Chapter 11
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ANASTASIA
“Who delivered it?” I keep my eyes pinned to the package, sat in the middle of my desk. Blood seeps from underneath and drips onto the floor, staining my imported fur rug that I spent thousands on.
“I don’t know, it was just here when I came into the office and the security footage has been cut.” Adrian leans in. “What if it's a severed head?”
I scoff. “A head would hardly be bleeding out this much. It’s most likely a body part that’s been recently severed.”
“What?” Shit. Adrian’s eyes are almost bugging out of his skull, making him look like a cartoon character .
Declan shoots me a look, before faking a laugh. “She’s just kidding. I bet it’s Demetri’s idea of a practical joke.”
I laugh with him which brings little color back to Adrian’s face. “Yeah, he’s always messing around with fake blood. In fact, he texted me this morning to check if I was coming into work, probably to make sure I would see it and freak out.”
Adrian scoffs. “No offense but your brother is a little psychotic.” Yeah, we figured that out when Damien brought home a dead fox when he was six and tried to nurse it back to life.
God that was a long week.
“Anyways, why don’t you and Declan run out and grab us some coffees.” I hand him my card. “On me.”
Declan’s hand falls to Adrian’s lower back as he walks him out. I don’t like where that’s heading. I don’t care if my employees fuck each other but when they’re on opposites sides of my businesses, it can get messy.
Sighing, I turn back to my little present. I assume it’s a gift from the satin ribbon bow tied on the front. I grab a switchblade from my purse and slice it open. The stench hits me first and I gag, quickly pulling on some plastic gloves.
Switching the torch on my phone, I shine the light over the box and peer inside. My mouth falls open as I stare at them, almost disbelieving my own eyes. “Are those… ”
It’s not often I’m speechless but this is something entirely morbid.
I look away, breathing heavily before turning back to the package. Yep, it really is .
Noticing something at the bottom, I hold my breath and dig my hand inside, gagging as my pinky brushes against one of them. My fingers clasp the blood-stained card and I have to blot it dry with a tissue before I can make out the few words scrawled on the front.
I hope this makes you reconsider my offer, mi amore.
A scream rises in my throat. “Bastard.” I throw the card at the wall, leaving a bloody imprint behind.
He’s seriously calling that insane marriage proposal an offer? And where the fuck does he get the nerve to call me that?
I look down at the package again, wondering whose they could be.
His, I hope. Then again, I still wouldn’t consider his offer.
Stripping off one of the stained gloves, I grab my phone and hit his number saved under he who shall not be named — Isla’s recent Harry Potter obsession inspired me with that one.
He answers after only one ring. I open my mouth, words itching to spew out but then close it again. “So, I assume you found my gesture then? ”
“This is your idea of a gesture? It’s staining my oak desk.”
“Then I’ll hire a clean-up crew, or better yet I’ll clean it for you myself if you let me explain my full proposal.”
I snort, removing the gloves and falling back against my leather couch. “Unless they’re yours I’m not reconsidering anything.”
“If I cut off my own balls, it would be you missing out mi amore.”
Anger boils inside of me like a furnace. “Look, if you want me to test that theory then I’m perfectly happy to cut them off myself.”
“Any excuse to see my cock, tesoro.” He teases but I’m not playing around anymore.
“Whose are they?” Part of me is terrified that they belong to someone I care about. After all, I don’t know Enzo Mancini and I did refuse his offer, albeit I had reason to do so.
“They belong to the man responsible for burning down your warehouse.” I’m not easily shocked into silence and yet this man has managed to do it to me twice today.
“You killed Miguel Diaz?”
“I didn't kill him. I gave him the tools and he did the rest but be assured he’s still very much alive.”
“He castrated himself? Why the fuck would he do that? ”
“Because I asked nicely.” His sarcasm floods through the line but all I can do is grimace, thinking about how Diaz…nope, I can’t even say it.
“At first, I just wanted him to admit that he was responsible for the attack on camera, but then he started running his mouth about you in ways I consider less than appropriate. The idea came to me when he started bragging about how he was going to gag you with his balls. I already have the account numbers of money he’s stolen from all these charities he’s founded but I decided that he needed to be punished for the things he said about you. I gave him two choices, I either exposed to the world what a fraud he is or he cut his own balls off. Apparently, money is worth more to some men than their manhood.”
I’m speechless. Enzo Mancini has made me utterly speechless.
I blink a few times, feeling a sudden weight lift off me like I can finally breathe again. Diaz has been dealt with and I have one less problem to deal with.
All because of him
“Anastasia? Are you still here?”
I swallow hard, thinking about what to say next. “I can't believe you sent me another man's balls to try and persuade me to marry you. ”
There’s a smile in his voice as he says, “Well my Ma always said the best way to a woman’s heart is through a gesture.”
I laugh quietly. “Smart woman.” Then frown, “What happened to the rest of it?”
There are two very bloody balls in there but no —
“The cock? Oh well his rape fantasy of you was so descriptive I thought he should at least experience part of it. I cut off his cock but it was too small to do much damage so I had a friend bring over a dildo, shoved it into his mouth and duct taped over the top. He’d pretty much passed out by that point but my friend took pictures in case Mr Diaz decides to tell the authorities the whole truth.”
