10. Chapter 10
Chapter ten
Ettore
I should have been getting work done, but instead I was sitting in my office chair, looking out of the window. Every muscle in my body tensed as I had watched that scumbag lay his hands on Liria yesterday. The rage I felt wasn’t just fueled by my duty to protect her, it was a primal instinct to defend and keep safe from what was mine.
No matter how hard I tried to deny it, I couldn’t deny the feeling of jealousy boiling inside of me. But this was supposed to be an arranged marriage; I shouldn’t be feeling this way.
“Ugh,” I said, no one around to hear it except a fake potted plant.
I turned grimly from the window and faced my desk, strewn with paperwork and notes. “Work,” I muttered to no one in particular, pushing the memories of last night to the back of my mind and dragging my mind into the present.
A knock at my door jolted me from my dark thoughts. A welcomed distraction, no doubt. I called out a gruff, “Come in,” not bothering to mask my agitation.
“Hey Boss,” Rocco said lightly, his face changing when he saw the scowl on my face. “Uh, should I go?”
“No. What is it?”
“We’re about to start an interrogation; didn’t know if you wanted to come.”
“Absolutely.” Beating the shit out of some grunt would be exactly what I needed to get my mind off Liria.
Rocco and I walked through the warehouse until we reached a room that had been sealed off with extra padding. We were in a warehouse district, and the machinery mostly covered the screaming, but we couldn’t be too careful.
His twin brother, Felix, waited in the room, watching the man struggle with his constraints.
A feeling of satisfaction washed over me as I observed the sight. The man was sweating through his shirt, eyes darting nervously between Felix, myself, and Rocco.
“You made it, Boss,” Felix drawled with a mischievous grin.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I returned dryly, my gaze settling on our unfortunate guest whose color had turned from a pale white to a distressed green.
As Rocco sealed the door behind us, I walked to the steel table in the center of the room. The metal surface was cool under my fingertips. A single light bulb dangled from the ceiling, throwing the man strapped to the chair into harsh relief.
“Well,” I began, my tone deceptively casual as I circled him like a predator stalking its prey. “You know why we’ve brought you here today, yes?”
“Tch,” he responded, his voice full of defiance. “I didn’t do nothing.”
“Ah,” My voice was calm and measured, at odds with the tension in the room. “You see, I’m not exactly buying that story. What do you think, Felix?”
Felix snorted from where he was leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest. “Sounds like bullshit to me,” he said nonchalantly.
“I’ll give you one last chance. Do you know why you’re here?”
“No idea,” he said, but his eyes told me he knew exactly why he was there.
Rocco was leaning against the adjacent wall, the mirror opposite of his brother. He had lit up a cigarette and was silently watching the scene unfold before him.
“Give me that,” I said, taking the cigarette from him.
In a fluid motion, I plunged the searing tip of the cigarette into the man’s cheek. His agonized screams filled the room, but he could not clutch his wound in pain as he had been bound to the chair. The smell of burnt flesh permeated the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood that trickled down his face.
“Do you remember now?” I asked.
“Not,” his chest heaved in pain. “A clue.”
I took a deep drag from the cigarette. The sharp, acrid smoke filled my lungs and momentarily numbed the stress and jumbled thoughts about Liria. Then I jabbed the burning embers into the man’s eye without hesitation.
I came home for the day to a silent apartment. Hugo, a loyal employee of ours, sat at the kitchen bar, fiddling with a salt shaker. He had been assigned to watch over Liria today. I had full confidence in his abilities and knew he would ensure her safety and complete the task at hand.
After saying goodbye to Hugo, I walked into the living room, expecting to find Liria on the couch. It was empty. I shrugged and assumed she must be in the bathroom and headed towards my bedroom. As I reached for the doorknob, I paused, noticing the soft glow of light seeping out from underneath the door. It was weird; I could have sworn I turned the light off before I left.
I pushed the door open slowly and saw a very unfamiliar sight on my bed. Liria, who was starkly against getting in my bed, was curled up reading a book.
