. Pin prickles assault my body as the water rains down on my cool skin.
With my back to him as he undresses, I allow my head to fall forward and watch the physical evidence of this evening flow down the drain, hoping the memories of tonight will wash away just as easily. How did I end up in this position? I thought my father walking away would keep me safe. That I’d be able to live a normal life.
Look how well that’s turned out .
I can’t help but feel that if I’d not forced my father to make a choice between me and his world, I wouldn’t be in this position. I’d have had at least some protection, but instead, I’m alone and ill-prepared for a man with as much power as Romeo Bianchi. The magnitude of my circumstances coats me like the water falling from above me. It pulls me under, suffocating me as it crashes into me at lightning speed. A single solitary tear rolls down my cheek unchecked, and I brace my arms on the wall, trying with everything I have to push down the emotions that are consuming me.
It’s too much.
A strong arm bands around my waist and I’m pulled into Romeo’s warm, solid chest as he repositions us both under the spray. With his mouth close to my ear, he murmurs, “It’s okay, bellissima . You can let go.” His tone is soft, and as much as I search for an underlying threat, there isn’t anything there.
His words ignite a fire, and I feel my fight return. I push out of his arms, turning to glare at him. The spray from the shower continues to pelt down on me from behind, and I push a hand through my hair to keep it away from my face.
My body tenses, and I snarl, “ No . I don’t need your permission . You have no right to comfort me when you’re the reason I’m in this mess.” I push forward, screaming, “I wish they’d killed me because you seem incapable of doing so. Even better, I wish they’d killed you .”
A smug smirk lifts the corner of his mouth. “There she is.”
I grind my teeth in an attempt to keep from exploding. How dare he put me through all of this? Who does he think he is for taking me and using me as a pawn in his stupid game? For nearly getting me killed.
I’ll knock that stupid look off his handsome fucking face.
Unable to hold back, I launch myself at him. At this six-foot-five wall of pure muscle . Pulling back my arm, I push it forward toward his face. Dodging out of the way, his thick fingers grab my wrist, stopping me mid-air. He pins my arm above my head, wrapping the other around my neck as he shoves me back until my shoulders hit the cool tile. He pauses for a second before his mouth crashes down on mine. His kiss is dominating, and yet there is a softness to it as his warm lips plunder mine. I part my lips when he demands it, and our tongues tangle in a battle I’m happy to lose. There’s something possessive and powerful in the hold he has over me. It sends shots of need to my core. A low growl in his chest vibrates through the palm I didn’t realize I had splayed on him.
The air is robbed from my lungs and even if I had the ability to make him stop, I’m not sure I want him to. Currents pass through my body, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel alive . With my wrist still held in his hand above my head, I grab hold of his bicep with the other, digging my fingernails into the flesh as I try to stay grounded.
What is happening?
A whimper echoes around the bathroom, and it takes a second to register that the desperately needy sound has come from me. As our kiss continues, Romeo plunders my mouth, the light pressure on my throat a suggestion that his hunger is as ravaging as mine. Our mouths fight the war that started the moment we met. All the emotions from the past few days—defiance, strength, fear, and anger—battle to win. Neither of us needs air. We feed off each other, allowing life to pass between us with every swipe of our tongues.
Later on, I’ll remember who he is and why I’m here, but right now, I want nothing more than to forget everything that isn’t him. I want to forget that someone has been watching my apartment. That I’ve been taken prisoner by a man who thinks I can get my father to come out of hiding. Or what will happen when my father doesn’t come out of hiding. But most of all, I want to forget all about the men who were killed in front of me tonight.
Romeo releases his hold on my throat and wrist. My body sags from the loss of contact, leaving me bereft. I don’t want to acknowledge how much I like his hands on me and the way he makes me feel so alive.
My treacherous body almost rejoices when he wraps an arm around my waist, taking hold of my thigh with his other hand. His fingers dig into the flesh, but the pinch of my skin does little to bring me out of the sexual fog I’m sinking into. Like it’s the most natural thing in the world, he hooks one of my legs over his arm, and I press my body against his naked chest like I belong to him.
Feeling bold and forgetting who this man is, my fingers dive into his thick hair, pulling on the wet strands and angling his head so I can deepen the kiss. I’m emboldened by the fact that he’s allowing me this moment of power and control, when in reality, I have anything but.
An unmistakable cotton-covered hardness presses into me and a fleeting thought crosses my mind. He never got fully undressed. Did he do that to protect me? What that could mean is gone before I can think about it any further. My body’s natural reaction takes over, and I rock my hips into him, seeking some sort of release for the need burning inside me.
Tearing my mouth away from his, I gasp for air as Romeo trails kisses down my neck and my gulps turn to moans. “I just… I need to… forget,” I whisper, my tone breathy.
Romeo’s only response is a grunt before he moves down my chest. His teeth graze over one puckered nipple before he flicks the bud with his tongue and sucks it deep into his mouth. The pop, as he releases it, echoes around the room.
His hand pushes the globe of my breast up and he swirls his tongue around my nipple again and again before pulling the bud through his bared teeth. The scrape is delicious and sends jolts of arousal through my body. He moves to the other, showing it the same attention.
God, I need more .
I buck my hips into him and move my hand to the nape of his neck, grabbing on to the hair, the movement not enough to ease the desire consuming me. I’m vaguely aware of the water raining down on us as the room fills with steam. Romeo’s hand slips between my legs, finding my slick pussy. Moans tumble from my lips when he pushes his finger inside, stretching me gloriously. It feels like heaven, but it’s still not enough .