“So where is he now?”
“A psychiatric hospital seeking help for castrating himself. He’s well medicated so don’t worry about anything coming back to you. I doubt Mr Diaz will be a problem again.”
I blink a few times, still in shock of it all. Part of me can’t imagine the boy I knew in school committing such heinous acts — enjoying them even. “You really are a completely different person, aren’t you?” It comes out a lot sadder than I intended, creating a thick silence that lingers between us.
Leone no longer exists, and despite fighting nine years to forget him, part of me mourns the loss, knowing that the girl I used to be disappeared with him .
In both of their places, now stand monsters that share a love of power and violence.
I hear him swallowing hard on the other line. “Consider my offer Anastasia. It might be the only way to save us both.”
***
Jas refills our wine glasses, throwing the empty bottle in the bin. I raise the glass to my nostrils, inhaling the lofty white aromas that manage to come through. My eyes fall closed a second as I try not to think about Enzo and his stupid proposal.
What did he mean to save us both?
I know I need to find a way to please the board and secure my position as CEO, but why does he need me so badly?
My accountants have been digging into his financial records, which were heavily sealed before Aunt Mia got to them, and yet if we merged it would cause a dip in his profits for the first year.
I’ve always loved a puzzle, but Enzo Mancini may just be the most difficult one I’ve had to solve yet.
“Stasia? Stasia, hey! ”
My eyes flit to my best friend, meeting the concerned look in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? I mean I just threw a glass bottle over your precious coffee table and you didn’t even bat an eyelid. Don’t get me wrong, I never miss a shot, but normally it’s something you would shout at me for. What happened?”
I sigh heavily, knowing that Jas is the only person who can understand the history I share with Enzo. The only person who was there for me during that summer when I vowed to never give myself to another person like that again.
And yet, I know exactly what she would say if I told her.
Fuck him, Stasia. He doesn’t deserve your time, nonetheless your hand in marriage. You’ll find another way eventually.
But right now, there isn't another way.
It would take time to find another solution and by then, it might be too late.
Instead, I force a smile onto my face. “So what happened with boytoy number 37 then?”
“Oh no, you’re not getting off that easily. If you want to discuss my sex life, then something seriously fucked up must have happened.”
“Jas — ”
“Oh come on, I’m your best friend and like it or not you’re supposed to share stuff with me. The kind of stuff your family wouldn’t approve of, or other people might judge you for. That’s the perk of having a friend Stasia, you get complete 100% support no matter what.”
“So even pedophile’s get a pass from their friends?”
She rolls her eyes, musing a smile. “Of course not, but I can imagine anyone who is friends with a pedophile has a dubious moral compass to begin with.”
I laugh softly, leaning forward to hug my best friend. “Thank you.” Jas has stuck by me through so much, I can’t imagine her walking away now. “Okay so here it is.”
She settles back against the couch, lifting her glass to urge me on. “Go on,”
“That meeting I was supposed to have with Mr Mancini turned out to be a reunion with my ex.”
She frowns. “Ex? But you’ve never been with a guy long enough to be called your ex. Well except for...” I nod and her eyes practically bug out of her skull. “No fucking way! It was Leone?”
“Well actually Enzo Leone Mancini, but his name wasn’t the only thing he lied about. He’s also the CEO of Mancini Corporations and the head of the Camorra. ”
“Camorra?”
“A powerful criminal organization based in Italy, so essentially he’s—”
“You, but with less money and a cock.”
I snort a laugh, downing my wine glass. “And he wants to marry me. That was his offer. A marriage proposal to unite our two families and businesses.”
“Holy shit, Stasia.” I watch Jas down her wine, swallowing hard as she digests it all. “First of all, how do you feel? I know how…intense the relationship was between the two of you.”
Intense is one word. Back then I would have described it as all consuming, a whirlwind of passion and romance that nothing else could ever compare to.
But now I know that it was all a lie. To him, it was nothing and now…that’s exactly what it is to me as well.
“I’m fine.” She flashes me a pointed look. “Honestly I am, I moved on a long time ago and now I know what a deception the entire thing was, I can just forget about it. Leave it in the past.”
“And what about him? Are you going to leave him in the past too?”
“I don’t know.” I finally admit out loud. “I told him no but he’s still pressing me to meet so he can tell me the terms of the offer. ”
Jas snorts. “You mean marriage. It’s not just a business proposal, Anastasia. This is your life. The rest of your life.”
“To me, my life is my work. I never cared for romance or a family, Jas. All I want is to be on top, leading a successful company and making my parents proud of the way I protect our family’s legacy. I suppose marrying an attractive rich guy with the same mindset as me wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world?”
“But he’s not just a guy, Stasia. It’s him. It’s the guy.” I tried dating after him. Business associates, actors, a guy I met at the coffee stand and even a basketball player or two but eventually it hits a point when I realize that nothing could ever compare to those feelings I had when I was with him.
So I stuck to just sex. Because it's easier and fun and all I need.
“I can’t live without the power.” I admit.
Jas smiles, rubbing her hand over my back. “Then I suppose you’re going to have to find a way to marry him without killing him first.”