“I thought you weren’t going to be home until later,” she sputtered, turning bright red. She attempted to get off as fast as possible, but in the process, caught her foot on the edge of the bed and fell.
“I told you I’d get you into my bed,” I joked, holding my hand out to help her up.
She scowled and swatted it away. “It’s not like that!”
“I know, I know,” I chuckled, putting my hands up in mock surrender. “Just messing with you.”
Despite her protests, the sight of Liria in my bed warmed me more than it should have. She was always so reserved and had insisted on sleeping in the living room since her arrival. To see her comfortable enough to use my bed for reading... Well, it was progress.
“So,” I began, crossing the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. “What are you reading?”
“Ah, well,” she sheepishly looked away from me. “It’s from your bookshelf. I saw you had one the other day when the office door was open.” Liria turned bright red and began crossing her arms back and forth in a flustered manner. “I swear I wasn’t snooping, just reading!”
“I know you weren’t.” I plucked the book out of the hands and looked at the cover. “The Outsiders. A classic.”
“I actually have never read it before,” she admitted.
“Well,” I said thoughtfully, turning the old paperback over in my hands. “You’re in for quite a story, then.” The worn pages were yellowed with age, the ink faded in places but still legible.
I passed the book back to her, noting how she gingerly took it from me, cradling it as if it were a precious artifact.
The cool air of the night flowed through the open window, and the full moon cast a radiant glow that illuminated part of the room. For a rare moment in bustling New York City, a few stars twinkled above, their distant light reaching down to touch the earth.
“You want to go look outside?” I asked, pointing to the picturesque night sky.
Her eyes lit up as she looked at me. She had that childlike innocence and curiosity that made her so endearing. “Sure... I’d love to,” she replied, placing the book on the bedside table before getting up from the bed.
I opened the balcony door and stepped outside. I held my hand out to help her on to the terrace, and after hesitating, she held it. It was soft in mine; a stark contrast to my rough, hardened grip. I could feel her pulse quicken slightly at the contact.
We stood at the railing next to each other, our bodies lightly touching. The ghost of a touch sent an electric spark through my nervous system, having her near me, but not quite close enough.
She leaned against the railing, watching the sight of the large moon in the sky. I couldn’t care less about the moon. I was more interested in watching Liria’s side profile as she admired the view.
Liria was so damn hot. I had been doing my best to push these thoughts out of my mind, but they came barreling through like a train wreck. Her perfect lips formed an “O” shape as she looked at the moon, and my mind went to different places. She would look so good on her knees as I slipped my cock between those pretty lips, stretching them open even further.
And then, I would push her on to my bed and-
“Are you just going to stand there and gawk?” Liria interrupted my thoughts and turned to face me.
“Probably.” The wind had slightly messed up her hair, and I tucked a lock of it behind her ear. After finishing, I left my hand on her cheek, enjoying the moment.
“H-huh?” Liria turned bright red, but her body betrayed her. She leaned into my touch, pressing her body closer to mine.
I needed to know what she tasted like. I could only hope to have enough self-control to stop once I had a small sample. My thumb ran along her jaw as I leaned in to catch her lips. She shyly tilted her head towards me, her eyes fluttering shut.
Just a taste.
A loud bang reverberated through the area, causing me to instinctively jump back and reach for my gun. My heart raced as I quickly assessed the situation, eventually realizing that it was just a car backfiring.
The moment had been ruined. Liria had curled into herself and was looking at the floor.
“I should go to bed,” she stammered, before bolting through the balcony door.
Fuck. But maybe it was for the best. It was like I was a teenager again; I had a raging hard on from just touching her. I probably wouldn’t have been able to stop with just one taste.
I watched as she disappeared into the apartment, slamming my bedroom door behind her. Cursing the car that had interrupted the moment, I laid down on my back on the bed. I unzipped my pants and freed my throbbing length from its confines, letting out a sigh of relief as I gave it a pump.
I fucked my fist, my mind’s eye filled with images of Liria.