Chapter 8
Lorenzo
As each second ticked by, my patience grew thinner. All I wanted was to rush home and spend time with Angela.
Home .
A word that had once felt foreign to me, a concept I had never truly understood. My mansion, once just a place to rest my head, had become a home because of Angela. It had been a week since my little stunt with my innocent girl and ever since, she had been very jumpy in my presence. It was so fucking cute, I wanted to kiss the heck out of her. I don’t know how I managed to stop myself the other night when she was in my bedroom, but God knows how much restraint I had to put over myself to not devour her and rip her pussy apart.
At the moment, I had pressing issues at the base that demanded my attention. “Find that bastard,” I barked, my voice dripping with irritation. “And he needs to be alive!”
A worker from my club, Inferno , had not only stolen money from me, but he also had the audacity to force himself on the strippers after work hours. This blatant disregard for my rules and my club’s safety enraged me. Nobody gets away after messing with me.
“Liam’s already on it,” Giovanni informed me, nodding grimly. “But there’s more news you need to hear.”
I knew from his tone that whatever he had to say was far from good. “What?” I asked, my eyes narrowing as I waited for him to deliver the storm.
“I think you should see it for yourself,” Giovanni said, pulling his phone from his pocket and handing it to me.
As I read the headline, my jaw clenched. My grip tightened around the phone as I absorbed the news, my anger boiling over.
'The Temptucce has been reportedly stolen from the Volga Art Museum’, the headline read.
The world of art and history was in shock after the recent report that the Temptucce, a collection of the eight rarest diamonds, had been stolen from the Volga Art Museum. These diamonds, collectively worth billions of dollars, were regarded as one of their kind…
I stopped reading, the rest of the article becoming irrelevant as my rage intensified. What the hell were the Russians up to? My mind raced, trying to piece their plot together.
Giovanni continued, his tone solemn. “It gets worse. Don Nikolai sent a personal message accusing you of stealing the Temptucce. He claims you’ve declared war by stealing from the Bratva. He swears he’ll get them back.”
It was a clear provocation, and I could see the Bratva's game. They’d stolen my diamonds and used them for years, making money by exhibiting them in their museum. Now, they suddenly disappeared to frame me for theft and ignite a war to put an end to the animosity between us. It was a masterful plan, but I knew there was more. There was only one reason for Nikolai, the head of Bratva, to do this. He knows .
He was trying to test me to see if I would retaliate. Little did he know, I had my own plans in store. It was time he paid for what he did to her right in front of my eyes.
***
I sat in quiet satisfaction as the cries of agony reverberated within the confines of the torture room. It was a sound I found oddly comforting. The bastard who dared to steal from me was found drunk in my very own casino, betting on my hard-earned money. Was he stupid? Or perhaps it was the alcohol clouding his goldfish sized brain. Either way, who cares? All that mattered was that he was here now, at my mercy, alive but barely clinging to it.
“That's enough.” My voice cut through the air like a blade, commanding the attention of my two men busy serving him the appetizer. They stepped back, their hands adorned with metal chains and gleaming knives. The sight of the bastard's bloodied form lying before me made a flicker of satisfaction dance in my eyes. They did a good job. After all, they were taught by the best. Me.
"I'm sorry. I didn't—" The pathetic bastard coughed out blood; his sentence left hanging in the air, unfinished. "I will pay you b—" Before he could utter another word, my fist connected with his jaw, the impact echoing through the room with a sickening crack. He crumpled to the ground, blood oozing from his split lip.
"Please," he begged, his voice barely a whisper amidst the sounds of his own suffering. But his pleas fell on deaf ears, drowned out by the relentless pulse of my fury. I could have toyed with him and relished in his pain for longer, but my patience wore thin. All I desired now was to see Angela, to be enveloped in her presence, and to forget about the filth that tainted my world.
I withdrew my gun. Without hesitation, I emptied the bullets into the bastard's chest, each shot punctuating the finality of his fate. As his eyes closed for the last time, I whispered the rule that was engraved in my world. "There are no second chances."
With a nod to my men, I ordered them to clean up the mess before turning on my heel and striding out of the room.
It took me a total of ten minutes to get back to the mansion from the base, a route that would otherwise take not less than twenty. That's how impatient I was.
Stepping in, out of all the scenarios I had imagined to find Angela in, this was not on the list. My little angel was hanging upside down from the leather couch, legs propped up on the backrest. Her lower lip was tucked in between her teeth, and I squinted with a frown as she worked thoroughly to search for something on her phone. As amusing as the sight was, I was pathetically turned on by the good amount of chest she was flashing unknowingly. Was I about to tell her to fix her shirt? No. Would that make me a bastard? Yes. Did it matter? No. Because I never claimed to be a saint.
Moving stealthily to Angela's side, I positioned myself quietly above her. She was so engrossed in whatever she was doing that she didn't notice me approach, a fact that sent a pang of unease through me. If someone wanted to snap her neck right now, they could have easily caught her off guard. The realization unsettled me. There was much I needed to teach her.
Snatching the phone from her hand, I watched as Angela startled, sitting up abruptly. "What th—oh." Her surprise quickly morphed into recognition as she registered it was me. "When did you get back?"
I arched an eyebrow at her. "It's been a while." My response carried a subtle hint of reproach, a reminder for her to be more mindful of her surroundings.
