Chapter 4 #2
Maria leads me downstairs to where Gabriel is waiting. As so are the other guests. They all look up at me as I descend the stairs. Both men and women. The sight of the women doesn’t bring me any comfort though. Everyone looks at me like I’m under a microscope.
Gabriel takes my hand when I reach the end of the stairs. “This is Aurora,” he announces. “Andrew Rossi’s daughter. And she is mine now. She lives here.”
“What are you doing?” a young man asks, probably around Gabriel’s age. “Is this a good idea, Gabriel?”
“Leo, you are my guest tonight. You will not question me. Now, my chef has prepared a wonderful feast for us. Let us all go into the dining room and enjoy and then we can go outside into the back garden. I know a few of you are itching to see my hedge maze.” That gets a couple of laughs out of some of the guests, though I’m not sure what’s funny about it.
Gabriel keeps his hand enclosed over mine as he leads me into the dining room. Everyone takes their seats but the problem is that doesn’t leave a seat for me. Without a word, Gabriel pulls me onto his lap.
“What are you doing?” I whisper.
“These are all my guests tonight. I had this party planned for months now. You were not originally on the guest list. There was no room for you so you’ll sit here instead.
” His eyes flick down to my neck and cleavage before returning to my eyes.
I can’t help but blush. “You are thing of beauty, Aurora.”
“I am not a thing. I am a human.”
“She’s feisty,” a man says, chuckling as he cuts into his steak.
“She is, George. My feisty little prisoner. I told everyone about your father, Aurora. And how you saved his life. They all think it’s commendable.”
“Not many people would take on Gabriel Romano,” another man says.
“You’re right, Rocco. Not many people would.”
The man named Leo scowls. “Gabriel, we are focused on going after Giovanni Greco. You can’t get distracted by this girl.” Leo has soft wavy brown hair that would make him handsome if not for the expression on his face.
“Leo, we are having a party tonight. Not everything is about business all the time.” Gabriel cuts into his steak and holds the piece towards my mouth. “Eat.”
I look at him for a long moment but he doesn’t budge.
He wants to feed me to treat me like a child.
To remind everyone in this room that I belong to him.
Slowly, I open my mouth and he places the meat on my tongue.
It’s the most delicious thing I have ever tasted.
My dad and I were too poor to eat steak.
It was mostly vegetables and cheap fish or chicken when we could get our hands on it.
But never something delectable like steak.
“Is anyone going to talk or is everyone going to stare at my plaything all evening?” Gabriel asks.
The conversation begins with the men and women discussing everything from the weather to the food to business.
Gabriel continues to feed me in silence. The more I eat, the more I love it. Having gone hungry for so long, there’s nothing like the feeling of being full.
He hands me a glass of wine. “Drink.”
I take the smallest sip and watch as Gabriel’s eyes flick back down to my throat as I swallow.
“When are we going to enjoy your maze tonight, Gabriel?” George asks. “I am eager for it.”
It’s then that I see everyone’s expression. The light in their eyes. The excitement. What is going to happen in the maze?
“It’s time.” Gabriel sets me on my feet. “Everyone, follow me. Aurora, you will return to your room.”
I want to ask more but with all these people around, I can’t find my tongue.
The guests follow Gabriel out of the dining room while I’m left alone.
After a moment, I head back upstairs. I look out one of the large windows on the upper floor that showcases the backyard. A huge hedge maze dominates the space.
I gasp when I see the men and women get naked and run into the maze. Gabriel doesn’t though. He stands back and watch. So that’s what this kind of party is. An orgy.
I blush at the thought. What kind of life does Gabriel live?
An extravagant one, I realize. One with decadent food and fine clothing and sex parties. It’s so different from my own life, it’s almost laughable.
Gabriel is distracted though which means he won’t be back in here for a while. That gives me an idea.
His bedroom. I want to know what he’s hiding in there.
The only problem is: I have no idea which bedroom is his. The mansion is so large, I still find myself getting lost in it, despite exploring the house a couple of times now.
I walk down hallway after hallway, feeling myself grow more anxious as I look for his bedroom. How much longer will Gabriel be? I have no idea how long orgies last for.
The idea of him out there, touching another woman between her legs makes me feel… unsettled though I have no idea why.
As soon as I think that, I push it from my mind. That’s when I turn down another hallway and see a large door at the end. It has a large handle carved into it in the shape of a lion’s head. This is Gabriel’s bedroom. I just know it.
I hurry to his door and crack it open when I hear someone behind me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” It’s George. He has such a plain face that it takes me a second to remember it’s him.
“What?” I squeak, dropping my hands from the doorknob.
“I was watching you, you know. Watching you sneak around the house. What are you getting up to?” His eyes flick to Gabriel’s door and back to me. “Naughty, are we? You’re a naughty girl in need of a spanking.” He rushes forward and grabs me before I can react.
I go to scream when his hand clamps around my mouth.
“Bad girls get punished,” he growls into my ear.