Resting his head on my chest, Romeo growls, “So fucking tight, bellissima .”
My voice doesn’t sound like my own when I speak; it’s filled with need and… lust. “I need more. Please, move.”
Adjusting his stance, Romeo widens his legs before sliding in a second finger. His eyes blow wide as he focuses on where his fingers fill me, watching as he thrusts and withdraws them again and again. I take the opportunity to catalog the perfection of his chiseled body as rivulets of water cascade down it. “Ride my fingers like you’ll ride my cock, Aurora. Get that pretty little pussy ready to take me.”
My body is at his command, my hips move without any thought, rolling and grinding on his fingers as I seek out my release. Tingles cascade through my body and my head tips back, knocking against the shower wall. With my throat exposed to him, Romeo grazes his teeth over the vulnerable skin, sending ripples of ecstasy up my spine.
It’s all too much and not enough at the same time. My moans and whimpers bounce around the walls of the bathroom until the sound of the shower is completely drowned out.
“That’s right, Aurora. Take what you need.”
Oh God, I’m so close .
My nails dig into his shoulders as I lose all control. The walls of my pussy spasm around his fingers, and I know in a few short moments I’ll be free falling into ecstasy. Squeezing my eyes closed, I race toward my completion, pleasure building to the ultimate peak. Then it falls away, leaving me breathless and frustrated when he eases his fingers out. I ache, my walls twitching around the emptiness, my hips still grinding the air as I seek out his eyes.
There's a hunger reflected back at me. He looks even more dark and dangerous now than he ever has. I should be afraid, but that look is only heightening my excitement. It’s turning me on even more than I ever thought was possible.
Romeo releases my leg so he can push his boxers down. His cock springs free, but I can’t bring myself to look down. Just from that small bit of contact, I know he’s big and I’m afraid that if I catch sight of him, I’ll push him away and put a stop to whatever this is. And that’s the last thing I want . I need to forget; to fill the void inside of me. I need him to help me do that.
My body tenses when he brings the head of his cock to my entrance. Our eyes connect and he soothes, “Relax, bellissima . You’re strong, you can take it. All of it.”
I don’t know that I can, but I’m sure as hell going to try.
Blowing out a breath, I force my body to relax. My breaths come in short, sharp pants and I’m unable to look away from his dark blue eyes as he eases into me, one thick inch at a time. It feels like he’s tearing me in half. He stretches me to the point of pain, but it soon turns to pleasure as he inches his way in deeper. When he’s fully seated, expletives fall from between his clenched teeth.
As my body adjusts, I roll my hips, testing out the feel of him inside of me. Impaled but in the best possible way.
Using his shoulders and the wall behind me, I lift my hips, bringing him halfway out before I drop back down. Our moans fill the air, and for a moment, he gives me full control. I revel in it, riding him, getting my body acquainted with his size and the feel of him stroking my walls. It’s not a hard or fast pace, but I’m taking what I need and he’s willingly giving it to me.
A feral growl echoes around the room as he takes back control. Romeo’s hips buck, pistoning in and out with a ferocity that alone brings me so close to tumbling over the edge.
Tension builds in my core, and I arch my back, pressing my body into his as the sensations consume me. Driven to the point where I can’t take any more, I snap, and it sends pulses of pleasure throughout my body. My walls clench around him as the most intense orgasm of my life washes through me, and I cry out in ecstasy.
We’re both breathless as the room comes back into focus. The patter of the shower running in the background is a reminder of where we are. A light sheen of sweat covers my body and tingles erupt in the leg holding me up. It feels like an eternity before Romeo pulls out, and steps away from me. He turns the shower head onto himself and squeezes some shower gel into his hand, lathering it up before he runs them over his body.
I slump against the wall, still in the midst of my orgasmic afterglow, with a mind that can’t quite make sense of where I am or what just happened. As I’m sorting through my hazy thoughts and getting my breathless body back under control, a wetness that can’t be attributed to the shower slides down the inside of my thigh and my mouth drops open.
“Did you…” I clear my throat before trying again, unable to hide my shock. “Did you cum inside me?”
Romeo stands in front of me, suds from the shower gel covering his body as he holds my stare. He rinses off a hand before smoothing it down my stomach until he reaches the space between my legs.
He swipes a digit through my slit before bringing it up between us. Our combined release glistens on his finger, and I watch, mesmerized, as he takes it between his lips and sucks it clean.
His tongue darts out, swiping over his bottom lip. “It sure looks…” He pauses, holding my gaze with a heat that has my body yearning for more. “And tastes like it.”
I stand there, in a trance, as he walks out of the cubicle. His back is to me as he shakes his head and murmurs, “Fucking exquisite.”
My eyes track him as he grabs a towel and wraps it around his waist, completely unfazed. What the hell just happened? This has got to be a dream. A figment of my imagination.
It has to be.
“Use the shampoo and shower gel and get cleaned up, Aurora. I’ll leave some clothes on the bed and send Daniele to take you back to your room.”
His parting words slam me back to reality. I’ve been a fool to forget who it is I’m dealing with. I might have needed him for a moment, but not anymore. The less time I can spend with Romeo Bianchi, the better.
When I walk out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, my hair is clean and any traces of him on my body—and the people that died in front of me today—have been scrubbed away. Laid out on the bed—just like he said it would be—is a white oversized T-shirt. I pull it over my head just as Daniele knocks on the bedroom door.
With one last look around the luxury of Romeo’s bedroom, my bare feet pad silently across the carpet, and I swing the door open, ready to return to my new reality.