With effortless ease, I lifted Angela up, cradling her with one arm while the other hand held onto her phone. She gasped in surprise, clearly caught off guard by the sudden movement. As I settled into a seated position, I gently adjusted her on my lap, feeling a rush of warmth spread across her cheeks, painting them a delicate shade of pink. Her reaction elicited a smirk from me. How fucking adorable!
"What were you so engrossed in?" I glanced at her phone, catching a glimpse of a house rental website before she hastily tried to hide the screen. However, I wanted to hear her confess it herself.
"I, uh…" Her voice trailed off, hesitant but also slightly defiant. I was not about to let her off the hook that easily. “I was just looking for some apartments.” I switched off her phone and casually tossed it beside me on the couch.
"Apartments?" I leaned in closer, relishing the way she instinctively leaned back, her eyes widening slightly. Closing the distance between us, I whispered huskily into her ear, my breath making her shudder as I nipped her earlobe. "And why would you feel the need to look for apartments? Hm?"
Testing her boundaries, I pushed a little further, wanting to see just how far she would let me go. I would not want to make her uncomfortable at any point. But deep down, I knew there was something in her heart for me. So what if it did not come even close to what I felt for her? It was there.
"I mean, I can't live with you forever in your mansion," she finally admitted, her words filled with a hint of uncertainty. Little did she know, I had much grander plans for her than she could ever imagine.
“Who told you to leave?” I questioned, leaning back just slightly to meet her gaze.
“Huh?” Angela's confusion was evident in her furrowed brows.
“Who asked you to leave the mansion, Angel?” I repeated in a firm tone.
“No one,” she shook her head, her eyes searching mine for any sign of what I was thinking.
“It should be clear by now that you aren't going anywhere, Angel,” I asserted, watching as her mouth opened, then closed, unable to find the right words to respond.
“Oh,” she finally squeaked out. Before I could delve further into the matter, her phone suddenly began to ring, breaking the tension in the room. Annoyance surged through me.
Not now.
Angela reached for her phone, seeking refuge in the distraction it provided. But I was not about to let her off the hook that easily. With a predatory grin, I leaned in closer, my breath ghosting over her skin as I whispered huskily, “Answer the phone on speaker.” She smelled heavenly. Sue me for wanting to eat her in this moment.
She hesitated for a moment but eventually obeyed, her compliance sending a thrill through me. “Bitch, what took you so long?” Emily's unfiltered voice blared through the phone, and I couldn't help but smirk at Angela's reaction.
“Answer her, Angel,” I murmured into Angela's ear, causing her to gasp in surprise.
“I—ah,” she stuttered, her words cut off by the sensation of my lips on her neck, sucking hard on the tender skin. Angela squirmed in my hold as my hand dipped under her shirt to rest on her back. Her grip tightened reflexively. “I was busy,” she squealed.
“Oh fuck. Did I just pull a Gio on you right now?” I chuckled, realizing the similarity to Giovanni's notorious interruptions. But I didn't stop, continuing to lavish attention on her neck, eliciting a mixture of squirms and soft moans from her.
“Angela? You still there?” Emily's voice sounded from the phone, breaking through the haze of our intimacy.
“Mhm.. yeah!” Angela managed to respond; her voice strained with pleasure.
“Holy shit-fuck. I really did pull a Gio right now! Whoops. I guess I'll just call you later. Bye!” Emily hung up, leaving Angela free to release a loud cry of pain mixed with pleasure as I nipped and sucked on her skin. Hard .
“Oh my God!” Angela gasped, her head thrown back, as I found a particularly sensitive spot on her neck, causing her to arch into my touch, looking like a divine goddess in the throes of ecstasy.
Moving back, I watched Angela's chest rise and fall with heavy breaths before withdrawing my hand from beneath her shirt. I tilted her chin up to meet my gaze, my tone firm as I delivered my message. “Drill it into your pretty head, Angel.” My voice was tight. “You aren't going away from here. Away from me. Ever .” I waited for her response, my grip on her waist tightening as I made my expectations clear. “Do you understand?” She nodded, not being able to say anything. I spanked her, making her jump. “I want to hear your words, Angela.” I squeezed her perfect ass, letting her know I was waiting.
“Yes,” she whispered, her eyes flickering down to my lips for a fleeting moment before meeting mine again. There was a magnetic pull between us, evident in the way her gaze kept returning to my mouth. Fucking hell. This was torture. And I was putting an end to it right now.
Without hesitation, my right hand locked in her hair, pulling her roughly towards me, and I wasted no second in capturing her lips in a fervent kiss. I was consumed by desire instantly, my senses overwhelmed by the taste of her rosy lips. They were soft and inviting, with a hint of cherries and vanilla that drove me wild with longing. I moaned in delight, my primal side screaming in ecstasy, to finally get a taste of her heavenly, pillowy softness. So divine.
Angela responded eagerly, her hands finding their way into my hair as she reciprocated the kiss. Her nails scraped gently against my neck, making me groan and igniting a fire within me.
Oh. My. Fuck.
Unable to contain myself, I shifted my position, flipping her over and pressing her into the soft cushions of the couch. My hand moved to support her head, the impact against the surface adding an edge of urgency to my passion. Straddling her, I took control of the kiss, savoring every moment as our lips moved together in perfect harmony.
This was it. This was the moment I had been waiting for.